arrogance that we could do it all ourselves. Years later, you realize you can't. Working with a spouse: We're like two sumo wrestlers. We go around one another and know when it's time to go in for the kill. We do argue about certain things but over the years we've learned what areas we're stronger at. At the end of the day, we agree. We just have a rather different method of arriving there. Lessons learned: You have to stand by your judgment and not be swayed because there will be so many people along the way who will say 'that won't work' and 'you can't do that' and 'this is not going to be a success.' Those are the people at the end of the job who want to bring their family and friends and are often boasting about how they did it. Located in the Ham Yard Hotel, the Croc is a bowling alley and lounge firmdal ehotel s .co m Concept: We loved the idea of traveling in the olden days, where it was a big adventure. When we began, you could be traveling all around the world and not get the feeling of the city you were in. The soon-to-open, 86-room Whitby in Midtown Manhattan: We've been collecting baskets from all over; all that have had a function. One held eels, another strawberries, one that used to be on the back of a donkey. There's a whole wall of porcelain pots that pay tribute to New York. And old serving plates. Plus a lot of contemporary art. Influence: We do feel we've had a positive impact in the industry. Everyone seems to have upped their game. We've helped make things much more individual and thoughtthrough. And we've helped make art a much greater part of the design. Mentors: We wanted to get away from everything we saw in design. We didn't look up to anyone. We were young and had incredible A newly refreshed one-bedroom suite at the Crosby Street Hotel A guestroom at the Covent Garden Hotel Brumus Bar & Restaurant at the Haymarket Hotel hospitalitydesign.com October 2016 123http://www.firmdalehotels.com