Having reached a concluding point in the design process for this project, I set about creating a SketchUp model of the public spaces on the fourth floor to offer a more complete sense of what it might be like to journey through these areas. Although these spaces are open plan, the ways that they are divided up created some challenges in terms of creating a full sectional view through these areas – so I felt this might be a useful aid in understanding the guest experience.

The lobby area for the proposed design.

The same space at the existing site, as viewed from the top of the stairs.

Reception, with a small seating area and the first filmic “Easter egg” – David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Black Lodge.

The yellow light fixtures, mimicking the repeated imagery through the film of duality


The bar area


As in the film, the “Substance Yellow” colour is limited – pops of the lurid yellow as a reminder of the activator.


The restaurant space – with a view through to the private dining/meeting room. Wallpaper is “Lauriston Stripe” by House of Hackney. A nod to the site’s location around the corner from Lauriston Place where the main Edinburgh College of Art campus is located, and which the hotel would share a premises with.
 
A view of the seating area above which there is a proposed ceiling void with a statement light fixture.

A view down the long hallway connecting the rooms on the fourth floor. Artwork is from artpistol, featuring figurative art by Scottish female artists – mimicking the experience of the long hallway at the studio where Elisabeth works.

Along with developing the visuals, I finalised the specification for flooring throughout, focussing on a few aspects of how I might approach this sustainably:

– Carpeting throughout the high traffic hallways is by Tarkett, who offer a used flooring recycling scheme. Both from personal experience and from our visits to other sites, high degrees of damage and wear and tear that takes place in hotels was highlighted, meaning this could be very useful. The product specified also offers a 25dB noise reduction, meaning this area would be quieter to avoid disturbing other guests when travelling through the space.

– Carpeting in the bedrooms, reception area and lounge is by ShawContract – with cradle-to-cradle and BREEAM certification, as well as being 100% recyclable.

– Ceramic marble-effect tile and wooden plank flooring by Amtico features through the public lobby and hospitality spaces. Hard-wearing and easy to maintain, both the wooden and ceramic flooring are recyclable and have Indoor Air Comfort certifications.

Proposed floorplan showing floor finishes on fourth floor

Proposed floorplan showing floor finishes on fifth floor

As our hotel design project nears completion, I turned my attention to lighting. I had alluded to some aspects of this earlier in the design phase, with recessed ceilings in both the public and private spaces in the hotel – I wanted to be more specific about what the lighting experience in the hotel would be like for visitors. The Substance doesn’t put a huge degree of emphasis on lighting in its visual narrative (such as specific spotlighting of visual details). While there is a use of overhead strip lighting, most scenes have a fairly soft wash of light – varying in brightness and warmth, and using lamps less to create illumination and more to provide visual cues to the film’s timeless setting.

In this scene the light does not appear to have a specific source – instead providing a sort of artificial illumination of the whole space.


Recessed LED strips feature throughout Elisabeth’s apartment, creating a soft and welcoming environment despite the chaotic turmoil of her inner world – which is more apparent in the scenes where she is confronted with aspects of her own self image, which feature cool, stark overhead strips.




While the above gave me a general scheme, I wanted to develop a space to break up the long hallways featured on both floors. Referring to the snowglobe which Elisabeth often finds herself shaking, reflecting upon what she perceived as her fading youth and beauty, watching the glitter tumbling around the figure inside – I wanted to emulate the sparkling glitter.

While I do not yet have a technical understanding of lighting to design a bespoke lighting feature, I researched a number of different chandelier lighting options before ultimately landing on the Q2 by Baxter.

While I do not yet have a technical understanding of lighting to design a bespoke lighting feature, I researched a number of different chandelier lighting options before ultimately landing on the Q2 by Baxter. (pictured above, image via Baxter.it)

A similar feature at Gleneagles Townhouse which I thought was particularly striking.


