Hilton Munich Park is located at Bavaria in Englischer Garten (English Garden). The renovation has transformed disjointed and lacklustre spaces into a cohesive and sophisticated design, creating a retreat for business and leisure guests.

The lobby area scattered with furniture was converted to a cosier “human” scale, with options for socialising and degrees of privacy introduced. Prior to the renovation, the area’s scattered furniture and open-plan, double-height volume resulted in a cluttered feeling. JOI-Design eliminated this through the creation of “zoned” layouts. The seating and traffic flow had been separated with anodized metal balustrades of different heights, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The “S-shaped” sofa makes space for private grouping while barstools at café tables makes way for a quick coffee. The reception desk has been split into two halves with an overhead smoked oak panel inset with horizontal light strips creating a focal point.

A central light sculpture produced out of assorted lengths of glowing fibre optic flower petals hangs from the coved ceiling. The staircase landing lower petals coated in champagne coloured anodized aluminium are enclosed in a rectangular timber frame backlit by LEDs, forming an intriguing art installation. Glass and mirrored panels were used in the lobby etched with three overlapping patterns of gilded tree branches that disperse layered shadows of twigs. This

motif is also featured in the metal screens that encircle the lobby, dressing-up shop windows to give them a warmer appeal.

The People’s Bar also feature these layered shadows of twigs at the entrance. JIO-Design infused the space with abstract floral motifs of the custom wool carpet and the bespoke wallcovering patterned with winding tendrils. The lounge chairs were decorated with silky ruby-toned accent cushions creating a vibrant counterpoint to the soft champagne hued leather and velvet textures. The smoked oak bar was decorated with pendant lights which softly illuminate

each seat individually. The helix of shadows cast by the perforated, geometrically contoured pendants used in this space and elsewhere in the bar are mirrored in the spiral form of the cocktail tables’ silver bases.

For the 24×7-cover Tivoli Restaurant and Club which overlooks the gardens, JOI-Design infused conviviality and a refined Bavarian elegance. Inspired by the beautiful natural scenery, the company created a design which brightens the atmosphere and results in a more polished and comfortable guest experience. The new scheme uplifts diners’ arrival through the addition of a stylish

focal point at the welcome area. A fitted leather-clad wardrobe has been included to store guests’ coats, which feature rich chocolate leather, a hand-stitched border and leather-lined inset handles.

The renovation has been done in a way that guests at the restaurant will not have to pass the buffet area as earlier. The foliage-patterned curtains conceal the empty breakfast areas to provide a harmonious journey to the dinner table.

Tivoli’s oak wall panels feature laser-cut with poetically styled motifs of branches and birds, which have been adhered to backlit glass sheets to illuminate the restaurant. It has also added a connection with nature during the evening hours. Above the “Captain’s Table”, where private groups and single business people can dine throughout the day, oak pendant lights are placed which mimic the wheel spokes of traditional Bavarian horse-drawn carriages. The main dining area’s mirrored globe pendant lights provide a fresh, contemporary contrast to the restaurant’s predominantly matte finishes.

A crisp, neutral palette providing a clean backdrop for the fantastic views of the colourful Munich skyline has been designed by JOI at the Marco Polo’ event space, which is at the top of the hotel. The metamorphosed executive lounge is available for the business executives. The exciting contrast created through the bold crimson splashes in the carpet makes the space look illuminated.

All the 484 bedrooms and suites of the hotel have been designed with a contemporary interpretation of the park’s colourful scenery that is evident in warm earth and ripe berry tones and a design that unfolds as guests discover its layered details. The 31.4 square metre footprint in the bedroom made the designer create three zones – “resting” area, the “working” section and the “leisure” zone.

The first “resting” area contains a wide, comfortable bed tucked into the “protected” innermost part of the room. On the wall opposite the bed,

an “oversized” leather-wrapped frame defines the middle “working” section’s generously sized desk, dresser and television. The third “leisure” zone is next to the full-height sliding doors which lead onto the veranda and garden views. A plush chaise longue and a pouf are highlighted by a trio of “raindrop” pendant lamps hung at different lengths to emphasise the bedroom’s spaciousness.

