hospitality design expo 2016

I attended my first HD Expo, the largest design expo I, personally, have ever attended.  The venue was at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and I had a hunch it was going to be a good experience from the minute I got there.  The kind gentleman at the reception desk upgraded me to a Penthouse my first night at no additional cost.  Talk about studying hospitality interiors.  I got to take in an incredible environment, first hand.

Here are a few photos of my decadent pad on the 62nd floor, the top of Mandalay Bay overlooking The Strip:

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After switching gears and meeting up with my travel mate, Shannon, I wandered the three day show that welcomes over 10,000 designers, architects, and hotel owners and features more than 800 hospitality design manufacturers and vendors.  It was a productive venture.  I opened new accounts, learned about innovative products, services, and solutions, developed existing relationships, and gained an incredible amount of inspiration.

It’s an exciting time for lighting.  I discovered a couple of made-in-California companies I am happy with, as well as familiar stand-by companies.

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Innovations in materials and great geometric looks in tile:

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The sky is the limit in wall panels, made of nearly anything and everything, creatively adding interest, texture, lighting accents, and acoustic performance:

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And my favorite plumbing fixture at the show.  I read about American Standard and their innovative new faucets that are made through a 3D printer in Metropolis Magazine on my way down to Las Vegas.  The water actually flows through each tiny channel creating a great flow and look:

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Thanks for taking a look.  Here’s to great design!

BB

details, details, details

High-end residential design isn’t about mass, gaudiness, or punch, it’s about details.  It’s that feeling you get, ‘wow, they really thought about this’.  This project has been so carefully contemplated by my clients, the contractor, myself, and all of the extraordinarily talented craftspeople we’ve put together.  It shows.  Take a look at what can happen when you approach a house like it’s a canvas, not a hurry-up and build-it-on-the-cheap environment:

Bruce, the Mason, places every single rock with thought and care.  I love the custom stone cornice framing the beautifully stunning front door:

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The built ins were created off of my basic hand sketch and hand elevations.  Shane has added the tricky details that can only be created by a true sculptural artist.   The lightness and sophistication of this built-in media and art showplace is exactly what we were after.

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I love a good book match!!  It makes my heart sing.  Not many put this amount of detail into woodwork.

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Notice the copper toekick detail we’ve worked in.  You’ll see this throughout the home, in unexpected places.

built in corner   I’m loving how this angled TV housing is not feeling too bulky.  Gorgeous, and not an easy task to execute.  Thankfully, Shane put the geometry I snoozed through in high school to use.

Jim, the Tile Guru, put the seals on the stone work today.  Wow, does it pop.

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berens wall 2    Meticulously polishing the travertine hallway wall.  Perfection. I’m proud to be part of a team that puts so much care, thought, and talent into what they produce. More to come!

BB