Willow & Ivy

Bergmeyer partnered with The Lenox Hotel on this highly personal and impactful renovation — not just to update the space, but to give voice to a new identity. This wasn’t a simple refresh. It marked the end of an era with a third-party operator and the beginning of a new chapter fully under Lenox management. More than just a dining venue, Willow & Ivy had to become an extension of the hotel itself timelessly, warm, and deeply connected to the city around it.

Situated on iconic Boylston Street and woven into the social fabric of the Back Bay, the restaurant needed to reflect both the hotel’s elegance and the neighborhood’s character. The client’s vision was clear: create a welcoming tavern that resonates with locals, hotel guests, and modern sensibilities, without erasing the past. To do this, we didn’t fight the building’s age; we embraced it.

From the moment you step in off the sloping city sidewalk, you feel the layered history of the place. The building’s age (125 years and counting) presented both quirks and charms: uneven levels, historic materials, and features shaped by decades of service. Rather than mask these traits, we let them guide us. Original columns were left in place. Molding was restored where possible. A white mosaic floor discovered in a closet — dating back to the early 1900s — became the inspiration for new tiling throughout the main dining space.

Design decisions leaned into storytelling. The palette, rich in natural textures and softness, combines warm brick, inviting greens, and floral tones like mauve and blush, a subtle nod to Back Bay’s iconic charms, such as the blossoming star magnolia trees and the nearby Public Garden. Preserved plants and wooden features cascade overhead, evoking the embrace of a weeping willow tree. Ivy climbing the walls. Together, these details transform the space into something more than a restaurant: a place where memory and modernity meet.

The hostess check-in greets guests in a low-lit chamber, transitioning into a brighter, window-lined dining room at the heart of the space. Willow & Ivy was always intended to feel residential, elegant, and familiar, not a flashy hospitality insert, but something that could have always existed within the hotel’s original blueprint.

There’s a quiet nod to Boston’s history embedded throughout, echoing the spirit of the women who once graced the Lenox. One of them, Isabella Stewart Gardner, served as an informal muse, a socialite known for her bohemian charm and salon gatherings during the same era the hotel first opened. That spirit of eclectic elegance lives on here.

Like any legacy project, this one faced hurdles. Unexpected construction challenges pushed the anticipated February opening to Marathon Weekend, a meaningful and high-pressure milestone on Boylston Street. The building’s inherent level changes, coupled with the fast-paced staffing needs of a full-service hotel, made execution a moving target. But what made the difference was collaboration. With a large, invested client team, open communication was critical. We utilized tools like Miro and extended our own hospitality services through impromptu onsite meetings for real-time feedback and decision-making, ensuring every stakeholder felt heard and aligned.

At Bergmeyer, we recognize the responsibility and privilege of working on such a legacy-defining project. Designing Willow & Ivy wasn’t about inventing something new; it was about revealing what was always possible. It’s not just a restaurant, it’s a love letter to the Back Bay, told through brick, ivy, and light.