HD Talks Blog

Ciao, Bella

When I embarked on my first trip to Italy, several years ago, travel aficionados assured me an inaugural visit should be devoted to Florence, not the hectic capital. I didn’t listen. Maybe I heard Sinatra’s “Three Coins in the Fountain” one time too many, but I chose Rome. I did spend one glorious day and night in Firenze, gawking over the Accademia Gallery and eating bistecca, but I was elated when the train pulled back into Roma.

It should not have surprised me then that after hearing many a person diss Milan—drab and soullessly teeming with skyscrapers-in-progress were common complaints—I fell in love with the country’s second biggest city, spending a day there after a tranquil, uplifting trip to Lake Como.

A magnetic fashion and design scene (at 9 a.m. in my hotel lobby, women, coiffed as if heading out for an aperitivo, comfortably strutted in towering heels) is synonymous with Milan, and so my first stop was the Triennale Design Museum. Situated in quiet Parco Sempione, this sprawling, modern space is a must. Here, I was exposed to the futuristic furniture from Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, and Paolo Lomazzi, that long-time trifecta of local, avant-garde architects (loved the kitschy, inflatable plastic Blow chair), as well as a survey of Italian graphic arts, from vintage ads for Olivetti typewriters to homegrown political magazines. Relax in the airy café with an espresso and a new find from the well-curated bookstore, and it’s an immersive intro to Milan’s glamorous aura.

Standing inside the Duomo, and then outside Teatro alla Scala, is more powerful than any guidebook photo can capture. Devouring a warm, fried, tomato and mozzarella-filled panzerotti from Luini on the street beside businessmen on lunch break, and later drinking an oversized sbagliato (Campari, sweet vermouth, sparkling wine) at the historic Bar Basso while peering at beautiful, balcony-strewn buildings, soothing rituals so decidedly Milanese, I almost forgot I wasn't a local. 

Random beauty, discovered in a courtyard on Foro Buonaparte, en route to the Duomo from Triennale.

 

Guest Blog: Jill Canales, VP of Design and Marketing, 3form

Here are some of Jill's insights on this year's HD Expo, held in Las Vegas from May 15th to 17th:

Trade shows are great.  It is always fun to get out in front of our customers with new products, while also checking out what other manufacturers have to offer. I always look for inspiration and see how 3form measures up to the latest and greatest from other companies.

Here are a few things from HD Expo 2012 that caught my eye.




Fresh Paint Art Advisors has a fresh idea! I love these porcelain shapes. The deep forms create gorgeous shadows. The soft organic shapes are mesmerizing. What beautiful natural impression with a crisp modern twist.




The Phillips Collection is a creative collaboration that mixes concept, craftsmanship, and marketing to bring beautiful home furnishings and accessories into sophisticated homes around the world.  This wall art from Phillips spoke to me. As 3form materials are often budgeted as art in a space, I am drawn to other products that are art features. I love to see nature organized. This driftwood, so graphically arranged, has a nice balance of woodsy yet modern.




The Milliken Carpet booth.

Color is back. Hooray! We noticed bolder color this year from both carpet and fabric manufacturers. Many manufacturers like Milliken are now taking advantage of the advances in printing technology to create painterly designs like this.

HD Expo: A First-Timer's Perspective

Back home safely in New York, a freshly-minted HD Expo expert (self-proclaimed), I'm brimming with inspiration, excitement, and surprisingly enough—after a week of non-stop meetings and events—energy to attack my job as products editor with a more educated and experienced eye.

Last week being my first time ever in Las Vegas (crazy, I know) I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the spaces, the beauty of my surroundings—especially during our ever-popular Party by the Pool event, held at Caesar's Palace—and the endless list of incredible dining options. I enjoyed delicious fare from La Cave at Wynn (get the s'mores flatbread), Public House in the Venetian, Comme Ca french brasserie at The Cosmpolitan, and a—relatively for Vegas—quiet breakfast at Bouchon in the Venetian, for starters. Whether or not Las Vegas is your bag, there is no excuse to feel bored or out of place; there's something for everyone, whether you're design-obsessed, a lover of all types of entertainment and cuisine, or just a sun-worshipper looking for some beautiful pool-side scenery.

