Here’s to a peaceful end to 2023 and inspiring start to 2024!
4 Inspiration Boards
Our 2022 Wrap-Up
Reflecting on the year 2022, I am so very grateful to work with artists and design creatives. I love that our work involves transforming spaces, like the corridor at Mabra Law firm where Atlanta artist Peter Ferrari painted a vision of beauty and a bold statement for Justice.
I’m in awe of how we transform materials, like how local artist Taylor Means did with Novelis, where he repurposed used aluminum cans into a gorgeous Atlanta Hawks logo for State Farm Arena.
And I adore working with the ever-talented Sarah Davis, who makes accessories fit intentionally into spaces, and designs the most fabulous custom art pieces, such as the artwork she made for The Interlock in the west side of Atlanta, giving life and modernity to historic local photographs.
2022 HIGHLIGHTS
We went international!
Completed artwork for 2 new Reverb Hotels in Hamburg, Germany and Phuket, Thailand
Created a custom artwork package with Avella Design for the Curacao Courtyard Marriott
Completed our first-ever retirement community art package for the beautifully designed The Cardinal at North Hills in Raleigh, NC with THW Design.
Collaborated with C+TC Design to create a beautiful art package in a Sarasota hotel, part of the new boutique hotel line Voco, from IHG.
Created and installed our first art package for a fire station in Sandy Springs, GA.
Completed two innovative projects with the Atlanta Hawks
Art’d up 100 basketballs for a sculptural commission commemorating State Farm’s 100th Anniversary
Built a 10’ diameter sculpture of the Hawks Logo out of recycled aluminum cans
Created Custom Commissions...
A custom Jeremy Brown for The Interlock, a multi-use complex in the booming west side of Atlanta.
Added to the already impressive art collection of the Mabra Law Firm in Blandtown, including a custom Justice mural by Peter Ferrari and rubber wall sculptures by Gregor Turk.
A colossal bicycle wheel wall sculpture built by Jesse Spade for George Mason University’s off-campus housing complex The Flats in Fairfax, VA, in conjunction with Niles Bolton.
Several pieces custom created for residential clients, from artists such as Atlanta artist Janice Rago and Charleston artist Kerry Steele.
Accolades to Our Clients…
Bacán Restaurant at the Lake Nona Wave Hotel received Michelin Guide recognition.
Larson Nichols was named one of NEWH Atlanta’s top interior design firms for 2023.
Mabra Law Firm received an Award of Excellence from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission/Department of City Planning. The award honors their achievement in new construction, historic preservation, public art, and landscape design for their offices in the Blandtown neighborhood of Atlanta..
And other exciting things...
Artist Interviews with Jermaine Clark, Michelle Armas, Kyle “Black Cat Tips” Brooks, and Janice Rago
3 Case Studies giving insight into our process on past projects
3 Inspiration Boards
Wishing you all the renewed energy + excitement a new year can bring...
Amy Parry Projects
Please note: we will be closed for our holiday recharge from
December 23rd through January 2nd
Closing out a very busy 2021...
With many entire hotel projects completed this year, I was reminded time and again the value of collaboration. We are constantly learning from each other within our APP team, from the talented interior designers who bring us on and the artists that create the work; but we also learn from the lighting designers, marketing managers, engineers, contractors, chefs, general managers and hotel owners.
Collaboration with creatives inspires and pushes us to experiment with new ideas and materials. Working with construction partners reminds us our potential for inventiveness within practical boundaries. Meeting with the managers and staff affirms that the art we place will be celebrated.
I am thankful for the varied and inventive collaboration with so many driven and talented people in our daily lives. Here’s to ending 2021 filled to the brim with accomplishments and invigorated for what the new year brings!
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
We completed several art packages for new-build Hotel Projects across three states...
The Memphian - an "eccentric" Tribute Portfolio in Memphis featuring vintage imagery in neon frames.
The Wylie Hotel - a storied building with beautiful, unique touches designed by Pixel Design Co.
The Bellyard Hotel - which won Best Midscale in the 2021 Boutique Design Gold Key Awards.
