My interview with Stephen M. Thompson, Ph.D.

I am still amazed when asked to do an interview.  I feel honored and excited that people might want to read about me.  Hope you enjoy my interview with Dr. Stephen Thompson, posted on OpenBeast.com:  Judy George Interview

What is Boutique Hotel Style at Home?

What is Boutique Hotel Style at Home?

     Is it an ability to put things together in an attractive manner?

     Is it a well-developed sense of aesthetics?

     Is it a talent for anticipating trends?

No, these are merely the end products of something much larger and more significant.

Style is yearning.

It is the human impulse to create shapes, colors, tones and textures that tell the truth about who we are.  It is the instinct to make a home - that one maddeningly beautiful place where we belong.  It is an ongoing, lifelong search for what feels completely right.

Our choices for decorating our home don't come out of nowhere.  Often these choices are heavily tempered by circumstances and shaped by outside influences and places we've been and objects of desire that we've discovered.   But no matter what we've seen or where we've been, the creation of our home begins as a decision of independence and evolves into an expression of self that's as distinctive as a fingerprint, a scent, a voice, a face. 

Hotel Maison is the first concept to identify and define the connection between personality, style and inspirations from boutique hotels from around the world.  It seeks to uncover the meaning of personal aesthetics and ultimately to empower consumers to create home environments that enrich their lives.  The yearning leads to Hotel Maison where finally boutique hotel style is accessible and affordable to all.

Escape

What is Hotel Maison?  An escape from the norm.   A collection of home furnishings based upon some of the most beautiful boutique hotels from around the world.  These collections designed by Kim Salmela have highly individualized pieces that can be mixed with almost any style of furnishings.  They offer a full range of escape experiences and cater to our yearning to capture the thrill of a stay at our favorite resort.  Paradise is the aim!  Along the way, you will recognize yourself and your love of decorating as both Kim and I have throughout our travels.


Here’s a great experience I had recently at the extraordinary St. Regis Bahia Beach & Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.  This boutique hotel is the one of the newest in the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.   It is located in a tropical coconut plantation with unrivaled luxury overlooking magnificent foliage to delight your soul and spirit.  The hotel was honored by one of the Audubon's highest designations as it is a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.



When I drove into this wildlife sanctuary and entered the Plantation House nestled in the lush vegetation, I was simply awed.  I was amazed by the splendor of the furniture design and could actually see myself living in the intimate environment the designer created for this St. Regis.



When the butler assigned to each of the guests took me to my villa I had to say it took my breath away.  I walked inside and was transported to an eclectic mix of rich woods and textures in a very modern style with hints of mid-century design.  I couldn’t wait to take a bath in the luxurious tub or shower in the romantic environment with lush colors of nature reminiscent of Puerto Rico’s culture.



Then it was off to the boat house and you can see by the picture the clever design of the chairs against a backdrop of the lush tropical forest and lake.  I realized how talented Kim was in her designs of the Regency collection and how it could fit into any lifestyle.



After that I took a nature walk to the pool area:  a jaw-dropping journey to paradise.  The nature trails can be passive or intense.  The splendor of nature… relaxing watching the birds…  even patting a turtle!


All of this allowed my mind and body to escape to the serenity of my environment.  The home furnishing designs reflected a nod to richly reclaimed textures and a feel that is matched up against very modern silver.  I had to pinch myself daily to remind myself how fortunate I was to be part of this romantic and beautifully-designed resort.  I know why I embrace Kim and her talents.  She brings me the same kind of experience every time she designs a new collection for Hotel Maison.

The Return to Authenticity

For Hotel Maison to become a trusted brand, we feel the need to communicate in a language that resonates with our target markets and supports distribution that is user-friendly, service oriented and unintimidating.

Boutique hotels have created an ever-more exclusive experience and have identified trends that will endure and be of value, as opposed to fads that quickly fade and die.  These boutique hotels have moved away from contrived gimmicks.  For their customers, they are creating special moments and memories that follow them home.  Hotel Maison has a vision similar in nature for our six debut collections.  So many of those who love to travel and stay at boutique hotels wish they could take that experience and bring it into their homes.

While chic boutique hotels remain irresistible magnets for boutique travelers, the focus on home is growing.  The challenge of making Hotel Maison a departure from the current home furnishings industry has been the drive for Kim and me.  The constant demand for novelty and fresh concepts was part of our central focus.  And just as important was recognizing the value of quality, and not losing our soul for the sake of newness.

New and emerging global markets demand a focus on fresh new products which create an experience based on consistency and value, a departure from the same old - same old products.  We communicate in a language that resonates with our target markets.  Underscoring the importance of value, we do understand that these travelers may be brand-loyal, but they’re equally price-focused.

In this climate of uncertainty, Kim and I took the risk that our quest for the very best is reshaping the perception of our customers and creating a climate where price is not the only issue.  The custom-designed innovative concept that is Hotel Maison launched just at the right time.  The return to authenticity, indeed.

A new way of looking at the home furnishings industry!

Back from an amazing market and so inspired…  Imagine you open your showroom doors and you open yourself to what people feel, think, experience, and talk about when they walk into Hotel Maison.  It was our dream to set the industry on fire with a very different approach to home furnishings.  We hope and we believe that the idea of bringing the boutique hotel experience into the home is fresh, hip, and new and will spark a new trend in home furnishings.

Hotel Maison represents what boutique meant to us:  “outside the box.”  Kim and I believe we have showcased 6 major collections with breath-taking products that take you on a boutique-like hotel experience for the home.  The point is the journey.  The ultimate purpose is to bring great product to consumers - with an unlimited imagination of what the customer will experience.  Hotel Maison showcases over 350 products from soft to hard goods in an amazing setting.   We know we’ve created a home furnishings buzz.  In fact, we’ve created a global buzz judging from the companies that are planning on showing Hotel Maison in their retail stores.

What truly will inspire us is when the consumer falls in love with this dream and this product.  This will soon be a reality!

On Hotel Maison

You spend a lifetime thinking of ideas, concepts that can catapult you to new successes and a way to live another dream.  But of course you know without the artist, the talent, it stays just a dream and you never find a way to bring it to market.  Well that’s how it was for me and my dream of creating a design concept that reflected my experiences traveling all over the world and staying at fun, exotic, creative, hip, chic hotels and bringing those fabulous experiences right into inspirational homes at very affordable prices.    Our choices don’t come out of nowhere.  Interior Designers from all of the continents were becoming the arbiters of style and creating boutique hotels all over the world to reflect the changing times and the way people today envision staying in these beautiful rooms that look like they could be in their own homes.  You see, Home is more than a safe harbor that shelters us from weather; it is our particular place in the universe.  Though we may concern ourselves with the news of the world, or the art of art, the fact is that Home reflects those impulses to create shapes, colors, tones and textures that tell the story of where we’ve been and what we’ve experienced.

Well I found my artist, my designer, my partner, in Los Angeles.  I had to travel across the entire North American continent to find the one individual, Kim Salmela, to make Hotel Maison come alive!