On to the show: The HD magazine booth was a big hit this year, and a success in our efforts to showcase some of our generous vendors and create a space that was welcoming and beautiful to relax in. Countless attendees came by, remarked on the lovely furniture and accessories, and often decided to stay awhile. A few overarching trends I noticed at the show: beautiful furniture designed for both indoor and outdoor use (the line between these two areas, and the furniture created for them, is increasingly blurred, with versatile and interesting results) as well as bold color and patterns. And when I say bold, I mean really bold. From jewel-toned upholstery to rich textiles in primary hues and Moroccan-style patterns on anything and everything, manufacturers and designers are not shying away from eye-catching and unexpected looks. Also, it seemed everywhere I looked I saw variations on the Tangerine Tango/coral color that's so hot this year (including on everyone's fingernails and outfit choices).

Overall, it was a whirlwind of a show, and overwhelmingly a positive one. The upcoming HD Boutique in Miami in September marks my one-year anniversary with the magazine; I'm already looking forward to the new products and people I will encounter along the way.

The beautiful HD magazine booth at Expo. Thanks to all who donated:

Aceray

Arc-Com

Arteriors

Bergamo 

Blu Dot 

Chapman 

Chelsom Lighting 

Designtex

D'Style 

Global Views  

Gold Leaf Design Group 

Hallmark Collective  

Humanscale

Innovations  

JLF/Lone Meadow 

Lily Jack  

Milliken  

Soho Myriad

Live from HD Expo: Best Booth Announced

Yesterday, four industry professionals canvassed the 2012 Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo) show floor at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas for the annual Best Booth competition. This year's jury, David Ashen, d-ash design; Sean Tanner, Cagley & Tanner; Matt Mars, Flick Mars; and Nicole Dalton, Steelman Partners, chose seven honorees in as many categories. The judges agreed this year's Best of Show winner, Quality & Company, was not only beautiful but functional too; a place where "we just wanted to hang out." And the honorees are:

Small Booth

LZF #3433

Large Booth

Milliken #2911

Best Product Display

Porcelanosa #1516

Best Curb Appeal

Janet Yonaty #4046

Effective Use of Space

POLaRT #6740

Best Branding

Swarovski #2926

Best of Show

Quality & Company #2243

 

Bentel & Bentel Takes the Cake

This week kicked off for me in the most glamorous of ways: attending the 2012 James Beard Awards.

Beyond stuffing myself with lamb sausage, crunchy cornbread-studded beans, and strawberry shortcake, it was great to see a project we covered in our March issue, the renovation of Le Bernardin(www.le-bernardin.com) by Bentel & Bentel Architects (www.bentelandbentel.com), get recognized for Outstanding Restaurant Design.

This Midtown restaurant, which opened in 1986, is one of New York’s most iconic. When chef Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze entrusted Bentel & Bentel to transform their classy seafood shrine with the presence of a more casual, no jackets-necessary lounge in which to leisurely sip Manhattans, they gave the team a number of key words to guide the design.

In our March article, Ripert revealed, “We wanted more comfort and luxury, something that is contemporary, but timeless and more convivial and sexy. We kept our original clientele but at the same time we have been able to rejuvenate. It’s a great mix between loyalists and newcomers.”

Bentel & Bentel allowed this to happen by making the new lounge, enlarged by ripping out an old closet, manage to feel connected to the more hushed dining room. A teak wall subtly separates the two spaces, yet the more casual lair is just as elegant with a delicately veined onyx bar and strands of twisted metal appearing on the walls.

As Carol Bentel noted in the article, “We wanted it to be a subtle use of natural materials.”

Congratulations to the team on such a successful and graceful revamp!

The lounge at Le Bernardin, photo by Daniel Krieger

 

 

Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests

Here is the ninth installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on hotel meeting space design, with thoughts from Sze Chong, Regan Holt, and Melissa Voelker.

Flexibility and connectivity are two key space requirements that meeting and event planners look for in a host hotel today. Flexibility is vital to celebratory gatherings, too, as is natural light and indoor-outdoor access. Yet many properties pre-dating the contemporary bride and groom or the laptop/smart device era are ill-equipped to meet the productivity demands of a modern business conference or accommodate a hip, open-air wedding. Whether designing meeting rooms from the ground up, or repositioning this all-important asset to attract more events and market revenue, designers need to keep adaptability top of mind. 

• Flex Your Space. Column-free, properly proportioned rooms are critical for divisibility—the ability to re-configure large spaces quickly to accommodate breakout and small meeting sessions or gatherings gives event planners more options. 
• Light Years Ahead. Whenever possible, incorporate windows to saturate pre-function areas (and meeting rooms, if it works) with natural light. In meeting rooms with windows, provide blackout shades to accommodate presentations.   
• Let’s Meet F2F. To warrant travel-related expenses for face-to-face meetings over remote web-based assemblies, businesses today expect in-person meetings to be highly efficient and productive, and modern meeting space must support that demand. Wifi and laptop/smart device/tablet connectivity is standard today, but be sure to include enough power outlets and comfortable places in pre-function areas for people to plug in and work.
• Power Up. Hotels in large urban business centers should consider creating a dedicated executive meeting environment that caters directly to small- to mid-sized board meetings, group trainings, and all-day events. Configure the space with windows for natural light, and furnishings that more closely resemble an office than a traditional banquet set-up: ergonomic chairs and tables, easy-to-reach laptop plug-ins and projection equipment.
• Go to New Heights. Adequate and proportional room height for large meeting spaces and ballrooms is crucial for AV/projection functionality. Cloak projection equipment by incorporating automated, retractable screens and ceiling-mounted projectors with power/data sources that are available when you need them, and hidden when you don’t.
•  Take a Breather. Create an indoor-outdoor connection to event space whenever possible. The ability to easily step outside for fresh air during an all-day conference is reinvigorating. Indoor-outdoor accessibility is key for weddings, celebrations, and large gatherings.    
• Location, Location. Site the banquet kitchen adjacent to the main kitchen and service/loading areas. The connection paves the way for well-organized flow, set-up, and on-time food delivery service to meeting and event spaces.
• Mixing Business & Pleasure. Guestrooms and meeting or event space should be separated. It’s important for leisure guests as well as people staying over for business—guestroom areas should feel like a departure from the 9-to-5 environment.
• The Path Less Traveled. Avoid crossing back-of-house support circulation with public and guest circulation areas. Guests needn’t be concerned with staff movement, nor should busy employees have to excuse themselves unnecessarily.     
• Give ‘em Some Elbow Room. Always look for an opportunity to create a separate drop-off zone for buses that doesn’t crowd the main entry, and a secondary entry that allows for easy flow in and out of the function areas that do not conflict with guests at the front door.

Meeting space at the Montage Beverly Hills

 

What happens in Vegas...

Heading to HD Expo in a few weeks? Our friends at LAVO and TAO—two of the hottest nightcubs in Las Vegas—are hosting an opening and closing party exclusively for HD Expo attendees:

Tuesday, May 15th: complimentary admission and one hour open bar from 10-11 pm at LAVO

Thursday, May 17th: complimentary admission and one hour open bar from 10-11 pm at TAO

Just show your badge for entry! Keep in mind dress code is enforced.

 

Detail-Oriented

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to celebrate an insignificant birthday at what many deem New York City’s best restaurant: Eleven Madison Park.

Yes, Daniel Humm’s food was outstanding—who knew the simple plantain could be elevated to gastronomic heights by the presence of black-eyed peas—but inventive, pristine cooking alone is not the reason I will return.

