Samuelson Furniture Blog

 

 

Already heralded as one of the most anticipated hotel openings this year, and maybe even the decade, the new TWA Hotel is a remarkable salute to the golden era of air travel. Housed in the former TWA terminal at JFK airport in New York, the property pays tribute to the 1960's design aesthetic by staying true to that era, all thanks to some incredible design.

This month we are speaking with two individuals intimately involved in the creation of this fantastic project, to learn what it’s like celebrating that era, recreating an iconic mid century design aesthetic, and uncovering the unique challenges of meshing today’s standards with the look of yesteryear.

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

What does quality furniture design really mean? To find out the answer, we sought two accomplished professionals to share their experience as they distinguish furniture of the highest quality. First, we spoke to Sylvie Blondeau AIA, LEED GA; Project Manager with MCR Investors, which just debuted the incredible new TWA Hotel at JFK, and Samuelson Furniture’s in-house design expert Mike Rinaldi.

Here’s how they approach great furniture design:

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

From time to time we like to focus on the challenges purchasing pros have within the hospitality community. They often find themselves caught between the needs of designers, vendors, and of course the project’s owners.

Purchasing professionals must negotiate an array of demands to deliver great products on time, and of course within budget. We have addressed some of the larger issues with Steven A. “Gus” Sarff III, President of GS Associates, Newburyport, MA.  Gus shares his strategy of finding success in a continual sea of challenges.

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

In capturing today’s market of savvy travelers, design professionals are challenged by the numerous hotel brands that have emerged.  With a focus on brand identity, creating authenticity while addressing the particular design standard of that brand, requires a balance between what the brand represents and the client’s design vision.  Ultimately, the creation of a memorable guest experience, both personal and unique, is the goal in bringing a traveler back to that brand. 

This month we’re chatting with a trio of pros that have all helped create brand prototypes, and are well versed at the art of bringing new concepts to life. Plus, they’re all masters at balancing brand demands with owner wants. Here’s how they maneuver this complicated thicket.

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

Samuelson Furniture conducted a survey to capture design input on evolving hospitality trends of 2019.   We are fortunate in providing two forward thinking, top designers for their look into the direction taking place within the hotel industry.
The time and consideration of the following designers are greatly appreciated for their valuable insight:

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

Furniture design isn’t easy, presenting many challenges when it comes to teaching the next generation of designers. For this month’s blog we spoke with 2 designers, a design educator and a student to understand how they interpret the learning process when it comes to furniture design with a particular focus on seating.
In addition, they discuss the ways in which technologies impact this process. 

Topics: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Design Trends, custom furniture for hospitality, custom seating, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Furniture Design, Hotel Design

The furniture industry has gained great benefit from the 3D rendering, photo-realistic process. Producing virtual, high quality images digitally provide clear visualization of abstract concepts, unlimited means of customization, and efficient revision of particular elements of a model.  The flexibility of this technology accelerates the approval process while enhancing visual communication with precise and accurate renderings.

We asked our design team to put together a list of the top 10 reasons we use 3D renderings and how it helps the design and manufacturing process.

Topics: Hospitality Design, custom furniture for hospitality, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Custom Casegoods For Hotels, Interior Design, Furniture Design, 3D Renderings, CAD design

With HD Expo upon us, we want to reflect on some of the best experiences amazing Las Vegas has to offer. Sure, this massive trade show is a great place to get business done, but it’s also a place to let loose, have fun and enjoy the incredible amenities Sin City has to offer. We spoke to loyal HD Expo attendees Pam Niemann, Principal Designer & Owner of Niemann Interiors; Katie Novelen, Senior Interior Designer at Tandem Interior Design Studio; and Britni Flores, Interior Designer at Studio McCormack.  We had them disclose their insider info, because what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas!

Topics: Hospitality Design, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Custom Casegoods For Hotels, Interior Design

Hotel design has inexorably shifted to highlighting the look and feel of the community in which the property is located.  This has change the way in which projects are conceived and executed.

It’s no longer about fungible design that simply checks off a series of boxes. Rather, it’s about understanding the cultural, historical and visual cues of the individual community; then creating a visual and functional aesthetic highlighting those elements unique to that neighborhood’s character.

We spoke to Lois Goodell, principal, director of interior design, with CBT Architects and Ronnie Bray, founding partner of Bray Whaler, to see how their roles have transformed due to changing design demands.

Topics: Hospitality Design, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Custom Casegoods For Hotels, Interior Design

The notion of what furniture is, and should be, is changing. Sure, visual appeal, comfort, quality and usability remain important. But now there is an additional feature to consider; technology. At Samuelson Furniture, we’ve been ahead of this trend, adding electronic elements to our pieces for years. But it’s not as easy as it looks.

Topics: Hospitality Design, Custom Upholstery, Custom Seating For Hotels, Custom Casegoods For Hotels, Interior Design