photography by janus et cie€¦ · curtain he wanted to create, one thing came to mind: aluminum...
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25spring 200524 spring 2005 www.iida .org
ONLY THE BEST
Forward-thinking designs inspired by history, art, fashion and technology take the top honors at the
8th annual Hospitality Design Product Awards.
BY JUDI KETTELER
Janus et Cie’s Orbit chairs, this page,and Lounge seating, opposite page,are designed to be moved, reconfig-ured and rearranged to accommodatea variety of hospitality settings.
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Judges at the 2004 IIDA Hospitality Design
Product Awards chose designs that reached beyond
their respective categories and focused on innovation in
the hospitality market as a whole. The award-winning
products represent designs in tune with a hospitality
market that’s becoming more and more about creating
a unique experience for customers.
BEST OF COMPETITION
DaisyCake Chain Curtains, Daisycake.com Inc.
When Neil Morrow, President of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based
Daisycake.com Inc., envisioned the specialty accessory
curtain he wanted to create, one thing came to mind:
aluminum chain. “Chain is the most analog of prod-
ucts,” he says. Originally a symbol of strength during
the industrial revolution, it eventually took on a new
meaning. “Workers were told to break their chains,” he
says. Now, the image of a chain link has a distinct con-
nection to the information age. “A link of chain is a
pixel of information,” Morrow says. It was that histori-
cal thread that served as Morrow’s main inspiration.
Though Morrow has been in the textile industry
since the early 1970s, the DaisyCake Chain Curtain was
his first foray into the commercial world. “I became
interested in chain as a textile element — specifically the
way it creates space, as opposed to dividing it,” he says.
The chain curtain, which comes anodized in 15
pigments and can hold any design, has applications
for restaurants and bars, lobby spaces, stages and
runways. Morrow even created a piece for this year’s
Academy Awards: a huge chain bearing the image of an
Oscar that opened and closed to reveal presenters.
Primarily, the art-inspired chain curtain acts as a
mural, or a colorful backdrop for a space. But it’s also
two-dimensional. People can experience it, touch it and
walk through it. Soft and supple, it moves and breathes,
and it grabs attention. “People are drawn to it. It makes
them laugh; it makes them happy,” Morrow says. “And
you want happy customers.”
What’s more, because the links are made from alu-
minum, they are 100 percent recyclable. Morrow
became interested in creating sustainable, visually
interesting products after attending a sustainable prod-
ucts training program in 2002. “I think that fashion will
drive the sustainable movement. Designers are taking
up the challenge,” he says.
WINNERS: APPLIED FINISHES
Beadazzled, by Maya Romanoff Corp.
The first-ever flexible glass-bead wall covering, Beadazzled
originally was developed for Victoria’s Secret. Though the
product uses a high-tech adhesive to attach its clear glass
beads to a non-woven wall covering, it is completely hand-
made. Its flexibility makes it innovative: It can be wrapped
around columns and cases, adhered to ceilings, die cut and
the wall covering comes in multiple colors. It’s a popular
wall covering for hotel powder rooms and columns, and
it’s currently showcased on tabletops at Las Vegas’ Bellagio
hotel. “It offers limitless creativity,” says Laura Romanoff,
Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Maya
Romanoff Corp., based in Chicago.
Its flexibility also means it will change the way
designers envision the function of high-end wall cov-
erings. It makes a great substitute for a red carpet,
says Romanoff, or for a tabletop. It’s about catching a
customer’s eye: “There are no more limits as to where
you can add extra sparkle.”
Faux-Marble Finish Glass, Studio G3 Glass
Glass artist Naser Niki, co-owner of Studio G3 Glass in
British Columbia, Canada, paints every single piece of
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The first-ever flexible glass-bead wall covering,Beadazzled uses a high-tech adhesive to attach itsclear glass beads to a non-woven wall covering.
Maya Romanoff’s winning glass-bead wall covering, Beadazzled,comes in multiple colors and isbecoming popular in hotel lobbiesand powder rooms.
DaisyCake’schain curtainscan be cus-tomized to carry any design or color.
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Faux-Marble Finish Glass by hand. A love of composition
and color in art and photography serves as the major
inspiration for his designs. “Because it’s made piece by
piece, each design is random,” says Niki.
