Quiz Answers- The Zermatt Resort and Spa

To everyone that participated in the quiz yesterday, good job! You are all correct. There wasn't a wrong answer in the batch! I wanted to share my "big three" that really bugged me the most.

1. Those short curtains. Short curtains are a way of saying, "I couldn't afford the long ones."- well, that being the case- have none at all. To me, these are like high water pants. There is a reason we think Mr. Bean is gross. When there is some good reason why curtains cannot go to the floor- you simply do a different window treatment.
2. OK- where do I start with this mirror? First of all- it is not centered. I think I know why- it is a substantial mirror- I am sure it needed a stud to hang it on- and the stud was probably not in the middle of the sofa. This is something for all of us to consider when selecting very heavy items- especially round ones. There are ways to get around it with rectangular items. Secondly- even if the mirror was centered- I still don't think it is a good solution for that wall. It should have a relationship with the sofa. It doesn't. If two sconces were added, one on either side- the shape relationship would be much better. To make it easier- a rectangular frame should have been chosen.
3. Now for this wall. This piece of art seems out of place to me in style. The rest of the place had a transitional lodgey feel to it, and this ornate frame is far too formal. But that is not even the worst part of it. What is up with the relationship here? That chair is too small, and should be not only larger, but also brought into the room more, on an angle- and then the wall art would be much better in a vertical orientation, and more casual style- giving it a better relationship with the wall . When selecting art for a wall- look at the wall itself- it is almost too obvious to say- but if it is a more vertical shape- go vertical- a more horizontal shape- go horizontal. I see horizontal pieces on vertical walls frequently- I think sometimes people select thier wall decor because they like it- or it is on sale- not necessarily because it is the best solution for the room. Is this an "always" rule?- No- but it would look much better in this room.

If someone from the resort is reading- and you don't want to spend any money- just changing places with the mirror and the art would be a great improvement. The Zermatt Resort is a nice place- and the service was great- I would suggest it to anyone- really. Just pack a drill and switch places with the mirror and wall art when you go.

Tiger Woods' Dubai

Tiger Woods, in addition to his residences here in the states, also is in the process of building a resort in Dubai. It has a grand hotel (above)- as well as villas and palaces that are for sale- for those of you who would like a second home on an amazing golf course.

This is a shot of the spa in the hotel.

Here is Tiger's personal residence.

This is the only interior picture that I could find of his personal residence.
Pretty lush, huh?
I would have to say that it's a little too much stone, and a few too many columns for me.
What do you think?

My Weekend in Tahoe

I went to Lake Tahoe at the beginning of the month and stayed at the Marriott Timberlake Lodge. I wanted to share what I thought about the interior design of the impressive hotel. First of all, I loved the ceiling in the lobby. The design, the beams, the paneling- all very cool. The ceiling fixture, on the other hand, I thought was just "all right." Very "predictable"- and smaller than I would have done.

The fireplace mantle decor- Let me explain what is wrong here. The mantle is only deep enough for one candlestick. This means that the only option is to have them in a "row" rather than a more desirable "layering look." Should the designer have used a thinner candlestick? No- it would have been too small a scale. Do you also notice that there is no "overlap" with the art... This leaves you with four separate items "lined up." It doesn't look good- it certainly doesn't look professional. The solution?

1. They could change the mantle with a deeper one.
2. They could remove the candlesticks altogether.
3. They could replace the candlesticks with two symmetrical items- and display them with a slight overlap with the art.

Think about this before you purchase items- are they too large for "layering?"

I liked the rug and the colors in it. The blue is repeated in the ceiling- and looks great with the wood. The coffee table and the chairs didn't "do anything" for me- but I wouldn't say that they were "wrong." What do you think?
Now this coffee table I definitely did NOT like- and I did not like the row of blue chairs.- I thought the table looked cheap- and the chairs looked sloppy.

This picture was taken from my room. The camera I used was not good enough, as it is not showing how bad the wall color is. It is yellow- which is a tough color- but- come on- this was not a good tone- too "pastelly." I would not specify a color for a HOTEL without seeing it in a pretty large area. I think they should have used "Blond" by Sherwin Williams. Don't necessarily look in the "yellow section" for yellow. Go to the neutral section- and look for yellow tones. So- there you go- the architecture was fantastic. It was a beautiful place- I really should find out how to get the job when they "re-do." I assume they will use a large firm rather than an individual designer though. But- that's probably what they did last time :)- maybe Mr. Marriott will read my blog and hire me- ya think?