The carpet’s foliage pattern in the rooms are suggestive of a walk in the park with hand-sewn stitches in the leather frame that evoke the traditional Bavarian tanned trousers sported in days past. Within its border, an understated tone on-

tone floral wallcovering adds charm. The desk doubles as a vanity and has a narrow mirror with a finely etched scroll that picks-up this floral theme while simultaneously “widening” the room’s appearance. A lamp is placed on top of it, which is a nostalgic design classic.

The neutral palette of the assorted suites and the Presidential Suite paints an elegant picture. A fluted, matte silver wall “frame” is inset with a pearlescent wallcovering. The space features tone-on-tone wool rugs with tree branch silhouettes that allude to the park beyond. Here, the contemporary contrasts with the traditional; for example, a masculine, dark walnut credenza sits adjacent to a cream dining table whose shapely legs have rounded turnings reminiscent of those found on Bavarian antiques.

Local landscape architect Chuck Baum stopped by the Garden Club of Montclair on Monday to discuss the artistic principals of landscape and garden design. Before his presentation, the Patch sat down with Baum to ask him a few questions. 

What are some of the rudimentary elements of landscaping?

Lines, composition, scale, proportion, texture, color theory: all of the things make the difference between a pretty little collection of plants and a real work of art in the landscape.

But the first rules are vision and budget. You need both. They have to marry together, so you start with that, but you don’t limit your creativity by your budget because you can be very creative and make beautiful art with a very low budget and low-cost materials. 

When it comes to garden design, how does Montclair as a whole stack-up?

Montclair is a wonderful area. In New Jersey, I have a self-perpetuating career because winter comes and kills everything! … But Montclair is full of Victorian and Colonial homes, which I love. 

Do you have a favorite street in Montclair?

I like Midland Avenue. That whole section of town … has had a renaissance in the last few years. 

What is in vogue now for landscaping and gardening? 

A lot of people call me asking for English gardens. But what is always in vogue in Montclair is a gorgeous but low-maintenance garden. 

What seems to be the trend now is the elimination of grass lawns, too. People want to make them smaller and smaller. Grass lawns I think are terrible investments because they are a monoculture, they need a lot of chemicals, they are susceptible to disease, and you have to water them a lot. 

What I am doing is taking lawns out and putting in expanded shrub or ground covers, and expanded gardens. 

Do you have a list of deadly sins you have compiled during your experience when it comes to landscaping?

Stop buying so much mulch! I see more landscape investments destroyed by piling up mulch on tree trunks and shrubs because it kills them.

What people want is succession in their gardens. I tell people it takes a year to make their garden. When you start, go shopping every two weeks and buy things that have one bud and get a bunch of those. Plant those and leave a lot of space.

Two weeks later, go shopping again. See what’s about to bloom and buy some of those. 

Do that the whole season, and next year it will all just happen.

Another big mistake is that people tend to create a hodgepodge lodge. People put in a little of this, a little of that with no composition and no sense of proportion. People buy these cute little trees and shrubs, plant them 3 feet from the house and in five years the cherry tree is eating the front porch! 

My advice is to look at a plant’s mature height and width.   

A lifelong gardener, Baum received a degree in biology from Montclair State University. He is a former Montclair resident, and operated an art gallery in town for nearly a decade. He now works as a landscape architect and contractor for New Garden Network. He currently lives in Verona. 

A strip of running water cuts down the middle of a rustic table made from thick planks of old barn wood and held up with substantial pieces of native Oregon oak. A riot of greens, squash, pumpkin, corn and apples heaped on and around the table symbolize the tradition of agriculture in the Willamette Valley.

The display is the third incarnation of a seasonal garden created at Bauman’s Farm by Portland garden designer P. Annie Kirk and landscaper Kevin Schindler.

“I had an idea for a pilot project,” says Kirk, who wanted to bring the farm-to-table concept even closer to home by making a farm at table. “What if everything was at your fingertips? What if you decided, I’m going to have these salad greens, these strawberries and pick them right at the table.”

