Newsletter

June 18th, 2012

Late, late but worth the wait

Let me start by acknowledging that this is very, very long overdue. It’s been years and years since Stephen Bruce’s amazing patinated copper work was hung in this hotel. The pieces he made for us came in with the leather sofas and the new bar, and are a huge contributor to the rich, warm atmosphere of our lounge area. There was so much excitement about the remodel and I wrote tons about it for, it seemed like, months and months and months, but I never let it be known that the huge pieces of stained copper were not just another order out of the Restoration Hardware catalog. Which, by the way, we really went pretty far with the good old Restoration Hardware catalog, I must say. Still, though, the beautiful, personal intricacy of the copper gives so much depth of character to the rooms where it hangs and to let it slide by unmentioned was kind of negligent on my part. Oops.

Getting these pieces made was our dear general manager’s first stab at commissioning work. She found Bruce at an art and wine festival, which she had mostly shown up to for the wine part, but then, a few glasses in, came across these huge pieces of copper and realized that she had found a solution to her hotel art conundrum. The problem is how to get work that is not so bland that you suspect it was made by a machine, but without the imposition of a strong point of view that the hotel then has to claim as its own. These pieces are, in many ways, the perfect compromise, evoking mood without demanding it. I wonder if you’ve noticed? Because they also fit so smoothly with the dŽcor, it can seem like they came with the kit. It was a beautiful find on the part of our dear leader, and a great start to her role as commissioner of art. She’s gotten a little bolder over at our sister hotel, The Cupertino Inn, as you can see the moment you walk in the door, but this was a beautiful, gentle entryway that she took.