Hospitality Design - August 2013 - 46

perspectives

sketchbook

auberge du soleil
> “The inspiration was the south of France,
the lightness of spirit, the joie de vivre—
evoking the mood of the village of St. Tropez,
a charming sun-drenched resort on the
Mediterranean Riviera and Europe’s chic
summer playground for the rich and the
famous,” says designer Suzanne Tucker, cofounder of Tucker & Marks in San Francisco,
of Maison Saint Tropez, a collection of eight
redesigned rooms at the Auberge du Soleil in
Napa Valley.
That translates to a rich tone-on-tone
color palette of ivory and sand with touches
of ochre, paired with organic textures (linen,

weaves), steel French doors, oak furnishings,
limestone, and ipe wood trellises over the
terraces. A custom floor-to-ceiling “romantic”
wooden headboard handcarved in Texas is the
focal point, while a contemporary fireplace
warms the rooms. Glamorous spa-like
bathrooms with slab stone, skylit showers,
and freestanding outdoor tubs round out the
luxurious setting.
“It’s a personal, residential feel, with an
edited, clean approach,” Tucker says. “I’m a
bit of a hotel groupie myself so I know what I
expect to find at the best hotels in the world
and am not easily compromised.”
Photos by Trinette Reed & Chris Gramly Photography

ﬁtzgerald
suite

soﬁtel san
francisco bay

> Since F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were both regular guests of the
Plaza in New York, and one dramatic confrontation in The Great Gatsby
takes place at the hotel,
it only made sense to
create a namesake
suite (and yes, it opened
just in time for the
release of The Great
Gatsby movie). For
the design, Catherine
Martin, Oscar-winning
costume, set, and
production designer
and co-producer of
Baz Luhrmann’s film
adaptation, evoked
the sexiness, danger,
and the glamour of
the 1920s, all thanks
to authentic, periodinspired pieces by RH
Contract—from Art
Deco glass chandeliers
and a steamer trunkinspired desk to vintage
board games.

> For the renovation of the guestrooms, suites, and corridors of the
Sofitel San Francisco Bay, Jill Cole, founder of Cole Martinez Curtis
and Associates in Marina Del Rey, California, faced a limited budget
and schedule. “It was apparent that the design would have to create
maximum impact while retaining many existing conditions and reusing
some of the FF&E,” she explains.
Her solution: a design inspired by Florence Knoll’s classic midcentury furniture. “The new custom casegood designs blended
well with the existing soft furniture, but also related to the recently
remodeled contemporary public areas and created a crisp, sophisticated
new look in the rooms,” she says. “It was important to the Sofitel brand
that the design have a relationship and linkage to France. Many of
Knoll’s pieces were heavily influenced by the Bauhaus, which was born
in Europe.”
Besides the casegoods,
wallcovering, lighting, and
some seating are all new
additions. To blend with the
existing carpet and drapes,
Cole went with a black and
white palette. “We could
sharpen the look with this
high contrast,” she says.
The highlight of the
rooms: “The view of the
Bay,” she says. “We just stood
back and let it happen.”

Photos courtesy of Dario Calmese for the Plaza

046

August 2013 hospitalitydesign.com

http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

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