The glass, which takes on the look of marble, has
been specified by hotels, spas and restaurants for coun-
tertops, bartops and tabletops. In a world of mass-pro-
duced glass products, the faux-marble glass makes an
unmistakable artistic statement that could influence
what types of accent pieces designers and builder/own-
ers specify, especially in areas like Japan, where the
market is flooded with heavily manufactured products
imported from China.
WINNER: SPECIALTIES/HARDWARE
The Rocky Mountain Hardware Collection, Rocky
Mountain Hardware
Rocky Mountain’s high-end line of bronze door hardware
provides a cutting-edge backdrop for key card door locks.
In a world where most hotels’ key card locks are designed
strictly for functionality, Rocky Mountain found a way to
introduce style with its custom bronze lever, knob and
backplate. “This opens up lots of new opportunities for
designers and architects,” says Patsy Nickum, co-owner of
Rocky Mountain Hardware in Sun Valley, Idaho. Rocky
Mountain offers five standard escutcheons, 28 different
levers and varieties of knobs, two different bronzes and
seven patinas to create dozens of unique looks. Bronze
also lends itself to many different architectural styles,
Nickum says, from rustic to Mediterranean to con-
temporary. “Bronze just has that texture — it fits in well
anywhere,” she says.
WINNERS: FLOORING
Ever Technology, Milliken Carpet
High-definition television (HDTV) can be likened to
Milliken Carpet’s newest carpet patterning technology,
says Tracy Francis, Marketing Manager for LaGrange,
Ga.-based Milliken Carpet. “We wanted to bring designs
to life with greater clarity than ever,” she says. “The same
way that HDTV brings a picture to life.”
In the hospitality arena, Milliken’s proprietary
system has applications for casinos, restaurants and
hotels that want their flooring to make a statement. The
emphasis on digital technology to produce increased
clarity in color and picture signals a new trend in visual
expectations for the design of public spaces. In addition
to placing logos on the carpet, Milliken can use the
patterning technology to create custom flooring from
a sketch or picture. “It looks like a painting,” Francis
says. Mosaic tile and leaves, grass and stones have
been some of the more popular designs. “It just goes to
show that what people only imagined before is possible
now,” she says.
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Rocky Mountain Hardware’scollection of door hardwareintroduces style into an areathat had previously beenfocused on utility.
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Stone Marquetry, Architectural Systems Inc.
An ancient tradition of handcrafted stone, marquetry has
always been prohibitively expensive for use in the com-
mercial arena. New York City’s Architectural Systems
decided to create a new technique to revive interest in
the ancient craft. “We basically applied modern technology
to laser-cut the stone,” says Nancy Jackson, President of
Architectural Systems Inc., New York.
This updated version of stone marquetry highlights
a growing trend: looking at the past through the lens of
modern technology — to deliver a sense of authenticity.
This is particularly attractive to the hospitality market,
where it’s all about creating a one-of-a-kind experience
for the customer. Fabricated on glass or aluminum
honeycomb, Stone Marquetry is a good signature mate-
rial for furniture, feature walls and flooring. The stone
comes in multiple colors, from yellow onyx to lapis
blue to black marble. According to Jackson, it’s attractive
to the hospitality market because it’s unlike anything
else out there.
WINNERS: TEXTILES
DT Home Collection, DesignTex
When Design Director Jane Wicks and her design staff
at New York-based DesignTex set out to create a beautiful
new sheer for upscale hotels, they looked toward trends
in clothing to guide some of their choices. They noticed
that the hand-stitched look was making the rounds in
New York and Paris, and they brought that cutting-edge
embroidered look to their new drapery collection. “We
wanted an embellished sheer, a beautiful pattern that
would stand out,” Wicks says.
Such a unique style is important, because upscale
hotels are always looking for ways to add sophistication
and comfort to their guest rooms. More often, guests
staying in upscale hotels and spas expect to their sur-
roundings to create an experience: pricey linens,
Jacuzzi tubs and tasteful furnishings have become sta-
ples. DesignTex’s drapery patterns are designed to create
that luxurious experience.
