Excellent Design Creates Better Performance

Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Gill House Renovation




S.K.I.N. is in the process of transforming the architecture and interiors of a hundred year old residential property originally designed by acclaimed architect Irving Gill. The Gill Residence is located in the Bankers Hill neighborhood of San Diego, California, featuring spectacular views of the bay and downtown skyline.

In the renovation. S.K.I.N. has taken care to preserve much of the original structure and the masterful details of Gill’s design. S.K.I.N. has imagined a new life for this architecturally iconic space, highlighting historic details while introducing repurposed vintage pieces and sustainable innovation. The result is a sleek transformation that engages residents and vistors, inviting them to interact with the home’s past and reconsider what is defined as “modern”. The patio redesign, for instance, introduces a “living wall” of vertical plant life, which provides a backdrop for salt water pool and solar energy, which powers the residence.

The interiors merge concepts of modern and vintage as well, featuring custom lounge chairs covered with repurposed mink, a vintage pool table, and a collection of textural metal and resin art pieces that invite vistors to touch them. The architectural renovation considers all of the existing features, adding design elements that are both complementary and unexpected, rendering the historic details both relevant and intriguing for modern living.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Catalina's Hotel Metropole


S.K.I.N. Design Studio is embarking on the redesign of the guest rooms and lobby at Catalina Island's Hotel Metropole. In 2008, S.K.I.N.'s Deniece Duscheone led the design and renovation of the boutique hotel’s luxury suites (pictured here), while helping the owners to re-brand their hotel as Catalina’s first sustainable luxury boutique hotel.

The Hotel Metropole has a long history for being the first hotel on Catalina Island located on Avalon Bay, and it has been an honor for S.K.I.N. to assist the hotel in raising the level of experience on Catalina Island. This southern California island, which is host to Outstanding In the Field as well as the annual Jazz Festival, is continuing to evolve with new additions this season.
The Hotel Metropole has just recently unveiled M Restaurant, the first farm-to-table dining experience on Catalina Island. The oceanfront restaurant features Chef Michael Stewart, who has created an innovative New American cuisine with an emphasis on sourcing the finest seasonal ingredients from local purveyors.


The clean and simple design expression in the suites evokes the historic Hollywood origins that the island is known for and the calm energy of the adjacent harbor, cultivating a liveliness and experience that expresses eco-luxury in a timeless and elegant composition.