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Welcome Materials
Newer and better products mean that hospitality design is actually inviting--not
the scratchy stuff of yesteryear.
By Paul Makovsky
December 2003
Restaurants, hotels, casinos, and cruise ships all rely on attractive,
comfortable interiors to draw clientele. In a renowned example, Arne
Jacobsen--architect of the SAS Royal Hotel, in Copenhagen--created almost every
necessary element, from the light fixtures and seating down to the doorknobs
and cutlery. More recently Matali Crasset created the Hi.Bath, which integrates
a table and magazine holder, as part of her 2003 design for the Hi-Hotel, in
Nice, France. The following appealing products for contract settings--including
Maya Romanoff's fine Beadazzled wall-coverings, Milliken's swirling Groove
carpet designs, and Samuel Heath's high-quality bath accessories--show that
hospitality design doesn't have to look institutional.
1. COME CLEAN
Designers Wieki Somers and Dylan van den Berg are helping to update the
traditional Dutch souvenir porcelain figurine by molding soap in those shapes
(a Dutch boy is shown here) and sealing a contemporary design within (in
this case an urban man). |
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2. ALLERMUIR FORM BENCH
The Form series, designed by Simon Pengelly, consists of a bench (shown
here), a chair, and low tables. The series is made of laminated plywood
finished in oak veneer with chrome bases; the tables come in two sizes.
(44) 125-468-2421;
www.allermuir.com |
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3. EUROPEAN CERAMIC WORK CENTRE DUTCH SOUVENIRS
This agency commissioned 41 international designers and artists to develop
a new generation of Dutch ceramic souvenirs as alternatives to the traditional
windmills, clogs, cows, and tulips. Wieki Somers & Dylan van den Berg's
Come Clean prototype (1) encases cast-porcelain figurines in clear soap;
Miriam van der Lubbe's New Dutch Architecture prototype (3) consists of
porcelain miniatures of modern building forms rather than the stereotypically
quaint seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Dutch houses.
www.dutch-souvenirs.org;
www.ekwc.nl |
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4. ARNE JACOBSEN'S SAS ROYAL HOTEL PENDANT LAMP
Jacobsen's pendant (shown here) and floor lamps, designed in 1960 exclusively
for use in the SAS Royal Hotel, are now available in North America through
Ameico, which carries a wide array of design classics. (888) 350-8765;
www.ameico.com |
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5. TREVIRA CS FABRICS
These fabrics--made of flame-retardant polyester--can be used to make comfortable
and safe hotel bedding, table linen, wall-coverings, and curtains. They
are available in a wide variety of designs and colors, including the Enzo
Bertazzo sample shown here.
www.treviracs.com;
www.enzobertazzo.it |
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6. MILLIKEN GROOVE
Groove is a 36-inch-square carpet tile, part of Milliken's family of Grand
Plaza Luxe modular carpets. It comes with a cushion attached, making it
ideal for high-traffic hospitality settings, and is available in nylon or
an 80 percent wool/20 percent nylon mix. (800) 334-7749;
www.maxbymilliken.com |
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7. GIORGETTI CONCEPT APARTMENT
This furniture company converted its two Italian and American showrooms
into model apartments by mixing different designers' lines--including works
by Massimo Scolari, Leon Krier, and Laura Silvestrini--in multiple woods
and finishes so that visitors can experience the full complement of the
company's offerings. (201) 836-9100;
www.giorgettiusa.com |
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8. COVERINGS ETC.'S MONTE CARLO MARBLE
Yabu Pushelberg used Monte Carlo marble with blue-gray veining in the design
of the Meridien Hotel in Minneapolis (see "The Intuitive 2" in
this issue). The marble is just one of more than 150 different colors and
types of stone carried by Coverings Etc. (305) 572-1080;
www.coveringsetc.com |
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9. SAMUEL HEATH SOAP AND SPONGE TRAY
Samuel Heath's collection of solid-brass bathroom and shower accessories
brings together two centuries of craftsmanship with the latest in design
and manufacturing technology. The company also carries traditional bathroom
accessories, like these soap and sponge trays, which come with a book rest,
reversible mirror, or candleholder (shown here). (44) 121-772-2303;
www.samuel-heath.com |
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10. AQUAMASS HI.BATH
Originally designed in lava stone by Matali Crasset for the Hi-Hotel, in
Nice (as shown here), this bathtub is now also available from Aquamass in
"compolight," a composite material with a matte finish on the
outside and a gloss finish on the inside. The tub integrates accessories
such as a table, tray, magazine holder, and mat.
www.aquamass.com;
www.hi-hotel.net |
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11. MAYA ROMANOFF BEADAZZLED FLEXIBLE WALL-COVERING
Beadazzled is made of clear glass beads affixed to a flexible backing that
can be wrapped around columns and bent around corners. It comes in five
colors but can also be custom colored or printed with a design or logo.
(800) 933-6292;
www.mayaromanoff.com |
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1 & 3, photo by Corné Bastiaansen, courtesy EKWC; all other images courtesy of the manufacturers |
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