The WAVE Hotel Lake Nona - a massive, spectacular project with our friends at Blue Lantern Studio including 300+ pieces of art and accessories.
Created tons of Custom Commissions...
We kept Lacey Longino busy with two large murals (Bellyard + Aviary Summerhill) and her first large-scale textile piece (Camperdown, Greenville, SC)
Numerous commissions with Caroline Bullock resulting in a Case Study on her large-scale piece for Boca West Country Club.
The great scope of The WAVE Hotel allowed us to engage artists from all over the country including: Laura Fayer Kevin Chambers, Amy Rader, Amy Genser, Melissa Borrell, Sarah Gee Miller, Alex Proba and Janice Rago.
Saw great acknowledgements for two past bar/restaurant projects...
Society in DC's Hamilton Hotel included on Travel + Leisure's List "The 21 Coolest Hotel Bars in the World."
LylaLila included on the New York Times 2021 Restaurant List.
Had a couple of firsts...
Elegant renovation projects for two distinct Country Clubs. Excited to enter this market with the great designers who serve them - Larson Nichols + ai3.
Completed a super fun package for Encore at Georgia Tech, our first stand-alone co-working space.
Beginning work on our first entire-hotel art package in Europe - a first for the Reverb by Hardrock brand in Hamburg, Germany.
And other exciting things...
Announcement of another forthcoming Reverb in Kalamazoo, MI - a historic
preservation project turning the iconic Gibson Manufacturing Site into another state-of-the-art, music-centric hotel.
A large-scale custom wallcovering for the new Atlanta HQ for Variant.
The Atlanta Hawks went to the playoffs for the first time in 4 years and Derek Bruno returned to activate a central hallway in the Arena with a large-scale mural.
Artist Interviews with Koketit, Mike Black, Sarah Gee Miller and Erika Lee Sears
An increased focus on curated packages of accessories!
5 Inspiration Boards
One final note...
After seven years as Art Consultant and Director of Art Resources, Lisa Thrower will be moving on from her role with APP. Over the years, her unique vision has contributed to the variety within our projects and social media.
Please join us in wishing her our best in her new endeavors…
Wishing you all the renewed energy + excitement a new year can bring...
Amy Parry Projects
Please note: we will be closed for our holiday recharge from
December 24th through January 3rd
APP - Accessories Packages
The best hospitality art packages utilize a variety of accessories to further develop the design narrative. We have a plethora of resources and a passion for putting together these collections. Please send us an inquiry when you are in need of a great accessories package (or if you are an artist who works in dimensional multiples and would like us to consider you for future projects!)
Hippies in Midtown
The Great Speckled Bird and Counterculture’s Impact on Atlanta
Mallory Johnson for Amy Parry Projects
A counterculture movement in the Deep South, Atlanta’s first drag bar, and a notorious nightclub; you might be surprised to find the connecting threads meet at 551 Ponce, the current location of the boutique Wylie Hotel.
Take a stroll around Little Five Points and you’ll see “hippies” outfitted in Free People and their favorite thrifted finds, lining the block waiting to access their local crystal shop (mind you, I’m often one of them). Hippies in Atlanta are no new phenomenon, but it is the originals, the ones whose political motivations aligned with their unkempt style of dress who gave us The Great Speckled Bird publication. The name came from a song of the same title by Roy Acuff, the first living member inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Great Speckled Bird, a moniker that nods to the newspaper’s Southern-ness, soon became colloquially referred to as just “The Bird.”
“Printing the news you’re not supposed to know” reads the tagline of the underground hippie newspaper. Brought together by frustration with conservative Atlanta news outlets, The Bird’s founders created something unique that addressed both politics and the counterculture. Anti-Vietnam war sentiments were interspersed with cheeky graphics, making a truly relatable newspaper that also filled a void in media at the time. The Bird grew quickly from the date of its first publication on March 8, 1968; in six months it had transformed into a weekly publication. For 15 cents, an Atlanta resident with an interest in gay liberation, the women’s movement or the Black Panther Party could purchase a copy of The Bird. This meant that a vendor who chose to sell papers for The Bird in the “Hip Community” or to out-of-towners could turn between a 5-10 cent profit and never risked losing money; by all accounts this was a rare opportunity at the time. It was Atlanta’s first underground paper and by the time 1970 rolled around it was also the third-largest weekly newspaper in Georgia with 22,000 copies circulating.
