I’m so excited to share that the Soho House Portland opened last month! Located in Portland’s Central Eastside district, in the Troy Laundry Building it’s the first House in the Pacific Northwest.

Like many of their Houses the Soho House design team has drawn inspiration from the building’s original design features. In this case the building’s architecture is industrial with concrete columns and exposed brick. The spaces designed for guests are the House restaurant, bar and music room, gym, sauna, steam room and a rooftop pool (soon to open). To be honest, I was a little sad to find out they do not have hotel rooms at this location, but there are plenty of cute Portland hotels nearby to stay at.

At Studio Laloc we’ve been fans of the Soho House brand and Houses for many years. I’ve been a member of the Cities Without Houses Seattle chapter since it was founded in 2018. I’ve been dreaming of the day they finally open a House here, but we’ll have to see if we will ever be so lucky! At the very least I can now take travel down to Portland for a quick weekend getaway to fill my cup, rather having to make the trek to New York or LA.

There are many design details that can be seen again and again across Soho House spaces that we can take into consideration when planning the design of our own spaces. Let’s discuss a few of my favorites!

1. Never miss an opportunity to incorporate a fun, attention grabbing table lamp or lampshade.

The Soho House design team does such a masterful job at layering lighting. One common design detail they’ll incorporate into their spaces from bedrooms to the locker rooms are interesting lamps. Their table lamps and floor lamps are always sculptural and unique, but the design team will also add layers of softness through their lighting with both interesting and quite beautiful lampshades.

2. Comfortable upholstery seating deserves a seat at the (dining) table.

One thing I’ve noticed about Soho House spaces is that they like to make all seating multipurpose. The common comfy, loungy, accent seating like sofas and roll arm chairs are also utilized as dining chairs at the small two and four top tables.

3. Curves are our friends when we want to create thoughtful, conversation forward, seating arrangements.

While you’ll see a straight-lined sofa or table here and there, most often the Soho House design team furnishes their spaces with curvy, fluidly lined furniture. From swoop arm sofas to barrel back chairs and round ottomans, curves abound!

4. Mix and match patterns and textures without abandon.

In some Houses when it feels appropriate, the spaces will be layered with several patterns and/or textures. The key to making it all work though, is that the colors are consistent. The tones never clash; think muddy with muddy or warm with warm, and the color palette in and of itself is always kept to a minimum. More often than not you’ll only count three to four colors in total in a space, and the variation will be the in the shade or depth of color within those patterns.

5. Millwork can really make a room sing.

When the spaces are large or the ceilings are high, a great architectural trick is to add an interesting millwork design detail. And to go a step further by highlighting that detail with an accent paint color. I’ve also noticed that they tend to leave the upper part of the walls and ceilings white. This allows for dark colors to work in rooms, but to not overwhelm and cause for them to feel too dark over all.

6. Never skimp on window treatments. They complete a room.

For all of our projects we make sure to include window treatments into the design plan and budget. This is because window treatments complete room and the Soho House spaces expertly showcase that! While the window treatments are often formal in aesthetic in the Houses, they truly add that finishing layer.

7. Warm finishes reign supreme when it comes to metal.

While you’ll see nickel finishes in some spaces, more often than not House spaces favor warm brass and bronze finishes over cool chrome or nickel finishes.

8. Classic tile is timeless, and always a good idea.

Often the tile installations are quite classical in style, but sometimes the implementation is unexpected. Ultimately though, you’re not going to see super trendy tiles line the walls of these hotels. Only the most tried and true materials and finishes are used. Which is something to take note of, because bathrooms can easily feel dated sooner than other spaces in our homes.

While there are many other design details that I could fan girl over in Soho House spaces, the above are the ones that seem to be the most prominent aesthetic markers. Have you had the opportunity to visit a Soho House? If so, which one or ones? Do you have a favorite?

That aside, if you’re curious about memberships at the Soho House, drop me a line. I’d be happy to provide additional insight!

Cheers, Lauren

All photos and images were pulled from the public pages of the Soho House website.

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