A daytime sectional elevation rendered in Photoshop to show the imagined lighting effects through the public and private spaces. In the bar and lounge spaces, the lighting is reflective of the mid-century inspired interiors – with a mix of soft, directional Flowerpot pendants by Verner Panton, glowy Gubi Turbo pendants by Louis Weisdorf and statement chrome floor lamps by Jean-Pierre Garrault and Henri Delord

An evening sectional elevation rendered in Photoshop to show the imagined lighting effects through the public and private spaces. The feature lighting space (double height in red) does not receive natural lighting – creating a sense of a suspension of time in this space, with the twinkling chandelier appearing like glitter falling through air.

This week, I turned my attention to finalising the general arrangement and FF&E of the proposed design – and pulling together a mood board reflective of some other elements of the film. I began with a sketched view of the open plan reception, lounge and bar/restaurant areas, which I could later use as the basis for a digital collage to create a more atmospheric view of the space.

Fourth floor general arrangement – note that lighting is indicated in red.

Fifth floor general arrangement – note that lighting is indicated in red.

The Substance takes place over a very limited number of locations, centring primarily around Elisabeth’s home (which I used as the basis of the private spaces), her work and then small glimpses of hospitality settings. In contrast with Elisabeth’s private space, the non-domestic settings have a mid-century modern feel – with flashes of chrome and brushed aluminium, wood panelling and a more high contrast colour palette. I used this as the basis for my own approach, as well as pulling colour and material details from key moments in the film.

Reception & lounge area mood board – inspired by Harvey (Dennis Quaid)’s office, as well as a touch of flock wallpaper which references a turning point in Sue’s (both literal and metaphorical) unravelling – see below.

A moment in the film when Sue fears she is losing control – and decides to take drastic action to ensure her continued access the “The Substance”.



The Substance “activator” – featured in a very limited but crucial capacity through the story. Reflected in quantity in terms of splashes of this colour in the public lounge.

A still from The Substance’s promotional video in the film – referring to the idea of duality, and the all important use of the colour yellow to symbolise Elisabeth and Sue’s relationship.

My approach to the bar restaurant area is a little more pared back, although still vibrant. While the hospitality settings in the film place an emphasis on the colour orange, I felt it important to keep primary colours and pinks as the central colour palette – in keeping with the costume designer’s approach to the characters costuming, playing with tints and tones to maintain cohesion throughout.

When sourcing FF&E, I had come across an image on Pinterest of the Casa Clarita hotel, designed by Jaime Hayon. Curious as to where some of the objects had come from, I reached out to the hotel directly on Instagram and they were able to provide some information about their furnishings. While I wasn’t able to find the table in question – I did manage to find another useful source for FF&E – which I have found throughout this process to be quite an interesting challenge in terms of both product quality and useful assets as a design student.

Work in progress – a hero image to show the guest first impression when entering.

Ahead of a group visit to the W Hotel in Edinburgh, I took the opportunity to do some additional independent research at Gleneagles Townhouse on St Andrew Square (also in Edinburgh). Located in a former bank, the building was primarily constructed during the Georgian period and is now home to a 33 bedroom, 5* boutique hotel. I was interested in the public space, taking note of how the designers had employed details such as surface finishes, materials and artwork as well as the all important “first impression”. I took a risk on asking if I might be shown around some other areas and was lucky to get a tour around the other private members areas by the Guest Experience Manager – who helpfully has an architecture degree! While the building is very different to our own site, it was interesting to see the strategies Gleneagles’ in-house design team had used to navigate an old listed building, bringing it up to safety spec as well as celebrating its history (formerly housing various banking institutions as well as residents). Notably, only around 20% of the footprint is dedicated to accommodation – with a much greater emphasis on luxurious amenities such as a dry spa located in the former vault, and opulent hospitality spaces with stunning views over the city.

Lobby area opposite the concierge/reception desk

Main staircase – which appears as if it spans two floors, however the ceilings are actually double height (as evidenced by the giant orders in the restaurant area)

Public restaurant area (The Spence). I was interested to see how the design mixed materials, in particular floor finishes, in an open plan space like this.