The Great Speckled Bird could be depended on for honest reporting and it also served its readers who were able to use the publication to find other like-minded individuals. It gave many people a voice and a place to publish their artwork or poetry. The Bird’s internal structure was even reflective of the Leftist politics their paper was known for; instead of abiding by a traditional hierarchical structure, staff members would switch in and out of editor positions. Articles that went to print were also determined by popular vote, ensuring the paper maintained a fresh perspective and a very high quality of journalism. A collective with a shared interest that fed the community the news they were looking for, the grittier low down on things that actually mattered to 20 and 30-somethings with a propensity to smoke, attend rock concerts and fight for social justice. That it got its start on the Emory University campus and was originally intended to be a multi-campus underground newspaper makes The Bird’s growth all the more impressive.
In 2018 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution answered an inquiry about what ever happened to the alt-weekly paper. In their coverage of the rise and fall of The Great Speckled Bird they cited Senator Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) one of The Bird’s founding members, who described what the paper meant to people. Orrock stated, “The Bird became Atlanta’s meeting place for progressive thought.” This quote followed discussions of just how badly Bird staffers thought the mainstream media was lacking. It was intensely ironic that the AJC, the very same media outlet (back before it took on the J) that was frequently under fire in The Bird for editor Ralph McGill’s open support of the Vietnam War, was now a source for information on the long-since active weekly paper.
In any given issue of The Bird, you might find an article on The Jimi Hendrix Experience with a critique on Coca-Cola alongside a note to “go fuck yourself.” As far as The Bird’s more irreverent content a good example takes the form of a Where’s Waldo style drawing appearing on the “Puzzle Page” of the January 5, 1970 issue. Readers are asked to find the “six pigs hidden in the image” before JoJo and Loretta can, devoid of narc paranoia, light up their joint in the park. This kind of funny, shameless, anti-establishment content was what came to be expected from The Bird.
Counterculture movements don’t often go unnoticed or unchecked by the powers that be and the same held true for The Bird. Reliant on a network of volunteers to distribute the paper in locations such as college campuses, high schools, and street corners - those selling copies of The Great Speckled Bird were met with harassment from authorities. The arrests ranged from charges as weighty as distribution of pornographic material to minor offenses like jaywalking. The Bird was also investigated by Dekalb Police for “obscenity” and their headquarters, the Birdhouse, was even firebombed at one point. It was discomfort that drove these attacks and a distaste for the way this underground movement held sway in the minds of young people; it was also the way they left no-one off limits from the Mayor to a corporation such as Georgia Power. Their Dekalb printer ultimately refused to continue printing their paper, causing the group to move the printing process into Montgomery, Alabama. No one closer was willing to be associated with printing a paper that was getting so much pushback from the police and local government officials.
When the counterculture movement in Atlanta faded so too did The Bird, releasing its final issue in October of 1976. Despite its discontinuation, reverberations of The Great Speckled Bird’s impact on Atlanta can still be felt today. On its 50th anniversary back in 2018, The Bird was receiving renewed press, and an event was held by Sing Out Defiance with the theme “Media then and Now.” Many interviews with staff members have been documented in recent years and are available to the public through Georgia State University’s library website. This careful remembrance lends credence to the deep mark left by the publication. Outside of the news and academia, one of the places you may encounter remnants of The Bird is in The Old Fourth Ward at the recently opened Wylie Hotel.