When we first sat down I was immediately struck by an envelope perched on the table, my name scrawled upon it; inside was a wish for a happy birthday. Next came the standard issue white bakery box, a loop of comfortingly familiar red and white string around it, containing two elegant black and white cookies. But, as our articulate server pointed out, they were of the savory variety, with truffle and Parmesan. Course after course later, the same kind of box made its way to the table again, yet this time the cookies inside were sweet, miniature upscale versions of the classic half-and-half treat.

From the orange-infused egg cream prepared tableside to returning the slightly askew table—the result of a mid-meal restroom break—back to its rightful place even though the guest would return in mere minutes, throughout dinner the attention to detail never wavered.

I go to countless places where waitstaff are so heavy handed with their politeness I find it overbearing and downright fake. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I often sit at a restaurant parched, searching across the room to meet the eye of my waitress for a water refill.

I started thinking about how I’ve stayed in stunning hotels and eaten in adventurously designed dining rooms, but the memories don’t always stay with me because I don’t feel well cared for, or the check arrives on a dusty tray, breaking the spell of an otherwise heady meal.

It is important to remember that true luxury is now connoted by service and a realization that even the little things are of the utmost significance. Eleven Madison Park, with its soaring ceilings, is one of the most gorgeous restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of dining at; the food is some of the best I’ve savored. But what made it transcendent is that it felt like a bespoke experience just for me. To me, that's inspiring hospitality.

Photo by Francesco Tonelli 

 

A first time for everything

For someone who prides themselves on seeking new learning opportunities, traveling, and fully immersing in all the cultural experiences the world has to offer, there are a couple embarrassingly obvious places I have yet to visit. I've always figured, if I'm going on vacation, I might as well go somewhere exotic—Iceland or Rome or Cairo—but that mindset has kept me from visiting some pretty key landmarks much closer to home. There's Las Vegas (although I will get a chance at the lights and glamour in May when I attend the highly anticipated whirlwind tradeshow that is HD Expo) and, until last week, there was Washington, DC. I took the train from Penn Station to DC on Tuesday for a CitySCENE event at the St. Regis, and despite the mild motion-sickness I suffered as a result of sitting backwards in the car, I was excited to take in some of the local sights.

Not having much time, I peeked in on the White House, wandered around amidst the tourists and the cherry blossom trees, and enjoyed a quiet yet lovely meal at The Federalist (www.federalistdc.com) in the Madison hotel, which was recently renovated into a spacious, clean, and sophisticated eatery that pays homage to the hotel's historic character by incorporating elements of 18th-century American cuisine and design.

We stayed at Hotel Rouge (www.rougehotel.com), a Kimpton hotel that recently underwent a renovation of its guestrooms. I loved the sexy vibe of the red tufted headboard and the kissy-face pillows; the thick, richly-hued drapes; and the modern artwork and sculptural pieces in guestroom entranceways.

The CitySCENE event, my first, was a success with over 140 attendees and lots of smiling faces—more and more of whom I'm starting to recognize; I feel less like a newbie every day!—and lively conversation. I'll be back to Washington, to see the Capitol Building and get a bit closer to the Washington Monument, but also to check out the neighborhoods off the beaten path—the ones with the fabulous restaurants and bars just out of reach of the general tourist population. After all, you can find a little touch of the exotic anywhere you go—and a quick trip to Washington is much easier on the wallet than Rome.

A newly renovated guestroom at the Hotel Rouge in Washington, DC.

Wave of the Future 2012 Announced

For more than a decade, we have annually honored a handful of designers, architects, and owners as our Wave of the Future, those who are young enough to be considered visionary, but tested enough to be accomplished. This year, we have compiled another stellar group. Look out for coverage of them in our September issue, and come hear them live during a panel at HD Boutique, September 11-12th in Miami Beach.  

Alan Barr, creative director, Blink Design Group

Ave Bradley, vice president, design, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

Andrew Cohen and Jeremy Levitt, principals, Parts and Labor Design

Oliver John Palmer Michell, chief creative officer and architect, UXUS

Tim Mutton and Jo Sampson, founders, Blacksheep

Foreman Rogers, senior associate, tvsdesign