Finishes felt period-appropriate to the building’s history, with layered use of natural materials and luxurious soft furnishings. Artwork followed a similar colour palette but was far more contemporary – keeping the space from feeling stuffy or antiquated.

The fourth floor guest & private members bar – purpose-built as an addition for the hotel. I thought it interesting how they had achieved a seamless continuity of the interiors in such a modern glass and steel extension to the building. The only giveaway was the steel window framing.

Purpose built bar on the fourth floor – a modern addition but felt as if it were as old as the rest of the building.

Staircase connecting the basement spa area and upstairs restaurant. The railings were original to the space, featuring the British Laundry Bank emblem.

Making use of the vertical space with a lighting feature.

The W Hotel is also a 5* offering, but with a much different feel. A contemporary, bold design with lots of details – both subtle and overt – celebrating its Scottish location. In contrast to Gleneagles, the site was purpose-built to house the hotel, with 360 degree views of Edinburgh from all the publicly accessible spaces. I found it interesting to see how the brand utilised technology to highlight (and presumably offset costs) for brand exposure and collaboration (with LED panels advertising Highland Park whisky, and opportunities to do more of the same in the lifts). While the design was very dazzling and did intend to celebrate Scottish culture and heritage – I did note that it felt a lot more impersonal and corporate by comparison to the boutique strategy. When speaking to the staff member showing us the spaces, he noted that the contemporary design did not lend itself as well to another area of the site, located across James Craig Walk in a category B listed former tenement and student halls of residence constructed in 1775 – mentioning that guests often found the contrast between the areas to be quite jarring.

Decorative ceiling details nodding to tartan

Custom upholstery designed by a Glasgow School of Art textiles student

Unicorn artwork – celebrating our national animal

Volcanic rock tabletop – referencing the city’s location, built upon extinct volcanoes

A possible detail to refer to in my own design? David Lynch style.

1970s style in the cocktail bar – with bold floor finishes

Rooftop pods, making outdoor space more useable in the rainy Scottish climate.

Conferencing facilities – with some issues highlighted regarding the shape of the space being impractical.

A USP for the hotel – bookable recording studio space.

Using light to create a colour wash in an otherwise blank/white space.

This week, we turned our attention to General Arrangement – adapting our hero design to fit the floor plate of the building, and planning and developing the public spaces in our hotel designs. I began with some rough zoning ideas, reflecting on the case studies I had looked at and how each of those had allocated and prioritised uses of particular areas. Additionally, as part of my consideration I looked to the AA star rating system for hotels which we had discussed at the beginning of the semester to dictate both the provisions of my rooms as well as the amenities provided – with the intention of designing a 5 star boutique hotel.

Following some tutorial discussions, I began planning in more detail, starting with the placement of the bar and reception desk. I felt that these elements would be best placed quite close together, near to my proposed entry on the fourth floor of the building (the lower of two levels of our site).

Initial thoughts, with a reception desk opposite the entry point by the lifts and a bar to the right (when facing reception). 
Reception desk to the left of the entry point with a bar ahead. I wondered at this stage if it might be useful for the bar to be built between the two fixed structural columns.

Separating the Reception area more distinctly – I didn’t feel that this had a very good flow, however might be useful in terms of delineating the arrival point from the rest of the public spaces without a physical barrier.

Considering here the potential for a separate food countertop (lower in the image) backing onto an open kitchen, with a separate bar for drinks. I felt that this was excessive, however the zoning made more sense to me, with a bar area nearer to the entrance and Reception, and more separate space for dining.

At this point I felt I had come the closest to a positive solution, with space for a Reception/back office area near the entry point, a kitchen beside it and the bar backing onto what I imagined to be a dining area. I was still experimenting with placing a Suite near here (bottom right of the plan) however I felt that it would lack privacy with the balcony overlooking it as a public space – and blocking the windows with shutters or blinds would take away from the experience of staying in a luxury room.

To allow myself some time to ruminate on a more formalised solution to the General Arrangement, I returned to my FF&E selection – which I felt had come together roughly but required more attention. While the film’s colour grading is impactful and high in contrast and saturation, Elisabeth’s apartment (which the room scheme draws most inspiration from) is a little more muted. I had hoped to integrate some Scottish brands into my design and found a wallpaper by Timorous Beasties which fit well with the scheme.

