I stumbled across a hotel review for 1 Hotel Brooklyn that was just published today in a UK publication. Since I have not been to NYC in several years, it was the first I had heard of it. A quick glance through at a gallery of images from the article, and I found myself seeking more views of the natural beauty of what was inside. I landed on the @1Hotels Instagram page and then on the company website. I immediately fell in love with everything about it and their mission.
It is no surprise that the author had me at the opening line of the article:
"With reclaimed wood everywhere, a living plant wall, rough-hewn marble sinks and an infectious earthy vibe throughout, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is the ultimate 5-star paradise with sustainable credentials. "
My company builds custom conference tables, and often for hotels, so one image that particularly hooked me was of this reclaimed wood table that was imperfectly perfect. It is built with true dimensional old wood from beams or joists I imagine that are not flat or perfectly aligned as to what most people's standards would for be a practical table surface. Solid dimensional and slab wood moves with the seasons. It literally breathes and moves with the changes in humidity around it. This gorgeous thick wood dining table truly appears as a statement piece and a functional, working piece of art. I would venture a guess that the designers wanted to create a table where the true history of the wood could be seen and that meant, not planing down the boards to be all the exact same thickness and dimension for practicality sake. The result is elegantly rustic chic and feels so organic in nature. I could tell that the builder or builders of this table, purposely wanted to show the uniqueness of the material in such a table versus craftsmanship alone. I imagine the table in itself is a conversation piece among hotel guests from all over the world.
A quick visit to the 1 Brooklyn Bridge "Our Story" page fully hooked me. As a business owner of a reclaimed wood furniture company, I found it both inspiring in its simplicity and message for such a large brand and a hotel. The messaging on the "Our Story Page" in itself makes me want to book a trip. Their core values seem to be aligned in the same spirit as what I believe we embody at Urban Wood Goods. And while they are a hospitality brand, and we are a small furniture company, inspiring change for the greater good of our world is at the center of both of our missions. Well done " 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge!"
“I wanted to capture the beauty of nature in a hotel and commit to safeguarding it as best I can, a responsibility that I believe we all share. It's 1 world.
But 1 is more than a hotel - it's a philosophy and a platform for change.”
-Barry Sternlicht - CEO & Chairman, 1 Hotels
photo credit: @1hotels Instagram
