After a piece of mine was previously sourced for the Toronto location, 1Hotels commissioned me to create a large fiber installation to dress the wall outside the suites in the San Francisco project. This piece was made entirely from sustainable materials sourced from small businesses, maintaining alignment with the 1Hotels core values and Biophilic Design. Dawson Design Associates, the geniuses behind the project, won an International Property Award for this project in the Hotel Suite Interiors category.
My piece, “Marble Stone” installed at 1Hotel Toronto
Goals
The principle of Biophilic Design calls for natural textures and a neutral color pallet to evoke connection to nature, the greatest designer of all. Fiber art was the ideal medium to provide texture and interest without competing chromatically. Going the custom route meant that the piece would be sized perfectly to fit harmoniously with the proportions of its surroundings.
Process
The Saatchi Hospitality team contacted me since they had sourced my fiber work previously, and knew that I was open to custom projects. They had dimensions in mind and knew my style was a fit for the project. I sent digital sketches that were revised with their feedback, and the project was set in motion. Progress pictures were sent along the way before final approval, but no changes needed to be made. Shipping and installation were completed without difficulty by the DDA team onsite.
Experience
Given the luxurious experience these "sustainable sanctuaries" provide, custom art was the only way to go to guarantee appropriate scale and neutral texture.
I took on this project while I was newly pregnant, but as interior design and renovation goes, it was multiple months before it was set in motion. I was heavily pregnant while working on it, which really tested me, but I learned so much through this process about the flow of corporate commissions, bidding time and materials, and doing whatever is needed to see a project through to completion. This project was a huge accomplishment for my career, I will be forever grateful to the Saatchi Hospitality team for looping me into it.
