Small World: a Trip to the Ritz-Carlton

Today, Richard and I were invited by Kyle Crews to take a trip to the Ritz-Carlton; or more specifically, the Regency Row Homes.  The Homes were designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern.  Not familiar?  How about the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts or the Disney Feature Animation Building in Burbank, California?  Aha!

Anyhow, we ended up sneaking a peak at two showcase plans at The Tower Residences while we were there; one was designed by Carleton Varney, and the other by Jan Showers.

Bedroom designed by Jan Showers; traditional design with
a twist... all about clean lines and comfortable glamour.

Carleton Varney, of course, is an interior designer who is well known for his hotel and resort restorations and a total color freak if you ask me, or just about anyone else out there.  When I walked into one of the guest bathrooms, I totally fell in love with the bold organic patterns on the wall.  It's not exactly something I would do in my own home, but it was awesome to see and appreciate.

Bathroom designed by Carleton Varney
for The Tower Residences in Dallas.

A little, big, side note:  So how small is the world, right?  Carleton Varney is a protege of Doroty Draper; a truly innovative American woman and interior decorator.  In 2006, the Women's Museum in Dallas hosted "In the Pink: The Legendary Life of Dorothy Draper."  A very awesome aluminum stair railing built by Henry Potter, Richard Potter's grandfather, for the Stoneleigh Hotel, which Dorothy worked on, was taken out of the historical Stoneleigh and displaid at the exhibition.  Kyle Crews was one of the organizers for the event, after which we (Potter Art Metal Studios) took the railing back to our shop and totally restored it.  On top of that, the Stoneleigh decided to add on a fabulous new spa down stairs, so we made a brand new railing which matched the historical one made by Richard's grandfather.  Cool, ha?  Small world indeed...

Aluminum railing at the historical Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas.