art

Hotel Pulitzer – Barcelona, does it get the Prize?

by Kelly Sparkes on April 19, 2012

Location, location, location.  This hotel has it.  A short stroll from the sights of Barcelona, Placa Catalynia, and Las Ramblas but just far enough away to escape the hubbub of the city.

The hotel façade is unassumingly confident, with stylish grey awnings and potted olive trees flanking the front door.

Facade

street view of hotel

Inside, the lobby is cosmopolitan and welcoming, I particularly like the detailing on the reception desk and the oversized light shades.

Lobby area

the impressive reception area

The rest of the vast room is equally striking and comfortable and cosy. I love the pared down, contemporary design, the lacquered furniture and the bold art, in black, white and primary colours, framed in gold.

Bar & Lounge Area

dark wood and cream leather, yum

Day Beds

perfect place to laze the day away and drink cocktails...

Fabulous lamp and artwork

fabulous lamp and artwork

The hotel roof terrace is a little sun trap and a genuine treat with an expansive view of the city.

Roof Terrace

lush tropical foliage on the roof terrace

The room is long and thin, and a bit of a disappointment initially but the fabulously comfortable bed, dimmable lights, and free wifi (yay why do some hotels think it’s OK in this day and age not to have it?) helped me to get over it. I also like the room deco, the monochrome scheme, ebony wood flooring and geometric art work well.

Just a couple of gripes, the wardrobe doors clash with the bathroom door and to get to the safe you have to open the cupboard, then fold down a table flap, totally impractical and a bit of a faff!

Bedroom

room complete with divider style headboard, how great is that lamp?

The polished stone bathroom is spacious and modern with a generous bath, perfect after a long day sightseeing.

Bathroom

luxurious bathroom with own brand toiletries

I do like to laugh at the flowery language in hotel brochures and the Pulitzer peeps did not disappoint.

“Our rooms are conceived as spaces dominated by an ’intellectual spirit’ aesthetically pleasing and relaxing enabling the guest to forget they are sleeping in a hotel.”

Whoa ‘intellectual spirit’, dominating the room, scary…

“The rooms are equipped with everything to ensure a pleasant stay”

Well not quite everything, where are the tea and coffee making facilities? I’d like a cup of tea without having to deal with room service first thing in the morning thanks.

Overall the hotel is a pleasant mix of design and charm and has a great vibe.

The sculptor Joshua Harker had a dream of getting his ”powerfully delicate, completely bitchin cool”, 3D printed, skull seen and collected by more people.

Crania Anatomica Filligre Front

My Crania Anatomica Filligre, he's looking at you...

He used Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site for creative projects to achieve this. Kickstarter allows the artist to get the capital they need without sacrificing ownership or control. The project must reach it’s goal before any money changes hands, to protect investors and allow creators to test concepts without the risk.

Yorick in his cloche

Yorick in his cloche

Amazingly the Crania Anatomica Filigre project got 100% of the funding withing the first 8 hours and has since raised over $77,271.

Once I had read the story and saw how beautiful it was, I ‘needed’ one for the cabinet of curiosities I would like to have in my studio, I think he will will fit right in.  The filigree structure has a paper like quality and is so delicate and intricate. The sculpture is available in three sizes, mine is the smallest and fits into the palm of my hand.  I would love to see the largest, lifesize one!

Apparently he’s fairly durable, but I don’t want to test that, so I’ve bought a little domed display case to keep him safe.

I think the cloche makes him look a little creepier, but I quite like that, what do you think?

 

 

 

The first time I saw Lisa Swerling’s Glass Cathedrals was at the Country Living Christmas fair a couple of years ago. I was so taken by the tiny people with their big issues in their little houses, that I came back gushing on about them to Mr S. Luckily he was listening and as you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled to receive my very own on Christmas morning!

Lisa Swerlings Glass Cathedrals - Armbands

My very own Glass Cathedral

I absolutely love it, perhaps it’s the teeny tiny chubby little girl in armbands, the gorgeous, over the top turquoise sparkliness of the background, or maybe because it reminds me of countless hours spent in the pool on holiday as youngster.  It was also very apt for the way I was feeling at the time about the KLC Course in Interior Design and Decoration I had just signed up for.

Lisa Swerlings Glass Cathedrals - Armbands Zoomed

Close up of the teeny girl

It seems like a long time since that Christmas and I feel like I have achieved a lot, I have nearly completed Module 2 of my KLC diploma and I am no where near as daunted by it all as I was back then.  However, now I am in the exact same position with my blog, a little girl (well in my head anyway) stood precariously on the edge of the future, hoping her armbands won’t fail her!  So when I was sitting here, trying to come up with the perfect subject for my first blog post I looked up at it and saw my answer, it was the first thing to go in my studio so it seemed fitting that it should be the first thing to go on my blog.  Apart from anything else it still makes me smile every time I see it…

The whole Glass Cathedral collection is fabulous, really thought provoking, humorous even a little melancholy, well worth a look.