Design-led serviced apartments Cuckooz has collaborated with designers and sleep experts to launch the sleeping experience like no other… in the womb…
Launching today, Cuckooz has opened unlocked to a new sleeping experience by launching a guestroom that has been designed to resemble the womb.
The nine-month project, which resulted in The Zed Room being opened, was inspired by the safety and ‘snugness’ of the womb and comes complete with muted lighting, soft-pink walls and a high-tech mattress.
The aim of the collaboration between Cuckooz, Simba and Studio Stilton was to deliver a home away from home designed around the pursuit of sleep excellence by tackling the ‘first night effect’. The first night effect is a natural reaction discovered by scientists over a decade ago whereby one half of the brain acts as a ‘night watchman’ in unfamiliar surroundings – resulting in a poor night’s rest.
Located in Shoreditch, the Zed Rooms have been designed with experts meticulously developing the state-of-the-art boutique apartments using insights rooted in the science of sleep.
Designed to encourage REM-rich slumber – the type of sleep which increases brain activity, promotes learning and creates dreams, the rooms engage with every sensorial touchpoint of the body; constructing a holistic ecosystem that enhances sleep from the moment guests step through the door, helping them to power down, recharge and fight fatigue.
“The disruption of the accommodation sector, how we travel, where we stay and what we accept as the norm when spending time away from home has been a long time coming,” said co-founder of Cuckooz, Fabienne O’Neill.” At Cuckooz we strive to be at the forefront of innovation within the hospitality sector and to push the boundaries when it comes to guest experience. Design and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do, which is why the collaboration with Simba and Studio Stilton was such a natural progression for us.”
Image credit: Simba/Cuckooz/ Billy Bolton
Inside the womb
Each apartment has two rooms – the ‘Woom’ and ‘Loom’ Rooms. The Woom Room features an intricate cocoon-like bed which has been designed to mimic the safety and security of a womb, so guests sleep like a baby. The Loom Room is home to a snug four poster bed, designed for dreaming and draped with luxurious ethereal fabrics. Both rooms come complete with award-winning Hybrid mattress and temperature regulating pillows & duvets, to create a cosy retreat in which to escape the world, much like the home.
Muted lighting, opulent blackout blinds and sound absorbing curtains help to promote positivity and relaxation while muting the brains ‘red alert’ status in a new environment. Luxurious ethereal fabrics compliment artwork scented with fresh linen and the rooms are decked out with miniatures from Neom, a London-based fragrance company dedicated to wellbeing. Their ‘Scent to Sleep’ range uses a blend of 19 essential oils – including English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine – to help guests drift off.
“The sleep science isn’t confined to the bedroom. The living area has also been designed to put guests on the right track for a great night’s sleep.”
If that wasn’t enough, each of the serviced-apartments feature: restorative scents and colours that relax muscles, invoke calm and mimic the moonlight; air cleansing soporific plants to eliminate toxins; cutting-edge home automation and electronics designed to keep guest’s body clocks operating naturally and healing background harmonies to calm the automatic nervous system, the endocrine and psychological stress response.
Image credit: Simba/Cuckooz/ Billy Bolton
The sleep science isn’t confined to the bedroom. The living area has also been designed to put guests on the right track for a great night’s sleep.
“Sleep is an all-encompassing experience and every element matters. The Zed Rooms are an elaborate infrastructure of symbiotic components, geared entirely to honing quality sleep,” said sleep psychologist at Simba, Hope Bastine.
The furniture’s rounded edges and softened corners mimic the sensation of bed, and the rocking chairs are on hand to lull guests into a relaxed state of mind. The prints on the walls have also been chosen to be inspirational dream fodder and the Penthouse terrace comes complete with yoga mats, meditation sessions via the iPad’s Calm app and naked light bulbs to create a sense of simplicity.
Providing serviced accommodation goes far beyond a place to rest guests’ heads at night, it provides a comfortable, personalised option for those who simply don’t want to compromise the quality of their life style despite spending days, weeks even months away from home at a time, and that’s what we wanted to showcase with the Zed Rooms.
Main image credit: Simba/Cuckooz/ Billy Bolton
