Hospitality Design - November 2015 - 48

PERSPECTIVES

MEMOI∏

I found I had a head for business-a thought I
had fought all my life. Visualizing expected cash
flow several months out became as familiar as
seeing shapes, scale, and color. As my current,
wonderful husband says: "The world can be
divided between those who have had to make
payroll and those who haven't."
Hotel design jobs began to come my way
from around the world. My interest and
knowledge of cultures and the history of
decorative arts became valued by discerning
clients. My work has allowed me to absorb the
best the world has to offer. I consider myself
a citizen of the world who has friends, family,
and clients nearly everywhere. Integrating
design elements that complement but come
from disparate cultures is a particular pleasure.
Africa, India, China, Cambodia, Bhutan, and the
American Southwest have each added powerful
contributions to my sense of design. I like to
think of myself as a cultural anthropologist who
expresses herself through design.
I found that I could infuse soul into
commercial spaces, creating successful
designs that, when coupled with great service,
delight guests and produce good results for
owners. When I stay at an amazing property, I
experience the environment as I would a person

with a beautiful soul. A property that's doing
something right should set off a little bell of
discovery and delight inside the visitor.
The things that fascinate me are subtle and
complex aesthetics. Timeless beauty, cultural
relevance, and quality materials are very much
my passions. Romance, ritual, and aspects
unique to a place draw me in and inspire me to
emulate this sense of layered complexity within
my designs.
Our studio seeks to reveal something
soulful through our work. Rather than merely
adhering to rules of a specific period or relying
on the fleeting gesture of trend, we work with
objects, textures, color, scale, and shape to reveal
something deeper than what is seen at first
glance.
As the center of my personal life shifted
and my practice grew, I moved to New York in
1993. In a world filled with wonderfully talented
competitors, I have been graced with more than
my share of success. We've been trusted with the
best of brands by the most demanding of owners
worldwide. Many of my clients have become
great friends, and in particular, I deeply treasure
my relationships with John Ceriale, an advisor
at Blackstone Group, and Christopher Cowdray,
CEO of the Dorchester Collection.

Champalimaud is now a studio of more than
40 diverse and wonderful colleagues. Fourteen
languages are spoken within our office. We are
being trusted with more and more opportunities:
high-quality hotels, prestigious apartment
buildings in collaboration with world-famous
architects, and bespoke private residences. As
we are growing, we are constantly creating
new opportunities to foster personal growth
within our studio, but we don't aspire to
become a really large firm. Champalimaud is
a design boutique with a proud culture. We are
committed to delivering individually designed
and managed projects that reflect my vision and
creative direction through the personal touch
of my senior partners, Ed Bakos, Jon Kastl, and
Winston Kong.
I am particularly proud that a new
generation of Champalimaud designers has
embraced the challenge of delivering results that
combine talent and inspiration with professional
discipline. I'm continually inspired by their
enthusiasm and their zest for learning and
growing.
In the words of John Lennon: "Life is what
happens while you're busy making other plans."
I feel very lucky. hd

> Snapshots of Champalimaud's New York office.

048

November 2015 hospitalitydesign.com
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Hospitality Design - November 2015

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