Pixel Design Co asked Amy Parry Projects to art consult on this important renovation project. The corridors of the Wylie Hotel now display reproduced covers of The Great Speckled Bird. Since 551 Ponce is a building with such a storied history and connections to the underground counterculture in Atlanta, these newspaper covers serve to remind visitors of Wylie’s past. In the 1990s, years after even the failed attempt to restart The Bird in 1984, Wylie’s basement was home to MJQ. In the 90s, MJQ was an underground club that “snobbishly” fought off gentrification to uphold its status as a place for cool people and those on the fringes of society. It was the happy host to “cross-dressers, artists, thugs, club kids and urban intellectuals.” The way hippies were treated in the 1970s parallels the treatment of the types of people who flocked to MJQ and before that, who frequented Mrs. P’s Tea Room, which was listed in the 1969 edition of the International Gay Guide. Mrs. P’s Tea Room was another former resident of 551 Ponce de Leon Avenue; safe haven for members of the LGBTQ community and home of the first drag bar in Atlanta - Mrs. P’s was active during the same time that The Bird was reporting on the beginning of Atlanta’s gay right’s movement.
The issues addressed by The Bird for its 8 years are concerns near and dear to our hearts to this day, issues that we are still fighting for and that are still on the line. Fighting against systemic racism and hate, and fighting for women’s right to safe and legal abortion and gay rights are all still relevant issues since The Bird’s inception over 50 years ago.
more on 551 Ponce from the Wylie Hotel website:
A revival of the original 551 Ponce, this boutique hotel retains the property’s legacy as a well-appointed, homelike bed-stop for locals and passer-throughs. With gentle charm and assured regulars, comfort is certain to seek you out in this home away from home. These well-appointed, bespoke rooms boast Ponce City Market views, Beltline walks, and a quick jaunt to Georgia Aquarium, downtown and midtown Atlanta areas.
Those who remember Mrs. P’s Tea Room, home of Atlanta’s first Drag Show, will delight in the news of Mrs. P’s Bar & Kitchen, a dignified but approachable dining lounge offering southern eats and inventive drinks. A building personified, Wylie is a friend to anyone who crosses the threshold.
No need to tell stories when the story finds you.
www.wyliehotel.com
Currently Inspired By...
Coming up on the vernal equinox, it’s time again to spread some seeds of inspiration. Please enjoy this Spring Inspiration Board, put together by our Visual Design Director, Sarah Knight Davis, and let us know if we can show you more work by any of these great artists.
APP Says Goodbye to 2020...
There really isn't another way to say it: 2020 was rough. The places and spaces we select art for were largely empty - travel was suspended and gatherings were skipped. Despite it all, Amy Parry Projects is proud of the work we did this year: several multi-year projects finally came to fruition and we began work on a couple of very exciting new ones. Hospitality design will continue to adapt and inspire and we will all undoubtedly gather again. As we turn the corner into 2021, we must reflect on the great collaborations and awesome imagery that have come out of this unprecedented year, and continue to count our creative blessings.
2020 Highlights:
Addition of Sarah Knight Davis, our Visual Design Director
5 Inspiration Boards
Custom Angie Jerez mural for Kabbage Inc. Conference Room
Production of a custom print for the Grand Rapids Canopy guestrooms - interview with Ken Wood here
Opening of the world’s first Reverb by Hard Rock with art package created exclusively by APP
Installation of two Multi-Family projects in our home-base of metro-ATL with Cooper Carry Interiors
Large-scale murals and textile work with Lacey Longino
Nike Commercial filmed at The People’s Entrance, State Farm Arena
Our first “auto gallery” curation with a custom print by Fabian Oefner - story here
Upgrades to the Crowne Plaza Jax Airport with DesignONE Studio - cinematic history theme
Georgia Tech Conference Center Hotel - new art for all guestrooms, suites and fitness center
Upgrades to the Marriott Marquis Atlanta Restaurant SEAR including custom textile by Sonya Yong James
Art Curation for another elegant, residential-style hotel on Ponce - Wylie Hotel is forthcoming!
Art Curation for the forthcoming Bellyard at the Interlock, a Marriott Tribute Hotel
Began work on major hotel project in Lake Nona, FL with Tavistock + Specified Agents
Started sharing a series of Case Studies starting with Pier2620, AMLI Lenox and LylaLila
Purchase of countless accessories
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Please enjoy a quick glance at some of our favorite projects and art memories…
May the new year bring you peace, health + happiness,
Amy Parry Projects
Currently Inspired By (Endless Summer Edition)...
