BentoLiving | Nashville
BentoLiving: The Hotel You Want to Live In
When visitors check into BentoLiving Chestnut Hill, they can take a deep, restorative breath as they take in the atmosphere. The green wall and slatted wood reception desk speak volumes about the thoughtfully curated experience that lies ahead. Every inch of this new lifestyle brand — described as “a hotel to live in” — was inspired by a deft fusion of Japanese and Mid-Century Modern. The result is streamlined, reductive spaces with a connection to nature that celebrates simplicity.
“We launched the BentoLiving brand because we saw a huge shift in how people were choosing to live their lives. They are moving away from owning a lot of possessions and accumulating stuff to more of an experiential lifestyle valuing flexibility over almost everything else,” said Justin Koziol, Project Developer and Owner of BentoBox LLC.
Enter: Multi-functional Design by Resource
That pursuit of a flexible experience led the team at BentoLiving directly to Resource Furniture, the industry leader in in multi-functional, transforming, and space-efficient design. Resource Furniture’s highly curated collection of contemporary, Italian-made furnishings not only blended seamlessly with BentoLiving’s streamlined aesthetic, but their multi-purpose wall beds also provided an extra layer of comfort and functionality to the hotel’s small-footprint guest suites.
The design team at Resource worked with BentoLiving to determine which transforming pieces would work best within the hotel’s design concept, eventually settling on the Penelope Sofa wall bed. By day, the Penelope Sofa features a comfortable loveseat, upholstered in rich, jewel-toned fabrics — bringing bold pops of color like gold, navy, forest green, pistachio, and oxblood to the hotel’s neutral palette of pale woods and concrete floors. At night, guests need simply to remove the Penelope Sofa’s backrest cushions and pull the hidden release lever to reveal a queen-size bed, complete with an upholstered headboard and a premium mattress. Additionally, Resource provided flexible TV mounts that pivot 90 degrees in one direction and 45 degrees in the other, allowing the TV to be viewed from either the living room or dining area.
Resource installed our Penelope Sofa wall beds and TV mounts in 67 of the 89 apartment-style guest suites at BentoLiving. The Penelope Sofa’s modular design allows it to integrate with a surrounding modular casework system, designed by BentoLiving’s sister business BentoBuild. The combination of this multi-purpose wall bed and casework system offers guests the added functionality and storage space of a much larger suite — without the added cost.
“We are so excited to work with BentoLiving. The concept demonstrates how intentional, curated design choices create new layers of possibilities even in very small footprints,” says Challie Stillman, VP of Sales & Design at Resource Furniture.
An Experience-Driven Stay for the Urban Explorer
BentoLiving Chestnut Hill welcomes urban to Nashville with a range of options from nightly to monthly stays in one-bedroom, two-bedroom or studio units, each furnished with a Resource sofa wall bed. All 89 units come equipped with a kitchen, so guests truly feel like they are living at home — only better because they do not have to commit to a long-term apartment lease or worry about buying furniture. The design team at BentoLiving has that covered already with contemporary furnishings, curated art, and lots of greenery.
“Architecturally the emphasis was on creating a product that does not overpower the neighborhood but enhances its good qualities. The exterior of BentoLiving is reflective of the industrial maker/creative vibe that has thrived in Chestnut Hill,” said Koziol, who has a master’s degree in architecture from Pratt. Local partner EOA Architects was also enlisted.
The design team exposed the building’s steel construction and included details that play off the geometry of the triangular lot. More BentoLiving properties will be rolled out in the future. The architectural design will shift from property to property, but the interior aesthetic and guest rooms that maximize every square foot will be quite the same.
But the intelligent design at BentoLiving is only part of the hotel’s appeal; it also offers a wide array of communal spaces and amenities, from a rooftop lounge with panoramic views of downtown Nashville to a state-of-the-art fitness center offering wellness classes and private training, to a dedicated event space known as the Rec Room where guests can host weddings, receptions, art exhibits, sales meetings, and more. And conveniently located just over the tracks is the famed Wedgewood-Houston area, which the hotel touts as an ideal alternative to the city’s overcrowded tourist traps. Here, visitors can explore former factories that have been reimagined as art galleries, breweries, restaurants, and makers’ studios — a perfect way to immerse oneself in the creative spirit that defines Nashville.
Resource Furniture is proud to partner with BentoLiving in their mission to design a thoughtfully curated, frictionless guest experience. As the North American leader in transforming and space-efficient furnishings, Resource has worked with developers, architects, designers, and consumers alike to reimagine the possibilities of space for over 20 years. BentoLiving’s vision for a flexible, experience-based lifestyle aligns perfectly with our holistic approach to functional, beautiful, and adaptable design.
Travelers and extended-stay residents will come to BentoLiving Chestnut Hill for its convenient location near one of the nation’s most lively and fastest growing cities, its rich menu of amenities, and its Zen interiors. But the lifestyle brand’s innovative, flexible floorplans will surely keep them coming back for another night — or another month.
