The Gilded Bookshelf Hotel
Your Next Chapter Starts Here
SUMMARY
Develop a metaphor-driven advertising campaign to visually and narratively unify a brand. Each piece was designed to reinforce the story, tone, and characteristics of the hotel, creating a cohesive world across touchpoints.
Solution
The Gilded Bookshelf Hotel is a boutique destination hotel for travelers seeking something beyond the ordinary. Designed for adventure seekers aged 25–38, the brand blends literary charm with Art Deco sophistication.
Deliverables
Brand Identity, Advertisements, Brand Experience, Annual Report
My role
Designer
Brand Identity
The identity was crafted to evoke the elegance of the Art Deco time period. A serif typeface paired with a clean sans serif creates contrast while referencing 1920s typography. Jewel-toned colors nod to both the richness of the era and the popular palette of book trilogies.
Custom patterns inspired by Art Deco geometry extend the system, adding texture and depth across applications.
Out of Home Advertisements
The campaign lives across posters, subway placements, airport ads, and billboards, strategically placed in high-traffic areas to reach travelers. Each piece uses metaphor-driven taglines and monoline illustrations to immerse viewers in the hotel’s world before they ever check in.
Brand Experience
A range of branded materials brings the hotel experience to life. Custom wine labels were created for the in-house bar, while door hangers extend the metaphor concept in with clever phrases. Key cards incorporate brand iconography and patterns to maintain cohesion in even the smallest details.
Matchbooks serve as a tactile takeaway, as a nod to both the resurgence of collectible hotel trinkets and the cozy atmosphe of candlelit reading.
Annual Report
To communicate the hotel’s growth and future vision, I designed a 58-page annual report structured on a 10-column grid system. The layout balances financial information with narrative storytelling through imagery, allowing for a story to be told beyond the hotel experience.
Behind the Scenes
This project began as an opportunity to push beyond my comfort zone and build a fully realized brand world from the ground up. I started with logo sketches, exploring multiple directions before refining concepts in Illustrator.
From there, the system expanded through continuous iteration, testing patterns, refining color relationships, and determining which materials best expressed the hotel’s personality.
