The premium salon has been through a decorative correction. The heavy gilding and high-contrast palettes of a decade ago have given way to deep plum textiles, warm stone and gold used sparingly as a linear detail.
Designers describe the brief in terms of behaviour rather than style: guests should be able to arrive, play and leave without crossing a public sightline, and should be able to hold a conversation at normal volume.
Discretion is an engineering problem before it is a decorative one - sound, sightlines and circulation, in that order.
Acoustic first
Reverberation targets in these rooms now sit closer to those of a fine-dining room than a gaming floor. Heavy carpet, upholstered wall panels and perforated timber ceilings do most of the work.
Service routes are separated from guest routes, so that a drinks order does not require anyone to walk the length of the table.
Materials and maintenance
The material palette is chosen for wear as much as for appearance. Solid brass rather than plated finishes, replaceable rail sections, and textiles specified at commercial rub counts.
Lighting is layered and dimmable in scenes, allowing the same room to serve as a private dining space when it is not in gaming use - a flexibility increasingly written into the brief.
