When David Ashen first saw the public spaces of the Baronette Renaissance hotel in the Detroit suburb of Novi, he found what he calls "an odd building, shaped like a square donut." The décor—"nondescript '80s, very worn, with a flowered carpet and overstuffed carpet. We had a lot of work to do."
 
Ashen, principal and founder of d-ash design in New York, set about modernizing the space by creating an aspirational and international feel to the property. Inspired by 20th century modernism, he created a glass sculpture hearth and various seating areas to offer guests spaces where they could gather. (The inside of the "donut" is an interior garden, adding the feel of the lobby as a genteel lake house.) Steel, wood, and warm, neutral colors makes it cozy and homey, and at the same time the space honors modernists such as Saarinen, Eames, and the artists who informed the nearby Cranbrook Academy of Art. (Cranbrook was also a source for much of the hotel's art work, curated by Paige Powell, and drawing on influences from the auto industry.)

"I didn’t want to create a 'boutique hotel' look, he says. "It had to be approachable, not way over the top."

Adjacent to the lobby is Toasted Oak Grill & Market, managed, like the hotel, by Sage Hospitality. Ashen's objective here was to create a mom 'n pop store, one, he says "that feels it was always there." Toasted Oak includes a fine dining restaurant and a retail market that sells local wine and specialized foods. For the market, Ashen was inspired by classic New York delis such as Barney Greengrass; for the restaurant, he drew from streakhouses and '60's retro—lots of dark wood and paneling, recycled materials, props, vintage signs, but nothing too contrived. "There's a touch of the Mad Men aesthetic in the room."

"This was a fun project," says Ashen. And evidently a successful one. "Renaissance is using it as a representative model for their new brand."