This “Queen’s Gambit”–Inspired Hotel Room Is a Midcentury Dream

AFAR logo


© Courtesy of VisitLEX
This “Queen’s Gambit”–Inspired Hotel Room Is a Midcentury Dream


Courtesy of VisitLEX No, you’re not hallucinating. There’s actually a chessboard above the bed. I’d be lying if I said high-stakes chess matches were what kept me glued to The Queen’s Gambit over a two-day Netflix binge. Don’t get me wrong: Watching young chess prodigy Beth Harmon humiliate men match after match was certainly entertaining. But more than anything, I found myself pining after the 1960s set design, wishing I, too, could live in a house where every room is plastered with the most over-the-top wallpaper you could imagine.

Yet the likelihood of turning my New York City rental into a midcentury fever dream is unlikely. Lucky for me, the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington—the same Kentucky city where the Netflix show is set—opened a Queen’s Gambit–inspired “Harmon Room” earlier in January. 



© Courtesy of VisitLEX
Even the wallpaper is chess themed.


Courtesy of VisitLEX Even the wallpaper is chess themed.

In partnership with the VisitLEX tourism board, the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington collaborated with local designer Isabel Ladd, a self-described “enthusiastic maximalist,” and Lucy Jones, the founder of the Mid-Century Design League of Lexington, to create a period-appropriate room. 

Video: 8 Interior Paint Color Trends You’re Going To See Everywhere in 2021 (Southern Living)

  • a garden in front of a house

    Skip the Reno: The Hottest Way to Up Your Home’s Square Footage Is in the Backyard

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a glass with a blue background

    The Five Best Sites to Buy Engagement Rings Online

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a bedroom with a bed and a chair in a room

    8 Interior Paint Color Trends You're Going To See Everywhere in 2021

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a group of people walking down the street in the rain

    Brad Paisley Surprises Musician Who Lost Everything in Nashville Christmas Bombing with a New Guitar

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a colorful bird perched on a tree branch

    Unusual Visit From Very Colorful Bird Draws Crowds to Maryland Park

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a store shelf filled with books

    Mississippi State’s Iconic Edam Cheese

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • Dolly Parton holding a guitar

    Listen to Dolly Parton and Barry Gibb's New Recording of Timeless Bee Gees' Song "Words"

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • Dolly Parton talking on a cell phone

    4 Things We Learned from Dolly Parton This Year

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a close up of a box

    If You’re Not Shopping Amazon's Secret Outlet Section, You’re Missing Out on Ridiculously Discounted Deals

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a group of people wearing glasses

    Jackie Kennedy’s Favorite Earrings are a Jewelry Trend We're Loving Right Now

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a plate of food on a table

    Tips From The Test Kitchen – How To Poach An Egg

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a man wearing a hat

    Tim McGraw "Praying for My City" Following Christmas Morning Bombing

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • Ina Garten holding a sign

    Ina Garten’s Time-Tested New Year’s Eve Dinner Is as Simple as It Is Luxe

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a close up of a sandwich sitting on top of a table

    Whataburger’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich Gets Extended Run—and a New Bun

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a person standing in a room

    Cleaning Practices We Started Doing This Year

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • Reba McEntire standing in front of a stage

    4 Life Lessons We’ve Learned from Reba McEntire This Year

    Southern Living Logo

    Southern Living

  • a garden in front of a house
    Skip the Reno: The Hottest Way to Up Your Home’s Square Footage Is in the Backyard
    The perks of a backyard sanctuary have become especially apparent this year.More people are searching for places to work, home school, or just escape while at home. .Ready to invest in your own backyard escape? .Checkout these oft easy-to-build inhabitable "sheds." .They typically come in at little more than 100 square feet—meaning building permits are usually not required.At Studio Shed, the starting price for a basic unit is around $10,000. .On Amazon, cabin and cottage kits can comein at even less. .It is a significant chunk of change….But when you’ve been working and living from home for the better part of a year…well, let’s just say #WorthIt

    Southern Living Logo
    Southern Living

  • a glass with a blue background
    The Five Best Sites to Buy Engagement Rings Online
    From virtual try on features to scoring $100 towards your purchase after your online consultation, here are our favorite spots to shop for The — shimmering — One.

    Southern Living Logo
    Southern Living

  • a bedroom with a bed and a chair in a room
    8 Interior Paint Color Trends You're Going To See Everywhere in 2021
    Meet the new hues that will color you happy this year.

    Southern Living Logo
    Southern Living

UP NEXT

The result is something that looks like a set straight out of the show—right down to the chessboard installed above the king-size bed mimicking Beth’s drug-induced hallucinations. There’s also custom wallpaper in a pattern called “The Knight’s Gambit” designed by Alex K. Mason of Kentucky-based Ferrick Mason Inc. and plenty of midcentury furniture acquired from private collections and a local antique shop called Scout.



© Courtesy of VisitLEX
Reproductions of the “Lex Liquors” tote bags seen on the show were made just for this hotel room.


Courtesy of VisitLEX Reproductions of the “Lex Liquors” tote bags seen on the show were made just for this hotel room.

During their stay, guests can also leaf through vintage copies of Chess Review magazine on loan from local Black Swan Books or even play a game on the in-room chessboard—designed by Lexington nonprofit Iron Bridge Woodshop and available for purchase at the Lexington Visitors Center. 

For those interested in exploring the rest of Beth Harmon’s world, VisitLEX also curated a Queen’s Gambit Guide to Lexington to connect the show’s fans with real-life local attractions featured in the show, including the Herald-Leader offices, Ben Snyder’s Department Store, and Henry Clay High School. While other places in the show—like Lex Liquors—aren’t real, the hotel room does have a fully stocked bar and a complimentary tote bag to take home from the fictional liquor store that Beth frequents.

The Harmon Room is available to book from now through late-spring/early-summer 2021, at which point the hotel room will be reverted to its original design.

Book Now: From $234 per night, visitlex.com/the-harmon-room; 21cmuseumhotels.com

>> Next: The Local Story of the World-Famous Eames Chair

Source: Read Full Article