So Kirk, owner of Red Bird Restorative Gardens, enlisted the help of Schindler of Autumn Leaf Landscaping. He was all for the idea of building a garden within a garden center and approached his friend Brian Bauman, whose family started farming in the valley in 1894.

“My heart is really attached to this land,” says Kirk, “and I know that’s true about Brian’s family and Kevin’s wife’s family. I wanted to make something that was a legacy of this land and that legacy is farming.”

The living display is meant to give customers a place to sit, rest and interact, all important concepts in Kirk’s design. Set before the table are cubelike seats made to look like bee hives in a nod to the essential pollinators. A few strides away across a hazelnut covered path, more aviary-impersonating seats surround a fire pit. And, of course, the rill of running water has plenty of room for bottles of Willamette Valley wine and the beer made from hops grown in the area.

For spring, Kirk set the table with blueberries, strawberries, edible flowers, sorrel and early herbs. The strawberries stayed for the summer, when the display included more greens, basil and early corn. The current version stays up into November.

— Kym Pokorny

ANDERSON – Tears well up in Nettie Stansell’s eyes when she talks about how she spent the last couple of months planning a small, simple garden in her front yard.

The garden is shaped like a badge, rimmed with yellow chrysanthemums and young green shrubbery. All around the plants is a bed of small white rocks. And in the middle of the garden is a wrought-iron bench with a small table.

All of it, from the color of the flowers to the shape of the garden itself and the design on the top of the small table, has one purpose: to be a reflection of the memory of her husband, Robert.

For 47 years, Nettie and Robert were married. Then cancer took him this summer.

“I put my love into that garden,” Nettie said, as she wiped her eyes.

Photo by Ken Ruinard, Anderson Independent Mail

Robert Stansell, seen in this undated photograph, was a city of Anderson firefighter. Stansell, the city’s first fire inspector, died earlier this year.

The garden pays tribute to a man who took care of so much in her and their son’s world. Their only son, Russell, is 43 years old and is autistic. He still lives at home. Nettie said this garden is for her son to sit in so he can remember his father.

It is here so they can both remember.

Russell can remember the man who was careful to plan their vacation to the beach every year. His mother can remember the man who saw her around town 47 years ago and found the courage to ask her out when they were both filling up their cars at a gas station near downtown Anderson.

Nettie, a native of Franklin County, Ga., had been working at Owens-Corning Fiberglass on S.C. 81 South for about five years when she met Robert the first time. She worked second shift at the plant then.

“I remember he was driving a 1965 Ford convertible,” she said, her eyes shining. “He seemed real nice and more grown up.”

He was a sensible man, she said.

At the time, Robert worked for the Anderson Fire Department. He went on to become a lieutenant there and was the city’s first fire inspector, Nettie said.

Firefighter’s memory honored with family garden

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She said she learned in the years to come that Robert, who was born and raised in Anderson, was smart as well. He always paid for cash for everything, and spent a lot of his time working jobs on the side to help supplement his pay as a city firefighter.

There were many things that she never had to worry about because he took care of them.

She spent 38 years working for Owens-Corning, and he spent more than 20 years at the fire department. He worked at improving their home on Bellview Road, and he coached Little League teams when he had the time. He also worked at painting and pest control and was good at trading stocks, Nettie said.

“We both worked hard and had pride in the work that we did,” she said.

Robert was always strong and rarely sick, but he got sick earlier this year. They thought he had pneumonia at first. But he had cancer in his lungs. In his last days, he taught Nettie how to handle some of the paperwork that she would have to take care of if the cancer became too much for him to fight.

In July, about a month after their 47th wedding anniversary, Robert died. He was 71.

“He was always visualizing things in the future for us,” Nettie said. “He was always trying to take care of us. I just miss all the love he gave us. He always sat down to eat with us. He was dedicated to us.”

Photo by Ken Ruinard, Anderson Independent Mail

Nettie Stansell of Anderson sits with her son, Russell, and is surrounded by the White and Goodine families. Neighbors helped finish a rock garden in the Stansells’ front yard that honored Nettie’s late husband, Robert. The badge shape of the garden pays homage to Robert’s profession, that of a firefighter and Anderson’s first fire inspector.

