Cool cottage, going bespoke, and a close shave NEWSLETTER / September 2024 SMALL BUT MIGHTY “Exquisite craftsmanship and design” in a Jackson Hole guesthouse caught the eye of American Farmhouse Style, which features the diminutive charmer in its October/November issue. The mini-me adjunct to a new mountain home created in design-build collaboration by JLF Architects, Big-D Signature and WRJ Design makes clever multipurpose use of its 1,000 square feet, combining home office and guest space while embracing the rustic reclaimed wood and fieldstone that make the main house a standout. Creating an idyllic guesthouse is a challenge, JLF principal Logan Leachman explains to AFS, that requires scaling down “timber sizes and material spacing that look appropriate” on the full-size structure. WRJ’s approach to the tiny home’s indoor spaces ensures that the “significance and quality” the team brings to its whole-house interiors “also inform this little cabin,” as creative director Rush Jenkins tells AFS. TAYLOR MADE Learning about a client can be like going on a treasure hunt, Aspen Design House founder Denise Taylor tells Western Art & Architecture in a profile of the firm, “Crafting Bespoke Interiors,” in the magazine’s new October/November issue. “At times, something as simple as noticing what a client wears gives you a clue. If your client wears linen, you could offer linen as a fabric for a duvet,” she says, knowing “a few wrinkles won’t bother them.” Taylor and her lead designer, Gigi Podolak-Knox, are known for delving deep into clients’ lifestyles and dreams to create truly one-of-a-kind interiors: “We don’t repeat other’s design, nor ours,” she tells WA&A, “At times, there are clients who are so happy with a home that we’ve created for them that we’ve been asked to recreate that same home in another locale. We might let them repeat a chair, but no more than that.” STILL STANDING Holiday bookings are underway at Brooks Lake Lodge, but the coming winter season at the all-inclusive guest ranch, set to open December 20, wasn’t a given a month ago. The 102-year-old resort ended its summer season abruptly in August when it was forced to evacuate under threat of the Fish Creek Fire, which burned more than 25,000 acres in the Togwotee Pass area of Wyoming. The fire “has certainly given us a run for our money," the lodge’s general manager, Matthew Tousignant, wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post on September 16 with the fire finally under control. “We have been reminded that in the wild, amidst uncertainty, we find the strength of our community, the resilience of our home, and the beauty of the wilderness that continues to inspire us.” PR TIP OF THE MONTH Take a Break Fall’s cooler temps and back-to-school vibe can bring a focus refresh for those who wove true vacation time through summer’s long, hot days. But the value of time off and life balance are important year-round, allowing us to return to tasks with fresh eyes. A 24/7 nose-to-the-grindstone attitude is common in the world of PR (and in our clients’ design and hospitality worlds as well!). “I’ve been vocal in my encouragement to be fully engaged at work. And I believe just as strongly you’re more effective after you make a clean break to recharge and refresh. Taking time off isn’t cheating your employer – it improves their ROI in you as an employee,” writes PR guru Michael Smart in a recent blog post. We were reminded of that wisdom when one of the savviest marketing people we know, Liana Moore, told us she is taking a one-month sabbatical to celebrate an important anniversary of her many years with Word PR client Antlers at Vail hotel – and reminded of the wisdom of Antlers general manager Magda King, who has won awards and media coverage for her creative advocacy for her hotel staff, for approving the idea. But if a month – or even a week – off isn’t on the table right now, remember the value of even small breaks – close your door and do some deep breathing or walk the dog – to shift perspective and allow good ideas to rise. |
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Word PR + Marketing August 2024 Newsletter
Perfect paint, luxe loo, and stellar seating… TRUE COLORS The editors of Country Living found joy in color for their latest issue – packing the pages with ways to infuse interiors with a rainbow of shades. Wondering which tones the professionals might recommend, they reached out to some of their “favorite designers and tastemakers to share the one color they just can’t quit.”
Word PR + Marketing July 2024 Newsletter
Our travel clients in the spotlight… SMART LUXURY The term “all-inclusive” typically conjures visions of beach resorts, but the experts at ShermansTravel recently decided to – literally – elevate the category. SScouring the globe for “10 of the Most Luxurious, All-Inclusive Mountain Resorts High Above Sea Level,” they selected Wyoming guest ranch Brooks Lake Lodge & Spa...
Word PR + Marketing June 2024 Newsletter
Surprising and delightful (and a bit snowy) summer offerings… DRUM ROLL Forget the pandemic’s long-distance, design-by-Zoom meetings. For a certain type of interior design client, no detail is too small for consideration and a firsthand experience is the best means of communication. Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer of WRJ Design took that idea and ran with it...
Word PR + Marketing March 2024 Newsletter
Bringing the glam in design and travel FROZEN DELIGHT In addition to the plentiful snowfalls that support client Brooks Lake Lodge’s winter season – including epic snowmobiling days fueled by the “best lunch in the middle of nowhere” – the backcountry Wyoming guest ranch has been the subject of an avalanche of press lately.
Word PR + Marketing January 2024 Newsletter
Winning... IT TAKES TWO The new year brought an unprecedented fourth Home of the Year win for WRJ Design in the January/February issue of Mountain Living. The WRJ team shares the honor with Design Associates Architects, JH Builders and Rooted in Landscape for the Harmonious Connection project, a new-build home plus two cleverly – and luxuriously – reimagined outbuildings on a lush riparian Jackson Hole site centered on a sparkling pond.
Word PR + Marketing July 2023 Newsletter
Forget summer slowdown; national attention for clients has been keeping us busy... TRADITIONAL KUDOS Bigger isn’t always better, or as Traditional Home recently put it about a featured JLF Architects project, “Living large isn’t always a good thing.” The national magazine writes in its summer 2023 issue about a Park City house that the owner described – before the JLF renovation – as “a log cabin on steroids,”...