Honorable MentionsSerafini, Denovo Wall (Applied Finishes/Wall Covering)
Fancourt, Masland Contract (Flooring/Carpet)
Illuminessence Glass, Crossville (Flooring/Hard Surface)
Digital Airwave, Static Screen, Knoll Textiles (Textiles/Bedding & Drapery)
Color Compendium, Richmond Textiles, Inc. (Textiles/Bedding & Drapery)
Sudden, Maharam Design Studio (Textiles/Upholstery)
(u)phoria!, Mobern Inc. (Textiles/Upholstery)
Architectural Systems’winning replication ofancient stone marquetryis being revived todayin hotels, bars andrestaurants, such asWSens in London,shown here.
NightLife Collection, Edelman Leather
Meant to evoke an image of a night out on the town full
of glitz and glamour, the Nightlife Collection offers a
new way to look at upholstery, says Teddy Edelman,
Chairperson of New Milford, Conn., Edelman Leather.
Like sequins on blue jeans, the metallic embellished
leather blends the unlikely. “It’s a response to using
extraordinary materials in ordinary ways,” she says,
noting the influence of fashion heavy-hitters such as
Prada and Versace.
The collection appeals to hospitality venues in search
of the unusual. “We looked far and wide to find extraor-
dinary colors,” Edelman says. While it’s been a hit in
Las Vegas, it’s also being used by more toned-down
restaurants and hotels to create a highlight piece.
WINNERS: SEATING
Lounge, Janus et Cie
A modular seating system, the Lounge collection by
Hollywood, Calif.-based Janus et Cie was designed with flex-
ibility in mind — not just in its multitude of configurations,
but in its indoor/outdoor adaptability, says Janice
Feldman, President. Made of Hularo®, a synthetic fiber,
the Lounge pieces are as at home poolside as they are
in a hotel lobby.
The clean, angular design speaks to the functionality
of the pieces, she says. “They have a soft, chalky look;
it’s an organic look, designed to blend well with dark
woods or green lawns.” Durability is also a big selling
point. Edges won’t get worn and the fiber resists the
growth of bacteria and fungi — a crucial factor if the
pieces are to be used outdoors in a humid climate. “It’s
about being limitless,” Feldman says.
Orbit, Janus et Cie
Named for its orb-like shape and its ability to spin, (the
Orbit chairs sit on removable in-line skate wheels), the
Orbit collection introduces a touch of whimsy to the hos-
pitality furniture arena. Yet the designs are still 100 percent
practical, according to Feldman. “It’s fantastic for public
spaces because it’s so resistant to everything: ultra-violet
light, food stains, kids, animals — you name it.”
The round shape is meant to inspire a sense of con-
nection, whether it’s as a cozy space for one, a romantic
date or a family-friendly gathering. The chairs come with
or without a canopy and are suitable inside or out. Wheels
mean that your view can easily turn as you follow the
afternoon sun across the sky. Made of high-tech Hularo®
fabric, each Orbit piece is handcrafted — a juxtaposition
Feldman loves. “This piece represents a very interesting
marriage of craft and industry,” she says.
WINNER: CASEGOODS/FURNITURE
Heavy Cast Glass Furniture, Nathan Allan Glass
Studios Inc.
Designed to revolutionize the look and feel of glass
tabletops, the heavy cast method for fusing glass is a
highly scientific process with eye-catching results, says
Barry Allan, director of the British Columbia, Canada-
based Nathan Allan Glass Studios Inc. Eight layers of
glass are stacked on top of a mold, placed in a kiln and
fired. The bottom layer picks up the texture.
“No one else in the industry is even attempting to do
this,” Allan says. Most tabletop glass has a maximum
thickness of 3/4 inch. By contrast, the heavy cast glass
ranges from 1 to 4 inches. Another first: texturing the
edge of the glass. “It’s brand new,” Allan says. The heavy
cast glass is showing up on hotel registration desks, casino
bar tops and restaurant tabletops.
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This display of DaisyCake Chain Curtains at the 2004 Toronto Interior Design Showillustrates the wide range of colors and
designs the product is capable of inhabiting. PH
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Janus et Cie’s Orbit chair
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