NEWH - April 2004 - (Page 59)

art-the final piece of the puzzle... by: Anita Kirk, Art in Motion We’ve all heard the jokes about hotel room art. It’s tacky. It’s tasteless. It’s horrendous. common factor, they demand a unique experience, and, of course, a fulfilling one. That is all changing. Artwork, as in the home, has a way of making a room complete. Have you ever seen a room without artwork on the walls? At first, you might just sense emptiness. After a while things just don’t seem complete. The exact opposite is said of bad artwork. If it doesn’t work with the surrounding furniture, linens, carpet and accessories, it stands out like a sore thumb, ruining all the time and effort that was spent making your other choices spectacular. I recently took a short weekend vacation. We hadn’t made any plans to stay anywhere in particular. We really just needed a place to sleep. After driving in circles for hours, arguing over where to stay, how much to spend, what area of town we would feel comfortable in, we saw it. A small, quaint, elegant resort on the waterfront. We checked in and stumbled down the hall towards our room. Lazily dragging my suitcase across the lush hallway carpet, I started to notice that something was different. I am used to being on the road. Trade shows. Road trips with the family. Reunions with my friends. I know hotels. I don’t particularly like hotels. This place was different. At first I couldn’t really discern why. I felt comfortable. I felt like I was ... at home. A very stylish home. I waited in anticipation for the green light to blink at me as I slid the key card out from the door. Tentatively I opened the door to see what awaited me. It was glorious. Customized design elements - such as art - are making a bold appearance in the design plans of hotels, time-shares and resorts, throughout the world. This attention to art creates an atmosphere that helps clients feel that they are in a home away from home. When it comes to picking art, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, pick a style that suits the interior you have created. Don’t pick a traditional floral if the theme of the room is modern. Color plays an important role. Just like you wouldn’t paint the walls in a decadent cappuccino color and then choose a purple and chartreuse bedspread, keep you color theme in mind. Now I could go on about the linen (exquisite) or the furniture (divine) or even the TV (we don’t get HBO in Canada) but it wasn’t just that. It was the art. Granted I am an art lover. I work for an art publisher. In reality that makes me a bit jaded to art. I see it all day long. I live in it. What impressed me so much with this room was the type of art. It pulsated off the walls. It was framed with an intricate attention to detail. It wasn’t faded. It wasn’t dilapidated. It was stylish. It was trendy. Upon closer inspection it wasn’t made by the company I work for. In addition to picking a great piece or art, framing plays an important role in the overall appearance of a finished piece. Taking a print and flush framing it with a basic frame will give a simple, straightforward look. Take that same piece, add 4 inch gallery mats, a fillet and a significant wood frame, and suddenly the piece is dominant on the wall with a fine art gallery feeling. North America’s fascination with interior design is evident from the amount of new and popular design television programs popping up on every network. We are more inclined to create spaces that speak of who we are and create an atmosphere for our families of comfort, peace and security. Today, there are many more options to make your properties memorable. Innovative design, unique use of supplies, distinctive use of materials, can help you create a look unlike the traditional pictures of the past. Today’s trends in design for hospitality properties are changing too. Designers are feeling free to experiment. There is an increasing awareness of making a room, the hallways, the lobby, trendy, yet stylish, and most importantly, comfortable. Today’s travelers are as varied as there are art styles and I guess we could compare them as such. You have your abstract traveler, a bit more on the hurried side, modern and perhaps a bit scattered. You have your traditional traveler, consistent, on time, with realistic expectations. And then of course, your decorative traveler, the ones with the trendy luggage, they have an eye for fashion and color. Whoever is staying with you, they share one Traditionally, the equation for framing art looks something like this: print + mats + glass + frame = art “We offer our customers the opportunity to custom design their pieces,” says Michael Cannock, Hospitality Division Manger with Art In Motion, an art publisher and wholesale framer in Vancouver, Canada. “We work with clients to make sure their artwork reflects the atmosphere they are trying to create. Whether it is traditional, modern, or anywhere in between, we can custom create a look and feel.” The fine art print market of today may not be what you expect. Publishers, like Art In Motion, are continually developing new pieces. “We release 2 elite collections every year,” says Cannock, “This way we can ensure that we are continually delivering the latest, most fashion-forward art for our customers.” 59

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - April 2004

NEWH - April 2004
President’s Letter
Calendar of Events
Contents
From the Editor
Hospitality News
In Memory - Thomas R. Durkan, Sr.
Top Hotel Developers - John Q. Hammons
On the Road Again
HD Expo at a Glance
Surviving HD
Did You Know
Exclusive Lifestyle by Design
If It Were Easy
The Best of Time
Talk About Fast Track
What to Expect From the Vacation Ownership Industry
A Look Back in History
The New Direction for Timeshares in Europe
Confronting the Disabilities Myth
Furnishing Today’s Timeshare
Art - The Final Piece of the Puzzle
Showcase Projects
Design Education Today
Designer Profile: Esther Dunbar-Cullum
Oh Canada, Oh Canada
Top Awards
From Across the Pond
Spotlight On...
Tips on Specs
Window Treatments 101
Hot New Products
We Want Your Projects
Bios

NEWH - April 2004