Art print from Ink & Drop, reminiscent of the movie’s palm tree motif – Elisabeth’s final view before her face dramatically dissolves into her star on the Walk of Fame.



Page from Lips book, c.1975 by Andy Warhol, by King & McGaw – an Easter Egg of a filmic reference within the film, itself referring to David Cronenberg’s 1983 body horror Videodrome starring Debbie Harry.

Still from Videodrome (1983) via Mubi

After returning to my General Arrangement, I reached a point that I felt will be closer to my final design. Having given the amenities some reflection, I felt that there was adequate provision for food & beverage and so my initial thoughts regarding the upper level as a private guest area changed.

Fourth floor General Arrangement

I had originally thought of adding some kind of gym or wellness area on the fifth floor, however when I considered the themes of the film. While the film does explore themes of body image and self, Elisabeth does not reach her aesthetic goals through a focus on fitness or wellbeing. I considered the idea of a dance studio (as she is a dance/aerobics presenter) however a dance studio, although a unique amenity, would perhaps prove impractical for most visitors. Along these lines I had thought about the potential for a meditation or yoga studio – however this line of thinking feels to be quite at odds with Elisabeth/Sue’s fragile mental state in the film. Ultimately, I felt that the space I had originally allocated for this purpose might be best placed as a penthouse suite most reminiscent of Elisabeth’s own domestic sphere (and with a dazzling view of Edinburgh Castle).

Fifth floor General Arrangement. Some further development to be done, along with an opportunity to design a “signature” suite with separate rooms – in line with the AA star rating guidelines for a 5 star hotel.

Some quick thumbnail sketches of small areas around the hotel and references that they incorporate.

Sketchbook page reflections on the first arrival point – the lobby – and how the aesthetics of this space relate to key scenes/motifs.

A view from the top of the stairs at the existing site, looking towards the area which would be adapted to create the lobby landing space.

This week we returned to research – some desk-based case studies as well as a site visit to a boutique hotel within the University of Edinburgh’s hospitality offering. I had developed my design scheme to a point that I felt was taking it in the right direction, however a more focussed look at some design hotels helped me to zero in on my choices. Having sifted through what felt like hundreds of hotel-related entries in various online design publications, I was finding that a lot of hotel offerings featured really colourful, dazzling public spaces which were quite starkly contrasted by rooms and suites clad in neutral shades. While this may offer a simple, serene and practical option for hotels (based on the wear-and-tear I’ve seen from my own work experience), it feels to me like a break from the impactful design of the sites overall. I specifically sought examples which broke from this trend.

Naumi Central Private in Queensland, New Zealand is a 15 bedroom boutique hotel. Undercurrent Studio, who designed the hotel, noted that the client specifically requested no white or neutrals, and each room is boldly colour blocked with a splash of pattern courtesy of vinyl printed wallpaper made in collaboration with local artist Deborah Moss. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hotel was fitted throughout with bold, cradle-to-cradle “Dye Lab” carpet tiles by ShawContract (fitting almost exactly what I had been searching for for my own design), which won Undercurrent a ShawContract 2022 design award for the Australia/New Zealand region.

Junior suite, image via Naumi Hotels

Image courtesy of Undercurrent Studio

“Habitat” room overlooking the garden

“Oasis” room overlooking the treetops. Images courtesy of Naumi Hotels, via we-heart.com

Locke am Platz in Zurich, Switzerland is an 80 room boutique aparthotel with retro, theatrical flair. Designed by Tatjana von Stein, the hotel mixes lush, soft upholstery, a bold 70s colour palette and Swiss Riviera stylings. I was interested in von Stein’s use of materials – mixing seemingly contrasting materials (particularly in the lobby area) such as stainless steel and velvet in a similar manner as in The Substance’s set design. The use of vivid colour is consistent throughout, creating an immersive sense of escapism from the everyday/ordinary.

