The LED lamp is fairly new to the market and consumers. Saving energy was part of their creation and one of the reasons we specify them. Initially we looked at lumen output as compared to an incandescent or fluorescent lamp. For example, a 100W incandescent, a 23W fluorescent and an 18W LED all are about 1600 lumens.
Lumens are still important to calculate, but now, as specifiers, we are looking at color not in temperature, like Kelvin, but CRI: Color Rendering Index. LED blands out colors. We want a high quality of 82 CRI at minimum. The majority of CRI is R1—R8 pastel colors. LED’s with a high R9 (red content) show better color quality. This is especially important in retail, healthcare (visibility of blood veins), grocery and art displays.
We are told LED’s will last 25 years! But during this time the lumens diminish and so does the color rendering. Your closet full of nice, white dress shirts were once bright white but as time goes on they will look dinged. An LED should have a minimum of 50,000 hours of life. Better thermal management results in a longer life. Look for LED’s with L70 or better light output and 82 CRI minimum.
Look at lighting as a true value to your environment. r.o.i. = more than saving energy.
Information from the Crites, Tidey and Associates Lighting Forum XVI on September 15th and 16th.
Garden Cottage: Cottages at Waters Edge, Crystal Mountain Resort. Custom wall art, books by Michigan authors on the shelf, art by Michigan artists on the walls.
Hotel design tries to anticipate what the customer is looking for in an experience. Today, that experience is much more thoughtful, more local, more residential, more virtual and more customizable. The notion is being challenged that a brand formula created by a “corporate office”, rolled out in test cities, cloned throughout a continent is a guarantee to attract customers. Hospitality design is a sister to fashion design and shares the runway in announcing style to drive demand, but attitudes and expectations are changing.
The market responds to style leadership. But today, our customers have many more references and aren’t as willing to choose a hotel based on a branded style. They more likely to enjoy a space that allows them to extend their casual and online lifestyle.
No longer is the idea of staying in a place that is better than home an automatic room sale.
Thoughtful
Making charging devices easy and obvious. Not everyone wants to unpack for a night’s stay, make the whole luggage thing convenient. Make it personal, share with your guest the stories behind the decisions made.
Local
Responsible use of materials from the region. Local artwork, locally harvested or manufactured materials.
Residential
No formal casegoods, more apartment style furnishings.
Virtual
Instant access to the internet, TV’s that can be monitors to personal computers, voice activated thermostats and lighting controls.
Customizable
Within reason, allowing the room to be adapted based on need. That might mean offering stack chairs, or a easy to move sofa.
r.o.i. Design knows for a property to be successful, they have to adapt. Most guests recognize the efforts made to make their stay more personal. To win the hearts of customers, we just need to show them we understand what they need for the best possible experience. That may not be a major remodel, it may be one or two things this season and a few more the next.
The documentary, “The Chef’s Table” (A Netflix Production), features six chefs and their restaurants. Each of them considered to be one of the best 50 in the world, they were chosen for their exotic tastes, remote locale and menu, passion or untiring curiosity.
As a designer, watching the program, watching the creative chefs, watching the food, I couldn’t help but look at their choices for the interiors of the restaurants. This study recommitted my focus on five elements in restaurant design. There is no other type of space where we design for all the senses.
Lighting
Like a play, the lighting in a restaurant puts focus on the players. While in fine dining this could mean spots on table tops, with only enough other light for guests to find their way to restrooms and exits. In most restaurants, this means a variety of light levels and light sources: the table pendant, the wall wash, the ambient overall up lighting. Lighting in a restaurant imitates theater.
Seating Layouts
Depending on menu, casual to fine, the seating takes a cue. We are seeing very few deuces (two top) tables being used in restaurant planning today. Quite the reverse, we are seeing community tables and larger tables being used that enhance the sense of gathering and family. The traditional booths are being replaced by settees and wall benches which gives restaurateurs more flexibility in seating groups of all sizes. Not only do these seating trends reflect current lifestyle preferences, they are great for showing off plates and presentation.
Finishes
There are at least three categories in restaurant interior finishes:
The interior finishes that disappear – the food is main stage, 1 to 4 star
The interior finishes that have to tell a subtle story, supporting the brand of the restaurant. No star to 1 star.