Art inspiration is never cancelled!
Checking in with a new Inspiration Board - this one is chock full of summer flair. Please know that APP can create a custom inspiration package for any kind of project you might be working on. Just let us know what look and feel you're going for and we will put together something fun for you.
Case Study #1 | Pier 2620 Hotel, San Francisco, 2014
AP Projects has been organizing our files and working to document the wide range of dynamic hospitality projects we have completed over the years. This will be the first in a series of shared case studies - Pier 2620 Hotel in San Francisco, CA - our first guestroom art package completed in 2014 (now operating as Marriott Vacation Club - Pulse).
It was a pleasure to work with Chicago based Anderson/Miller LTD on Pier 2620. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the creative process and production behind this thematic art package.
Currently Inspired By...
It’s already August?!
With the revived goal of bringing you a new Inspiration Board every other month, you will really see what we are actively sourcing for our hospitality projects.
This summer we have been seeking out textile work, different types of collage and work that in general, shows a level of traditional craftsmanship. In the digital era we are living and working in, it’s cool to appreciate art that shows the artists’ hand - bonus when it incorporates or re-purposes something from nature or maybe the “good old days.”
And a good painting is always in style, right?!
Via Sophia + Society Now Open in DC featuring APP Art Program →
A Fiola Mare Alum Opens a Fancy New |All-Day Osteria Downtown
Via Sophia and a hidden cocktail bar will debut in the Hamilton Hotel
by Tierney Plumb
Jun 11, 2019, 1:24pm EDT
Photos by Rey Lopez/Eater DC
The Hamilton Hotel is ready to unveil the final pieces of its multi-million dollar renovation downtown at the corner of 14th and K Streets NW. An Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizza and a glamorous, postage stamp-sized bar serving cocktails and caviar are both scheduled to open tomorrow.
Following a full lobby transformation and guest room refresh, the historic 318-room hotel is replacing its outdated 14K restaurant with an all-day osteria called Via Sophia. A dark, library-themed bar called Society is hidden off the lobby.
The anticipated two-part venture is helmed by an all-star hospitality cast that includes Via Sophia executive chef Colin Clark, who’s amassed an impressive East Coast resume by working under several James Beard Award Winners (Marc Vetri, Jeff Michaud, and Fabio Trabocchi). He was also part of Le Diplomate’s opening team in 2013. Most most recently, Clark was chef de cuisine at Trabocchi’s Georgetown Harbor darling, Fiola Mare.
Via Sophia (1001 14th Stree NW) will open with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s also an weekday happy hour for apertivos and a late-night pizza menu. Weekend brunch will join the mix later this summer.
In Clark’s new post, he hopes to breathe new life into the same block as The Washington Post’s headquarters overlooking tree-lined Franklin Square.
“We are going for upscale — this is 14th and K and we are trying to make it a dining destination,” Clark tells Eater.
Since wood-fired Neapolitan pizza is Via Sophia’s star attraction, the staff went the extra mile to elevate their pie-making skills. Clark and sous chef Cameron Willis trained under master pizzaiola Roberto Caporuscio, owner of New York City’s Keste Pizza & Vino and Don Antonio (named “#1 Pizza in New York” by New York Magazine).
Five seasonal pizzas at Via Sophia include a classic Margherita — with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil — and Fra Diavlo (salame picante, fresno chiles, red onion, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes).
Even the staff floating around will be dressed to the nines. Ashley Blazer Biden, Joe Biden’s daughter, designed the hotel’s new stylish black-and-white uniforms in collaboration with Livelihood.
Atlanta-based Art Consulting Firm, Amy Parry Projects, helped curate a custom art collection that weaves old and new elements across Via Sophia. Think nostalgic antique metal pizza peels juxtaposed with modern photography and abstract art pieces.
Clark’s most recent cooking stint at seafood-focused Fiola Mare is evident across its underwater section of dishes. A grilled Norwegian salmon features a traditional Spanish romesco sauce, alongside charred broccolini, pine nuts, and black garlic dressing. A minimalist presentation of black bass, accented with baby squash, asparagus tips, morels, and a golden beet border, lets the fish shine.