Making the garden was therapy for her as she spent weeks planning out the details of the small space. Her neighbors, family and friends helped her with the design.

The work strengthened those relationships. Some of her younger neighbors treat her like a grandmother. She baked a pound cake to thank neighbor Charles White for his extra help.

The garden’s shape is modeled after his fire-inspector badge. Nettie pulled in the red, blue, yellow and white colors from the seal in the middle of that badge for the design on the top of the round table that sits in the middle of the garden.

No matter the season, this place will need tending and care, Nettie said.

“Now, I have it fixed, except for some type of marker, here at the entrance,” she said. “And when the seasons change, I will plant yellow pansies in place of the chrysanthemums.”

© 2012 Anderson Independent Mail. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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When Pam Stevens and partner Lisa Boyes moved to The Windmill in Swavesey, the period property was in need of some serious TLC. Transforming the listed building into a super-stylish and comfortable home, the couple felt inspired to open their own interiors store: called The Shop on the Pond, it sits at the bottom of their two-acre garden. Alice Ryan goes shopping

Swavesey’s windmill sits in the most glorious spot. Seen from afar, black tarred tower and whitewashed dome standing proud on the horizon, it’s neighboured by nothing but open countryside. At this time of year, with the sky brightest blue and the fields golden with harvest-ready crops, it’s a beautiful sight.

Set on the outskirts of the village, down a slightly bumpy single-track road, The Windmill is home to Pam Stevens, her partner Lisa Boyes and their two business ventures – a boarding kennels, with room for more than 70 cats and dogs, and The Shop on the Pond, a chi-chi interiors store.

“We were looking to take on a boarding kennels – we both love animals, and have had cats and dogs all our lives – and this was the ninth one we saw,” explains Pam. “Of the nine, this was the first property that made me think ‘Yes! We could really do something with that’. . .

“The setting is beautiful and the building itself has so much character. I’ve always lived in houses that are a little bit different: I had a coach house at one point, then a four-storey townhouse covered in gargoyles. And I do love period properties; modern houses just don’t do it for me. So The Windmill ticked all my boxes.”

The mill, which has long-since lost its sails, dates from the 19th century; a plaque set into the brickwork reads ‘J. Redford AD 1866’. Converted from working mill to domestic dwelling decades ago, the main body of the building is Grade II listed.

When Pam and Lisa moved in, the house was in need of renovation: along with building an extension, which now houses their airy farmhouse kitchen, they have excavated and levelled floors, stripped beams, installed new staircases and decorated every room, from the ground floor right up to the sky-high turret.

Walk into the spacious entrance hall and it’s clear the couple have an eye for interior design. Fine paintings and antiques, sourced from various markets and auctions, sit alongside ethnic artefacts, mementoes from numerous trips to South Africa. The soft furnishings, which include curtains stitched from vintage brocade, are deliciously plush. The look is finished with silvered table lamps, a glittering glass chandelier, and two huge vases of fresh flowers.

“Above all, I wanted the house to be comfortable,” says Pam. “And I also wanted to incorporate the pieces that mean something to us: the armoire under the stairs, which I use as a linen chest, came back with us from South Africa; a lot of the artwork was bought in London.”

Each side of the doorway to the dining room, a large wooden figure stands sentinel: both vibrantly painted, one plays a trumpet and the other a mandolin. “Lisa found them in a shop in Cape Town: they were actually being used as part of a display, but she fell in love with them and made the shopkeeper an offer. Apparently they were originally made for a stage show, and there were 24 of them altogether.”

Having run her own beauty business for 30 years – she owned numerous salons in London – Pam decided to sell up and retire to Boulders Beach, Cape Town, where she owned a holiday home. She and Lisa moved out there but, after just three months of sun and sand, decided the South African life wasn’t for them.

“When you’re on holiday it’s lovely to sit in the sun, do a bit of shopping, have some lunch, then sit in the sun again. But the novelty soon wears off when you’re doing that day in, day out. And, to be honest, we found Cape Town quite a narrow-minded place to live. It just wasn’t for us.”

