Boutique Design - January/February 2012 - 10

B O U T I Q U E

B U Z Z

Valley Forge Names Co-Presidents

A Taste of Spain in D.C.

Armani Hotel Debuts in Milan

ashion designer Giorgio Armani has opened his second hotel in one of the world’s major fashion capitals. The new Armani Hotel Milano is located within a 1930s-era palazzo that was originally designed by Enrico Griffini. Armani said his goal for the hotel was to “deliver my personal aesthetic vision within a precisely defined ambience of total comfort.” A key element of this approach involved giving every room within the 95-key hotel a small vestibule that “creates an intervening space before the intimacy of the bedroom is revealed,” the designer said. The hotel’s public areas are concentrated on the seventh and eighth floors, in the building’s so-called glass “hat.” The Armani/Ristorante, on the seventh floor, features a private dining room and a chef ’s table within the kitchen. Also on that floor is the Armani/Lounge, with its bamboo bar and double-height ceiling. The eighth floor is home to the Armani/SPA, which consists of six treatment rooms, a couple’s suite, a fitness gym and a pool. The Milan hotel is the second to be launched under the Armani flag. The first is the Armani Hotel Dubai, located in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Both projects are a joint collaboration by Armani Hotels & Resorts and Emaar Properties PJSC.

our years ago, Grizform Design Architects created Proof, a “wine-centric” restaurant in Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter for owner Mark Kuller that featured an eclectic mix of New and Old World influences, including exposed brick walls and a custom French pewter bar. Now the two have teamed again, this time on Estadio, a tapas restaurant in the capital city’s Logan Circle neighborhood (shown above). This 2,800sq.-ft. locale is all Spanish, all the time, with heavy doses of marble and tile from that country, along with wall murals of early 20th century bullfights intermixed with elegant pictures of flamenco dancers. The result is a restaurant “whose design is a physical representation of the beauty, the grace and the strength of Spain,” says Grizform owner and principal Griz Dwight.

“Like airlines, hoteliers in developed markets will rely on limited expansion to sustain profits.”
—The Economist magazine’s “The World in 2012”

Boutique Design | January+February 2012

Paul Burk Photography

he next generation is stepping up at Valley Forge Fabrics. Founders Daniel and Judy Dobin have named their children, Diana and Michael (shown), co-presidents of the textile supplier. Daniel Dobin says, “While Judy and I will not be stepping down anytime soon from our regular day-to-day responsibilities, we are delighted to see the torch passed from generation to generation.” The siblings have shared responsibility for Valley Forge’s strategy, planning and business development as they transitioned to their new roles. Diana has supervised sustainability, design, graphics and public relations during her 18-year tenure, while 14-year Valley Forge veteran Michael focuses on product development and sales.

Boutique Design - January/February 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - January/February 2012