Southern Italian-inspired dishes include bruschetta built on a house-baked semolina loaf; tagliata di manzo (sliced steak) with charred spring onion, confit cherry tomatoes, balsamic reduction, arugula, and barolo jus; and monkfish ossobuco, with sauce livornese, clams, olives, capers, fennel, and potatoes.
“This is very in line with my background — the whole idea is a balance between rustic and modern,” Clark says. “We knock the rustic element out of the park — it was a decision early on to make bread, pizza, and pasta in house.”
Chicken al mattone (crispy artichokes, guanciale, peppers, maitake mushrooms, chicken jus) is “as old school rustic as it gets” he adds.
Carb-driven entrees include ravioli finochietta, with asparagus tips, fava beans, morels, and fresh parmigiana. Pappardelle comes with rabbit ragu, ramps, pecorino and Castelvetrano olives.
Antipasto orders include caponata-toasted eggplant with San Marzano tomatoes, golden raisins and pine nuts. Meat and cheese boards feature prosciutto di parma aged 24 months.
Wines and spirits hailing from Italy largely make up the drinks section, with some 120 wine bottles available. Local makers from D.C. and Virginia also contribute to the craft beer and spirits selection.
Society, inspired by Prohibition-era secret societies and private clubs from the art deco period, features just 14 seats. Fancy bar snacks include caviar with panna cotta, nuts, and Sicilian olives. Zack Faruki, an alum of Michelin-starred Fiola, is leading a mixology program.
Wines by the glass start at $20, and big spenders can also peruse from a rare collection of reds with a few bottles dancing near the $700 mark.
Society is an ode to renowned French-born architect Jules-Henrí de Sibour, who originally designed the hotel in 1922. The Prohibition-era architect was a member of Yale’s Skull and Bones Society. Framed hand drawings and photos taken from his time at Yale line the walls.
Hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to midnight; and Thursday through Saturday until 1 a.m.
Currently Inspired By...
AP Projects has been working on a plethora of new projects as we transition from Winter to Spring. This March Inspiration Board is a collection of things that have stuck with us along the way.
Click to see cool assemblages, lovely layers and all the colors of the rainbow.
Currently Inspired By...
More and more we are honoring requests to show art options with greater depth and texture. For this last Inspiration Board of the year, we would like to share a “few of our favorite (dimensional) things.”
There is so much to love about three-dimensional art; how it can punctuate a space and accentuate the overall design. Please click through these options in wood, glass, metal, fiber, porcelain and even just thickly applied paint.
Currently Inspired By...
AP Projects had the pleasure of working with experienced Art Consultant Catharine Auger this year.
Please enjoy this latest Inspiration Board, put together exclusively by Catharine.
Chic New Atlanta Hotel - Hotel Clermont →
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY OF PHASE:3 MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Hotel Clermont is due to reopen next year.
"Hotel Clermont welcomes guests in March after an extensive renovation that merges the building’s classic 1920s features with punk-rock style. In addition to a restaurant and a rooftop bar, the property’s infamous Clermont Lounge remains and, though it got a freshen-up too, retains its gritty glory—and its black-duct-taped bar."
(Garden & Gun Magazine, November 15, 2017)
APP Out of Town - Hotel Eventi + The Beekman Hotel
Another inspirational spring trip to NYC means another post about boutique hotel excellence, this time an overview of Hotel Eventi (A Kimpton Hotel) and The Beekman Hotel (a Thompson Hotel). What these two hotels do well is offer a complete immersion into the feel of the NYC neighborhood in which they are situated. They also boast new and incredibly impressive art packages, put together by some of the best curators out there. To snag a tagline from Hotel Eventi, both of these hotels are “redefining hotel art.” And while art is just one aspect of the visual luxuries you will encounter walking into each of these hotels, the quality of the art is what elevates them to the truly high-end.
