Inside Hotel Genevieve, a Colorful Paris-Inspired Destination in Louisville, KY

Hotel Genevieve is a charming boutique hotel in the hip East Market district of Louisville, Kentucky. The beautiful space is one of the latest offerings from Bunkhouse, a hospitality company known for one-of-a-kind hotels that immerse guests in thoughtful design and unique experiences. For Hotel Genevieve's design, Bunkhouse collaborated with Philadelphia-based Rohe Creative, a female-led interior design company.

Bunkhouse and Rohe Creative were inspired by the hotel's namesake, Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, to create a space that not only pays homage to Louisville's French origins but also to the women who worked together to make Hotel Genevieve a reality. Featuring 122 rooms spread across six floors, the hotel also features four distinct culinary concepts from Top Chef alum and James Beard nominated chef Ashleigh Shanti.

And while the exterior of the new-build structure is more in line with its urban location, once inside, guests are greeted by an oasis filled with earthy hues, floral details and soft, feminine touches.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, guests are immediately immersed in the rich, colorful world Kate Rohrer, founder and creative director at Rohe Creative, wanted to create at Hotel Genevieve. "We definitely did not hold back on color at Hotel Genevieve. We really wanted to create a colorful guest experience that felt Old World Parisian, yet youthful and a bit irreverent," Rohrer says.

The pink lobby area features a burl wood and antique brass desk flanked by bold maroon curtains and plenty of metallic details. The antique horse mural behind the desk is accented with a curved outline, which adds a delightfully modern touch. To further celebrate Bunkhouse's eclectic style and Louisville’s culture, a tiny disco ball was added to the mural as well to celebrate the fact that the city is one of the largest producers of disco balls in the world.

Drawing inspiration from traditional French parlors, where art was frequently hung directly on top of drapery panels, Rohrer created several distinct spaces in the lobby for guests to mingle, relax, work and enjoy the artwork. The floor-to-ceiling curtains, which are custom-made in a stunning maroon velvet, hang throughout the space to add a luxurious feel, while the variety of art keeps the space feeling eclectic and curated.

One design choice you'll see throughout the entirety of Hotel Genevieve is the use of a single color on just about every surface in a space. "One of my favorite tricks when painting with color is to use the same color on the walls, ceiling and trimwork," Rohrer explains. The mustard shade seen in the living room of the Suite Genevieve gives a '70s-inspired feel to the space. The blue velvet sofa adds the perfect amount of contrast to the mostly yellow room, while the burl wood console echoes that warm main hue.