Images by Kensington Laverne via Tatjana von Stein

At the end of the week we visited The Scott Hotel in Edinburgh. A very different kind of building re-use project, I found it very interesting to see how the designers had navigated preservation of the historic elements of the building that could not be altered or adapted (a whole wall of antique mirror/glass, and velvet wall panels in the Velvet Lounge bar – which could not be drilled through). It was useful to see a site in person, being able to have a tactile experience of the finishes as well as being able to ask more in depth questions of the staff about the functioning of the hotel. Some key information and ideas from the visit:
– The building lacks storage space for flexible uses of public areas – an unexciting but practical design feature;
– Floor coverings were unexpectedly bold in the rooms – but appeared understated at first glance;
– Public and staff areas occupied approximately one third of the building – the entire ground floor (reception, 17 seat bar, small fine dining restaurant, a lounge, small bookable meeting/events space, plus back-of-house areas such as kitchen/M&E/housekeeping).
– Contemporary artwork from artpistol Gallery and printed wallpaper & upholstery by Timorous Beasties provided an interesting and effective juxtaposition to the historic setting.

Signature Double room, image via uoecollection.com

(Own photos)

Based on from some feedback I received, I made the decision to move the door in my design so that the first view the guest would have would be of both the curved hallway as well as the open living space with a view of the cityscape – encapsulating a variety of the key elements making up the cinematic experience.

With this in mind, I needed to make some significant changes to the model I had so far made. I hadn’t yet built any of the walls, so I was able to focus on the door itself. While I had liked my initial design, which I had drawn up after looking at some Art Deco imagery, after some thought – I felt that it wasn’t quite right. I searched instead for Hollywood Regency doors, which led me to my updated, simpler door design. I was keen to slightly simplify the sort of clover leaf motif above the door as well, feeling that is was too organic in shape (more Art Nouveau) and too direct of a reference to Suspiria rather than a modified interpretation.

My updated door along with the mood board and my existing designs – I felt that the combination was more cohesive.

Treating the process of building the internal walls in a similar way to framing out walls at full 1:1 scale to give the model greater stability and a sense of depth.



The internal glass brick wall, made out of tracing paper so that I have scope to experiment with lighting and understand how it will pass through the interior.

Adding the ceiling details and some simple furniture elements provided a more realistic understanding of the experience of entering the space.

Some “upholstered” elements such as the couch and bedding help to give a further sense of materiality.

This week began with some further contemplations on how to develop the bathroom space within my design. I had already dedicated quite a bit of thought to this, however up to this point it had been largely for the purposes of functionality. While mulling this over over the past few weeks, I had considered many different configurations of the bathroom which separated the bath and shower – typically with some kind of dividing wall to create a shower enclosure. In doing so I felt that I was losing both the sense of space which was inherent to the domestic bathroom space in the film, as well as the simplicity and almost extreme minimalism of the space.

I knew that I needed a simpler solution, and when I came upon these images I felt like I had landed on something more resonant – presenting an option which felt both appropriate to a luxury hotel setting as well as being minimal and striking.

Bath tub overlooking a bedroom space in Prefabhouse, by elii Architects, 2011-12. via metalocus

Minimal bathroom in pink tile, designed by Markéta Bromová, via whitemad.pl

I had also come across an intriguing design project which I felt provided some helpful insight into how lighting might affect the user experience from within the bathroom space, using very similar materials/surfaces.

LAX Bar by Christoph Meier, Ute Müller, Robert Schwarz, Lukas Stopczynski, Vienna, via olex-design.at.

Updated bathroom design, viewed from where the glass brick wall would be (hidden in SketchUp)

With a more robust strategy in place for the bathroom, I turned my attention to FF&E selection. I found this to be an interesting challenge – with very blurry lines between objects and finishes intended for residential vs. commercial use, especially when compared with our first foray into this when tackling office design. Given that there aren’t budgetary constraints for this project, I took this as an opportunity to become better acquainted with both iconic designer pieces as well as lesser known or more recently established designers and manufacturers.

