Jonathan Adler’s Latest Hotel Design Is Inspired by the Outer Banks’ Landscape

“I wanted to create something that was unlike anything else in the Outer Banks,” designer Jonathan Adler tells Observer of his newest hotel project, the 14-suite Edgecamp Pamlico Station, which is expected to open in June 2024. The property is set on Hatteras Island, North Carolina, a locale that gained greater notoriety thanks to the Netflix teen-TV drama Outer Banks. The coastal destination has long been popular, however, thanks to its picturesque landscape and world-class kite-surfing community.

Adler took design inspiration from the surrounding environs; the property sits alongside one of the largest preserved parcels of the Outer Banks’ shoreline. “The first time I visited Pamlico Station, I was in awe of how expansive the landscape is,” Adler says. “You are surrounded by the blue of the sky, the yellow of the sun and the white of the clouds. It’s heaven. I think it’s always important to design with a sense of place, so our initial inspiration was Mother Nature—she’s the world’s best designer—and the area surrounding Pamlico Station.” 

A nod to the Outer Banks’ popular kite-fishing community was also important. This translated to design choices like mohair, bouclé and brass that pop against a neutral palette of blues and greens, with some black metals folded in. “It’s very design- and craft-focused,” Adler says, and features his signature modern American glamour design. “I want everything I make to be memorable, and to me, that’s what glamour is,” Adler explains. 

Along with the hyper-local landscape, Adler considered other glamorous waterfront locales, like the French and Italian Rivieras (but firmly footed in the aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s), when designing the interiors. “We combined rattan and lacquer for a rustic yet polished look and, instead of closet doors, we used a vintage Hawaiian-shirt print as curtains,” Adler notes.

The suites are outfitted with furnishings and decor from Adler’s own collections, in addition to custom-designed pieces made exclusively for Pamlico Station. “The best part of being a designer who also manufactures squillions of things is that if I dream it, I can make it,” Adler says. “I think the custom Peruvian flatweave tapestries we created are particularly groovy. We also used ceramic-tile art—I’m a potter first and foremost—as well as art by Slim Aarons, Lord Bodner and C. Jeré.”

For Adler, it was important that this hotel bridge the gap travelers often experience between hotel rooms and house rentals. Hotel rooms tend to be short on space but offer services, while houses allow you to spread out, but without amenities like a concierge and in-room dining. Why, then, couldn’t this hotel offer both? 

As a result, all 14 rooms, which start at $475 per night, are suite-sized, with a living room, dining area, fully-equipped kitchen and bedroom. There’s not an on-site restaurant, but the concierge will book you a private chef to come in and whip up meals.

“The rooms feel luxurious, but they’re still very approachable and inviting. You’ll be just as comfortable staying there for two weeks as you would be for two nights,” Adler opines. “There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re trapped in a prison cell of a hotel room. We created separate areas suited to whatever you might be doing on vacation—reading, listening to music, playing games, watching TV, having a great meal.” To that end, each suite is accented with a record player with vintage records and a Marshall speaker, as well as a Malm fireplace. 

Through the help of the hotel’s concierge, guests can also experience the landscape by embarking on deep-sea fishing, surfing, kitesurfing and dune-buggy adventures, or opting for boat, jet-ski and bicycle rentals. 

The hotel’s Wellness Center is equipped with saunas, a hot tub, cold plunges, and yoga and fitness classes. Guests can also practice yoga or workout in their suites, thanks to the Wellness Basket (yoga mat, yoga blocks, foam roller and resistance bands) included in each accommodation. It’s also possible to book an in-room massage.

Next year, the Edgecamp Sporting Club debuts, providing guests—as well as locals who become club members—with waterfront dining, pool access and a kiteboarding membership.This is in perfect pitch with Adler’s design mantra: to seamlessly blend into the outdoors, and still find time to kick back and relax.