It’s fair to say our career in hospitality design began when we approached the management of The Ahwahnee Hotel and offered to redesign their holiday decorations. Richard is a talented floral designer and we’re both long time contributors to Country Living magazine; the beauty of the hotel and its setting inspired us to propose a feature to our editors back in New York.
With the hotel, the magazine, and National Park Service on board, we developed a cohesive, comprehensive design that amplified the hotel’s spectacular locale and honored its heritage. We chose materials native to California, scaling them appropriately to the architecture – brawny cedar garlands, for example, accented with clusters of enormous sugar pinecones. We created ornaments of California pepper berries, of oak leaves and acorns, and even the distinctive geometric designs set into the floor of the lobby.
Our contribution to the decor for The Ahwahnee’s famed annual Bracebridge Dinner were our handmade wreaths and garlands featuring fruits and vegetables in the Della Robbia style.
Our goal was to create something rich and traditional yet specific to that setting. With a focus on subtle details, we created a holiday design both simple and sophisticated that reflects the spirit of Yosemite and its native peoples as well as the unique heritage of The Ahwahnee.
We were asked back again and again, and after more than a decade, the hotel’s holiday décor, like its stained glass and metalwork, feels as if it has simply always been.
