Em’s Vision:

How Wallpaper Became a Portal to exotic places

A World of Stories in Every Room

At The Agora, each room is more than just a space—it’s a memory and a glimpse of a place that inspired co-founders Aleks and Em on their world travels. Em created rooms that evoke the feeling of standing on a bustling street in New York, wandering through a serene Japanese garden, or soaking in the charm of a classic English library. Every detail, down to the bathroom wallpaper, reflects a world they both have experienced. This mindset led Em to co-design the tropical wallpaper in one of the hotel’s most unexpected places—the bathroom.

Miami Dreams

Em wanted the bathroom to be exotic, a nod to a place she had yet to visit: Miami. She envisioned bright, playful colours and thought palm trees would set the tone. But, after discovering Cristina Moreno De La Cova, a designer of custom wallpaper and fabrics, the vision expanded. Em fell in love with Christina’s designs, especially one featuring monkeys and palm trees—a playful mix that felt both tropical and timeless. However, Em wanted the colours to be true to life for both the monkeys and the lush palms, capturing Miami’s lively, free-spirited feel.

Creating a Custom Masterpiece

Christina dove into the design process, bringing Em’s vision to life by crafting a custom print with a distinctive colour palette and selecting a material designed to withstand the bathroom's humidity. After testing four or five samples, Em selected a vinyl with a rough texture that would bring out the intricate details and feel elegant and tactile. The wallpaper evolved from a neon Miami vibe into a warmer, more refined palette of creamy whites, brass accents, and terracotta hues. This made the wallpaper feel exotic yet sophisticated, setting the stage for a more timeless approach.

Bringing the Hotel Together

Paired with Em’s favourite custom Moroccan brass sinks, the wallpaper became a bridge to other elements in the hotel’s design. Like the Bird of Paradise, tropical plants add to this natural, earthy vibe, creating a cohesive connection between the wallpaper and the lush greenery that adorns the hotel’s space. Rattan furniture, bamboo accents, and touches of brass lend the whole environment an organic feel that embraces nature without veering into excess.

A Surprising Design Element

Initially, Em planned to extend the wallpaper to the other main stairway hallway. However, with limited quantities, she opted to keep it as a surprise element in the bathrooms. The decision has become one of the hotel's most surprising design elements, with guests frequently commenting on its uniqueness. It's a bold statement, funky and unexpected, yet perfectly in line with The Agora's approach to design: thoughtful, storied, and inspired by far-off places.

Building on a Bold Foundation

The wallpaper is just one of many bold design choices Em has made for the hotel. From the chicken print headboards to the cosy window nook in The Study, each element speaks to Em’s adventurous spirit. For her, each piece of furniture or decor is an opportunity to infuse personality, whether through a custom hostess table in the lobby or a future re-design of NOVÉL, the hotel’s bistro with French-inspired decor. Em imagines transforming NOVÉL into a maximalist haven soon—a place where walls are adorned with personal pictures, tables draped in crisp white tablecloths, and an ambience reminiscent of an old-world kitchen filled with stories yet to be told.

The Organic Path of Design

From the start, Em found herself unable to choose a single style. Instead, she drew on her memories and experiences in places around the world. Each room developed its identity: a New York jazz bar feel for The Bar, a quiet English library ambience for The Study, and a colonial-inspired aesthetic for The Rooms. The gym, influenced by Japanese minimalism, and the French elegance of NOVÉL add an international richness to the hotel. Cyprus itself, the land they now call home, lends its colours to the palette, grounding all these far-off inspirations in the warm, earthy tones of the Mediterranean.

In the Details, A World Awaits

For Em, The Agora Hotel is a gallery of places and experiences, a celebration of the world’s beauty through design. Each room, each corner, tells a story that transports guests, inviting them into a world crafted from her travels and dreams. The wallpaper may be a small part of the hotel, but like every other element, it reflects a commitment to creating a memorable, heartfelt experience for every visitor who steps through the door.

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