Part II: ….
The second is our Italian Family. Serefino Menzietti, is a gentleman I have worked with now for more than twenty years. He was a comptroller of a design client of mine, who eventually came to work for us. It was he who introduced both me and my partner Sharon, to a family that he knew that lived in the northeastern part of Italy in a small town near Verona. They were exceptional carvers, stone cutters, and sculptors. They were extraordinary, and in all senses, authentic.
We began to import much of their work, which eventuated with our having imported more than ten million dollars in stone, fabricated in Italy from that four generation Veronese family. In fact, it this family — the great-grandfather, grandfather, father and son, and their small group of junior apprentices that made each and every stone element — the carved arches, stone fireplaces and inlays, carved medallions and more for The Grand Del Mar Resort. In addition, they provided all of the stone slab and stone tile materials for both the interior of the public areas, guest rooms, Villas and Addison Restaurant
And most amazing? First, each column in the Resort (more than seventy) is a one complete vertical piece; they are not two halves that have been put together, and second, the medallions in the Lobby, Rotunda, Capella and the inlaid tiles at the Chapel are all hand carved and assembled. They were not created by computer. By hand, yes, by hand! Cut one piece at a time, by this four generation family. They and our design staff worked together to create objects that represented authenticity, grace, and most importantly, permanence.
And third, are our Hand-painted designs. While working on this project, I made a personal commitment to use artistic details and techniques that represent what is seen in architecture and buildings throughout Europe. One of those techniques incorporated hand painted designs on the walls and ceilings throughout the Public Areas, and in each of the Guest Rooms and Suites. However, the thought of using the over-popularized hand painted stencil designs on the walls and ceilings, was a concern. I wanted the work to be genuine, not look like a dime-a-dozen.
To this end, I did an extensive amount of research to locate authentic European hand painted designs that represented much of the wonderful hand painting seen in well known landmarks like the Chapel of Saint Theresa in Venice; or ceilings in the buildings found at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.I was more than fortunate, to locate a company that had access and the rights to a motif library that contained many of the designs I was looking for. And karmically, the company was less than fifty miles away from The Grand Del Mar! Throughout the three year project, ultimately we used more than thirty-eight different designs from their collection — for each of which I painstakingly created a custom color palette. Toward the end of the project, I had created more than fifty-five different colors that were used in the many hand painted borders on the walls and ceilings.
JL: Do you think that the hand painting at The Grand Del Mar, in addition to all else, perfectly symbolized your commitment to permanence and authenticity?
WS: Yes. I was determined that the hand painting at The Grand Del Mar be authentic and honest. But for all my design work at The Grand del Mar and elsewhere, I have adhered to the “measure twice, cut once” idea.
What this means for me is that I must conceptualize it, measure it, and see it in my head, knowing it fits, long before I ever suggest the idea to the client. To design with permanence and authenticity as goals, I work at creating design paths, and from those, the overall design identity of the project. My discipline is more of a calling than a job. I orchestrate the unheard, yet still deeply felt, design melodies as I go.
END OF ARTICLE:
NEXT WEEK….See some additional follow-on comments I had, following speaking with noted Journalist, Susan Kime in her interview with me recently (Kime’s article above)
Dear Warren: I will be starting construction on a new home in about one month. About a year ago, I stayed at Grand Del Mar for about ten days and decided that your design elements would be ideal for a new home. I would like to have you supply me with all the necessary finishes, furnishings, and stone tile needed to recreate your work at the Grand Del Mar.