The interior finishes that have to be more exciting than the food because they are delivering an average menu with good taste.
Decoration
Mirroring the levels of finish, decoration varies based on the menu.
Minimal, but fine art, commissioned art, wall finishes used as décor for the starred restaurants.
Narrative, biographical and branded interiors for the “no star” but up-and-coming environments.
Entertaining, graphic design as décor, messaging and color is the key to the $10 a plate eatery.
Table top
What the diner sees as they are seated and as they eat leaves the greatest impression, mostly subliminally. The determined chef doesn’t want to distract the diner from the scent and look of the food. Fresh flowers and candles are appropriate as long as they don’t have scent. For the lower plate price restaurant, it is an opportunity for advertising. But in all cases, it is an opportunity to help the customer understand what is important at the restaurant.
“The Chef’s Table” showed us the chef’s journey and process. They also gave us clues as to how the interior supports the goal of the menu and experience. Napkins folded and measured for accuracy? An extravagant abundance of non-smelly flowers? A display of objects from the region? A methodical hanging of historical textiles or significant signatures?
Everything is intentional, everything is about the experience.
Recently, r.o.i. Design was at a bid opening and after hearing the bids for Division 09, it was clear to all that something was “up”. We all are seeing a steady increase in the percentage of costs spent in finishes in projects.
r.o.i. Design has been able to balance budgets by applying specialty finishes with discretion in key areas and working with contractors on the design as a whole, before a project goes to bid. Managing customer expectations at the design phase is key in order to deliver the interior the customer requires.
Some of the areas to watch for creeping costs include:
Hard surface flooring
LVT is available in a wide selection of colors and patterns, including those that mimic wood and stone.
The old stand by – vinyl composite tile (VCT) – which is affordable at install, but adds cost
every year in maintenance, is loosing ground to other composites that don’t have that ongoing expense. There are VET (vinyl enhanced tiles) and LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) whose retail square foot costs are a minimum of $1 more than VCT.
A larger portion of the flooring in projects are receiving hard surfaces verses carpet.
The love for finished concrete isn’t necessarily a budget saver and it’s popularity has demanded more skilled trades in adapting concrete in order to be considered a finished floor.
Wall panels and specialty wall treatments
Molded cork wall coverings by Murrato
Wall covering manufacturers have been busy coming up with new materials and designs that are gaining interest. r.o.i. Design doesn’t believe we will ever see projects where 100% of the walls are covered with wall covering as was prevalent in the 90’s, but do see a percentage of the walls being given “special” treatment.
Custom wall covering and panel products are becoming more affordable allowing customers to create “branded” and proprietary looks to their interiors. Part of that customization means the finish category is fulfilling more of the signage requirements of a building.
Ceilings
Changes in technology have advanced product design and improved product performance. But the first wave of those innovations come at a higher price. The cycle of new product introduction is more robust, and increased competition will start to impact costs on trendy finishes in a positive direction.
Successful hotels have figured out the guest room experience and continue to figure out how to accommodate the ever changing lifestyle needs of their customers.
Comfort and convenience in the guest experience is paramount and that is defined by more than a goods night sleep.
Mobile Connections:
Being connected in real time to the incoming guest as they travel to your hotel is increasingly important. With the arrival of competitor airbnb.com, personal texting around the customer arrival and their changing needs has become expected. The kind of virtual presence a hotel creates needs to be personal and flexible. (more…)
Guests who can afford luxury, don’t always spend luxury rates for business and social travel.
The challenge for the mid-scale lodging market is to include enough style and amenity in their experience without raising room rates. That means being smart on where to spend the money
2014 saw a new awareness by mid-scale hotels that they needed to “up the ante” in their design. Many flags took on the challenge to remodel facilities which are being showcased.
So r.o.i. Design asks, “What are the things that brought the greatest ROI in those mid-scale remodels? What are we recommending to our mid-scale customers as they remodel?” (more…)
Successful hotels have figured out the guest room experience and continue to figure out how to accommodate the ever changing lifestyle needs of their customers.