HOTEL EVENTI
Hotel Eventi is as hip as it gets - it feels very much like you just stepped into a wealthy collector's city apartment. The work is sort of nonchalantly placed around the main level, yet many of the works are instantly recognizable. Eventi's collection is made up of contemporary work, which is fitting since the hotel is right in the heart of Chelsea, arguably one of the most influential, art rich districts in the world. Reunion Goods & Services is who we have to thank for the impressive design, and the art was selected by curator (visionary) Kyle DeWoody. The hotel effortlessly carries an "artful atmosphere" and despite the high caliber of work, it all feels accessible. Just in and around the lobby you will see work by Barbara Nessim, Alex Katz, and Augustus Thompson. Highlights were the incredible hand-altered mirror by Tony Matelli, the commissioned light fixture/sculpture by Kwangho Lee, a gorgeous Lorna Simpson and a powerful photographic abstract by Mariah Robertson. The Ernesto Leal piece behind the reception desk is also very swoon-worthy. All in all the Reunion Team along with DeWoody have created a thought-provoking, comfortable space in a superior art location in the city. The art and city views you will find in the guestrooms are nothing to sneeze at either.
THE BEEKMAN HOTEL
Down in Lower Manhattan, another absolute gem is The Beekman Hotel. Built in 1880, this Queen Anne style building was the first public library in Manhattan; the Mercantile Library Exchange. Recently transformed into an outstanding boutique hotel, great care was taken to preserve some of the original features including a beautiful 9 story atrium. The elevators, staircases, and ironwork transport you back in time. Although the art package is comprised of brand new works, they blend seamlessly with the hotel's classic features and old NY atmosphere. Katherine Gass, Founder of James Company (Contemporary Art Projects) and curator of The Beekman Art Collection says "hotels are community places and art offers an important expression of the community - one that has an innovative, creative and economic return." Each piece was commissioned with the literary history of the building in mind. Works by Jane Hammond, Cathy Cone, Catherine Howe, and Nathalia Edenmont are inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe poem entitled "A Dream Within A Dream" and are installed throughout the elegant lobby and bar areas. Besides the amazing over-painted historical portraits by Cone, another favorite would be two tiny Patrick Jacobs dioramas which are inset in the passageway between the reception and concierge desks. Seen through tiny glass lenses, the imagery is of a field of dandelions and weeds - giving a glimpse of a time before high-rises took over the city. To stop and peer into these lenses is unexpected distraction within an already breath-taking experience.
These two hotels have made a conscious decision to pour time, attention and money into the art they have hanging on their walls. It is inspiring to see so many commissions of local and international artists, and such a thoughtful blend of styles and non-traditional media when that is obviously not the easiest way to go. The Beekman offers a printed booklet for interested guests to read about the collection (and it's printed like an old-timey script) and will host ongoing events and collaborations with art and cultural partners. The employees at Hotel Eventi were able to explain exactly where Ernesto Leal is from and were eager to do so despite the accumulating line of guests wanting to check in or out. Caring so much about the art shows how much these hotels care about the experience of their patrons because to snag another line: "lasting memories are defined by unforgettable moments." No matter how much you travel, you wouldn't mix either of these hotels up with another. You would wake up knowing exactly where in the world you were.
Boutique. Sophisticated. Perfection.
Past, Present + Future / We Love Boutique Hotels
One of the great points of pride for Amy Parry Projects is that we have worked in boutique hospitality since our inception. We understand the guest experience and the desires of our clients. We love that the consumer drives the developments in our business, and that hotel trends we admire and exemplify in our projects flourished in 2016 and will continue to do so in the coming year...
OLD BUILDINGS RENOVATED INTO NEW HOTELS
There is no greater way to offer a unique visual experience for a hotel guest than by welcoming them into a space with built-in history and character. Although chain hotels are some of the ones choosing old properties for their new concepts, each renovated hotel is able to convey an independent feel. Each hotel is set apart by the unique architectural elements which developers choose (or are forced) to keep during renovation. This trend “straddles history and hospitality,” allowing guests to stay in old offices, warehouses, hospitals, etc. The art and furnishings provide the throwback and often pay tribute to the buildings’ rich past. What we love most about this trend is that the older buildings are typically situated in urban epicenters. We are thrilled by the resurgence of downtown and their abundance of interest-generating landmarks. When you stay on a bustling Main Street or in an established, beautiful downtown neighborhood, you are immersed in the city’s culture. Your choice of hotel helps tremendously in that by providing you proximity and carrying the authenticity of a place throughout.
