Hotel Design Inspirations, Part 2: Palmer House & Lords South Beach Hotel

I discovered the Palmer House after a friend had stayed there on a South Beach, Miami trip. Across the street, I noticed a great big white bear statue (how could you not?!) and wandered into yet another great hotel. One thing I know for sure, if it's exciting hotel design that you're looking for,

South Beach Miami is the place to be!

PALMER HOUSE:I'm not certain of the designer, but kudos to him or her, for a great transformation. The cool sophistication of South Beach is exemplified with clean lines, bright whites, and soothing blues. Take a look at one of the guest rooms:

 Wall Detail: an easy design idea for your own home, use stencils!

 AMAZING bath tile

 The power of lighting:

 Hotel Lobby:

LORDS HOTEL:Can you even handle the glamour of this boutique hotel?! Fabulous colors, shimmering walls, and great surprises around every corner.

 Black accessories ground the elaborate wallcoverings and give your eye a place to focus

 Great pallete of tropical colors:

 Mr. Bear greets you as you enter the lobby and is totally visible from the street too

 



'Till next time...

Hotel Design Inspirations, Part 1: (Atlantis Resort-Bahamas)

On a recent trip to the Bahamas, I took a walk around the Atlantis Resort. Following are some design inspirations that I found.

Dale Chihuly is a glass art genius and his works are all over the resort; truly a spectacle to behold.

The metal ceiling tiles in the casino seem to change colors with all of the flashing lights:

 This is a beautiful transom with textured glass pieces applied:

I love the mix of textures combined with modern touches in this bar:

 

Stained glass sconces built into the wall:

 This art is painted on, what seems to be, the removed trunk of a palm tree:

  

Shiny Stuff!

I've always been drawn to metallic finishes and especially love how they almost instantly transform a mediocre room into a dazzling space. My favorite metallics are golds and silvers, though most people tend to reserve these only for the holidays. I say, keep them around all year long! If you choose the right metallic pieces and don't go overboard, gold and silver can be your perennial decorating dynamites.
Remember, you don't necessarily have to choose one or the other; mix them together. This keeps the room from looking too stuffy and boring. Try it, I think you'll love the pop of excitement that silvers and golds can bring to your home!

Here are some inspirational rooms to get you going:

 If you choose the right metallic pieces and don't go overboard, gold and silver can be your perennial decorating dynamites.

Outdoor Christmas Ideas: A Recent Project

Christmas!  It's already here! It seems that just as soon as we pack all of our decorations away, it's time to climb back up in the attic and pull them down again. If you're like me, you love this time of year and look forward to bedazzling your home in holiday glam. Christmas is that perfect time to try out an outrageous design idea or a color that you might not use year round. I like to experiment with new things each year during the holidays and really go over the top.
Following that notion, I wanted to share some pictures of a recent design that I did with my friend and fellow designer Christopher Shackelford at the Leu House in Orlando. Chris and I designed and decorated the front porch area of the 1888 home (located inside beautiful Leu Gardens) for the annual holiday open house. If you happen to be in the Orlando area during the holidays, please make a point to stop by. The home is beautiful and each room has been lavishly decorated inside, though we can't take credit for the interior decorations : ) The project had an additional caveat: we couldn't nail, glue, screw, or affix anything to the historic home that would harm it. Now THAT was a challenge!
Here are some pictures of our over the top, but still traditional design; I hope you can find some inspirations for your own home

'Till next time...

David Hicks: A Design Inspiration

If you're a designer or decorator, you have heard of the name, David Hicks. He's one of my favorites and also the topic of a report that I am preparing for one of my design classes. I thought I would share some David Hicks' research from my report and also some of his amazing work for those who have not seen it.

David Hicks can be considered as one of the most influential interior designers of his generation.  Though his design firm was based in London, England, he was truly an international design phenomenon in the 1960’s and 70’s.  Hicks introduced clashing colors, geometrically patterned carpets, large-scale objects arranged in small spaces and compositions of curios and artworks, which he called tablescapes. Strong architectural elements and symmetry were important to him, and he pioneered a particular brand of eclecticism, mixing the finest antiques with the best modern pieces. He died in 1998.

Below are some of my favorite David Hicks' classic designs, courtesy of dh1970.com.