Paints by Mylands, bed in recycled velvet by Darlings of Chelsea, sideboard by Galletti&Radice, floor lamp by Soho Home, carpet by Associated Weavers

As our final task for the week, we began making scale models of our hotel rooms – beginning to think not only about what would be inside the rooms but also considering some initial thoughts on what might be going on [aesthetically] in the corridor outside. While we didn’t elaborate on this too much (yet!) I took this as my first opportunity to employ my own take on Fargeat’s horror movie “easter eggs” hidden within my own design – by including a visual reference to the 1977 horror movie classic “Suspiria”, directed by Dario Argento. Also featuring a long, red hallway, bold use of primary colours, a striking Art Deco setting, and a story centred on the female perspective – it felt like the perfect reference point to begin to move beyond the hotel room.

Still from Suspiria, 1977, via Elle Decor Italy
Still from Suspiria, 1977, via Tumblr

Following the feedback discussed during our group crits, I was ruminating on was the guest experience when entering the room. In my initial design scheme, the guest would immediately be confronted with the bed, partially obscuring the views from the windows (half of the site faces Edinburgh Castle). Taking this as a point of development, I reflected on the elements of the design that I felt were quite either crucial to retaining the sense of being within the film, and those which I felt were working well. I also researched some additional studio apartment plans, thinking further about how these often small living spaces accommodate the necessary features required for day-to-day life, as well as some Junior Suite plans from other hotels – using these as the basis for further development.

Paris studio apartment floor plan by Rebecca Bénichou and Florence Jallet at Batiik Studio, via Architectural Digest France


Junior Suite floor plan at The Peninsula Hotel, London

After spending some time hand sketching possible alternatives, I felt the key elements of the design were: a long, slightly curved corridor separating the bathroom from the living/sleeping space, a centred entry point to the bathroom, and an expansive view across an open plan living/sleeping space. The spaces within the film are also rather boxy and free of soft lines (aside from the curved hallway) which felt important to mimic.

Testing the Parisian studio apartment plan as a jumping off point to develop the design scheme further – a plan I ultimately abandoned.

Having tested some options without this combination, I felt I was losing the “essence” of the film. I had experimented with some options incorporating two long corridors within the room, really emphasising this feature as it was so present throughout. In the end, I felt it excessive to dedicate this much valuable floor space to such a cumbersome feature which didn’t seem to be adding to the guest experience – particularly when there would be scope to play with this element in other areas of the building. Thinking of my own time working on reception at a hotel chain which prioritises quirk over practicality, I’ve seen and heard firsthand how an otherwise positive guest experience can be memorable for all the wrong reasons. There is a fine balance between features which are eccentric, and those which can be (at best) impractical, inaccessible or even potentially hazardous.

Having done a deep dive into The Substance in terms of its visual makeup, atmosphere and key details, I turned my attention to some key elements of the interiors on a slightly more zoomed-out scale. I questioned which aspects of the film might best be adapted into the interior of a hotel room to give a sense of place without creating a predictable guest experience.

With some rough ideas sketched out, I was reasonably happy with the development of my idea. I had drawn from memory a couple of spaces I was familiar with and which I thought might be useful in terms of spatial arrangements – one of the best rooms in a hotel I had previously worked at myself (Malmaison St Andrew Square, room 605), and my old studio apartment which had a similarly sized floor plate to a larger hotel suite.

Interrogating the possible layouts and room amenities when taking into account potential space constraints.

While much of the film takes place in Elisabeth’s private domestic sphere, there is little delineation between her private and personal worlds in terms of the use of colour and time period. The details I decided might give most scope for play were the long corridors which featured in a variety of shots and the white tiled bathrooms (how might this be adapted to have a similar look and feel, while feeling a little more welcoming?).

“Nordic Project 46” by Elemental Design, via Behance.net
Blueberry Nights Hotel in Tblisi, via Dezeen

Design by Ruben de Saavedra, from ‘Bath Design’ by Philip Mazzurco, 1986. via Reddit