INTENTIONAL ART EXPERIENCES
Going along with intentionally putting hotels in context-filled old buildings, hotels continue to strive to offer spaces with a “lived-in” feeling. Larger hotel companies competing with the Airbnb experience are turning to the immediate resources to achieve this local flavor. Even West Elm, a furniture company, is entering the hospitality business, set to open a handful of boutique concepts in 2018. These companies are giving people more than just a place to sleep. Nowadays, when a guest stays at a great hotel, they can expect to be served local wine and coffee, hear local bands in the bar on weekend nights, take yoga in a studio also frequented by city residents, and play games with other guests in the lobbies. And at the top of our list, their guestoom might feature artwork by the city’s best artists and the first floor may boast a legit, museum-quality collection. As art consultants, it is so much more fun to pick art to complement a hotel’s character, rather than it’s couches (although we can do that too).
Amy Parry Projects is honored to provide art for boutique hotels.
The entire hospitality experience should be curated to make each stay memorable, comfortable and fun for the guest. Here’s to a great 2017 - we look forward to amplifying each project with awesome, intentional art (like the commissioned Jesus Perea seen below).
IMAGE 1: Jesus Perea, customized print for upcoming hotel (inserted local imagery)
IMAGE 2: AP on Site: "Cloud" being built in the ceiling of a historic boutique hotel designed to cover pipes required to stay through renovation.
APP Out of Town - NYC's Ludlow Hotel
On this most recent NYC visit, we made a stop in the Lower East Side to see this boutique hotel gem which was completed in summer of 2014. Hotelier Sean MacPherson (also known for the Bowery and Maritime Hotels among others) turned an empty, concrete building into an effortlessly cool and comfortable hotel offering 184 rooms in 10 different types. While the spaces of the Ludlow look great, what the entire hotel offers most importantly, is an amazing, whole-picture feel - like you’re staying in NYC as a local. You can really slip into the feel of the neighborhood and MacPherson’s impression of it from the gritty, glory days of the 1980s. In fact, MacPherson has gone on record explaining his wish that the lobby serve over time as a living room for the neighborhood. The mix of new and vintage furniture in mahogany and cognac leathers, printed tweed, purple velvet, animal hides and fur seem inherited down many times from a favorite relative, and no detail (hand-stitched curtains, worn and whimsical tchotchkes, Indian rugs, tiny iridescent tiles) seems the least bit out of place, contrived or curated. It all just works.
What to notice...
1) Check out the custom reception desk and admire the old school drawers behind it.
2) Enjoy the legit, word-burning limestone fireplace, flanked by burnt out brass sconces and Marshall speaker cabinets hanging down from chains. Look around for a Ron Gorchov painting and freak out a little.
3) Try to think of a place in your house you can work in one of the vintage de Sede Snake Non Stop Sofas and how you would ever be able to afford one.
4) Imagine the past life of the recycled factory windows separating the Lobby from the Dirty French restaurant and all the stories they reflect.
5) Order a $16 Lilikoi cocktail at the zinc coated bar in the corner and enjoy it sitting under the hotel’s greenhouse structure that is apparently pleasant year-round.
6) Covet the black and white brushstroke pants of the cocktail waitress.
7) If you stay the night, you’ll sleep on a four poster bed from Portugal, surrounded by inserted and white-washed ceiling beams and even more amazing brass fixtures (including Hollywood style vanity lights in the bathrooms).
8) Marvel at the museum-quality guestroom art, curated by the NYC magnate, Vito Schnabel.
9) Witness the room literally expand after dark as the city view becomes the centerpiece of the small, simple space.
10) Enjoy the authentic, surprisingly low-key street, capped off by the iconic Katz’s Deli on your way to the F or the 6 and the rest of the great city where unique experiences are the norm.