Client
Location: Dallas, TX, United States
Completion date: 2019
Project Team
Principal
Kellie Sirna
Studio 11 Design
Principal
Stacy Elliston
Studio 11 Design
Associate Principal
Greer May
Studio 11 Design
Creative Director & Stylist
Josh Gregg
Lou Verne
Artist & Stylist
Christy O'Neal
Lou Verne
Interior Architectural Designer
Catherine Davis
Studio 11 Design
Senior Project Architect
Gero Temesvary
Studio 11 Design
Interior Designer
Blake Rives
Studio 11 Design
Overview
Canvas Hotel Dallas, designed by Studio 11 Design, is an art-centric home base and a hub for travelers to be creatively inspired. Located in the Cedars District of Dallas, the property features 76 art infused suites and guest rooms, and more than 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Studio 11 Design worked closely with the firm’s styling, curation, and art vertical, Lou Verne, to bring to life a welcoming, eclectic and vibrant experience of the city through thoughtful touches, local materials, and carefully curated artwork. Canvas Hotel Dallas has rapidly risen to prominence as one of the destination’s top hotels for artistic explorers, a representation of the firm’s vision to weave a narrative with a strong sense of locale that feels distinctly Dallas.
Goals
Studio 11 Design completed the first-level lobby and restaurant with a focus on showcasing locally discovered and bespoke accessories from the area to lend a living room-like feel to the industrial space. The firm’s styling, curation, and art vertical, Lou Verne, worked closely with local art consultancy, SEMOSMAULDIN, to pay homage to their hometown and celebrate the burgeoning future of the Dallas arts community.
Encouraged by the hotel’s moniker to “color outside the lines,” the designers chose a one-of-a-kind color palette of cool gray-blue, energetic pink, decadent navy, comforting burnt-orange and inspiring golds. Patterned textiles bedeck a wide variety of seating options to suit different needs for relaxing, mingling, working, and creating. As the hotel serves as an art gallery for the local community, gallery spaces throughout the property play home to rotating exhibits from local artists.
Process
Lou Verne worked closely with local art consultancy, Semos Mauldin, throughout the hotel’s public spaces and guest rooms to curate and create art that celebrates the city’s vibrant and burgeoning art community. Artwork of note includes sculptural divider screens made with panels fabricated of cut metal with paint drips pulled to the floor, an unexpected moment on the rooftop level. At the Chef’s Palette restaurant, a work of art with a similar intent sparks surprise: a pink neon sign reads “The Show Must Go On” by artist Hugo Urriutia, radiating with an electric vibrancy that pops against a hot pink wall and blush sofa.
Following Studio 11 Design’s completion of Canvas’ public spaces, the firm debuted redesigned guest rooms that draw cues from the hotel’s vibrant public spaces with mid-century charm. Exposed brick walls and a palette of warming gray lend a sense of the destination’s rustic roots and warmth of the local community. Lou Verne lent their signature touch selecting works of art inspired by the local community and the property’s edgy characteristics.
Additional Information
In designing Canvas Hotel Dallas, Studio 11 Design and Lou Verne created public spaces that inspire visitors to enjoy creative time alone or in small groups. Across from the reception desk in the lobby, a pool table, grand piano, crystal chandelier, and original art pieces intend to spark conversation. One of a handful of the property’s permanent art fixtures overlooks the space: an acrylic and oil painting, Femme Floret by artist Haylee Ryan. Open bookshelves subtly separate the lobby. Quiet corners feature vintage books while cozy nooks display sculptural treasures sourced from local antique shops and artisans.