The couple, who met at a party 13 years ago, decided to come home and find a new challenge – hence buying a boarding kennels. “I went from running my beauty business, being suited and booted every day, to wearing scruffs and no make-up and picking up dog poop,” laughs Pam. “Apart from the poop-scooping, which did take a bit of getting used to, I didn’t mind at all – in fact, I found I really enjoyed it.”

Both animal lovers, Pam and Lisa have seven pets of their own: three cats and four dogs – Otis the ‘very friendly’ labradoodle, Baxter the ‘sweet’ golden retriever, Rosie the ‘adorable’ spaniel, and Henry the ‘rather bossy’ terrier. Most of their animal companions are rescues: Rosie, for example, was left homeless when her previous owner fell sick.

Continuing the guided tour of the house, Pam explains that the dining room, with its quaint curved walls, sits at the foot of the mill tower. An eye-catching oak staircase, built to fit by a local artisan, sweeps up to a first-floor guest bedroom, a second-floor bathroom, a third-floor dressing room and, right in the top of the mill’s polygonal dome, a reading room with panoramic views across the countryside; on a clear day, you can see as far as Ely Cathedral.

A door in the far corner of the dining room opens on to the open-plan kitchen: light and bright, it’s decorated on a classic baby blue and white scheme, inspired by the curtain fabric. Keep walking through and you reach the indoor swimming pool, with its glassy walls and pale rattan furniture.

Among the property’s most striking features are its multiple staircases: as well as two sets of bespoke oak stairs, a twist of intricate metalwork steps winds up from the hall to a second guest bedroom and bathroom (every bedroom has been fitted with its own en suite).

This room, again with glorious views, shows the couple’s interior décor skills at their best: decorated in a palette of contrasting chocolate and lime, lifted with little touches of tomato red and turquoise, it’s a masterclass in contemporary chic.

Window seats have been upholstered in silky velvet flock; a focal wall has been papered with bold flowers; the bedside tables sport quirky elephant-shaped lamps, topped with feathery shades (while being beautiful, this is a room which doesn’t take itself too seriously).

The master bedroom is another triumph. Decorated on a striking red, white and black theme, there’s a real sense of luxury here: jewelled bed cushions, heavy curtains, more velvety upholstery.

Beneath the master is the large sitting room. The colours in here are more muted – coffee and cream – but again comfort is king: the sofas and chairs, bought at the Mark Elliot store in Great Shelford, are invitingly squishy.

“This is definitely the most neutral colour scheme,” says Pam, “though lately I’ve been thinking about introducing some pink cushions. . .”

It was when the sale of her Cape Town house completed that the idea of The Shop on the Pond began to take shape. “That was a big house – so we found ourselves with lots and lots of furniture. It sat in the garden in a huge container for a while. Then I said to Lisa ‘I think we’ll open a shop’. . .

“The furniture went really quickly and I found myself thinking ‘I quite like this’. That was two years ago. We started sourcing new stock – and The Shop on the Pond has been going strong ever since.”

Housed in a purpose-build, which overlooks a large pond (hence the name), the shop now stocks an enormous range of homeware, from furniture (tables, chairs, dressers) to accessories (coasters, crockery, candlesticks). Laid out in a series of room sets, each has a different feel, ranging from contemporary country to boudoir glam.

“I only ever buy things I like myself,” says Pam, “and thankfully the customers seem to like them too.”

A mother and grandmother – she has two daughters, both in their 40s, from a previous relationship – Pam is 73. At her age, most people would think about slowing down, not starting a new business. But then Pam is not most people.

She created her beauty empire from scratch: “I was a single mum,

living in London, working all hours as a cleaner to make ends meet. Then a friend of mine said ‘You should train to be a manicurist’ – and that was the beginning of my business.”

Though Pam admits there were tough times – her company almost went under after key premises were destroyed by fire – she clearly loved running the salons. “It was brilliant. I had amazing staff, so loyal, and amazing customers; that’s what you miss.”

Setting up The Shop on the Pond with Lisa, in tandem with the kennels, has satisfied her entrepreneurial appetite: “We work really well together: there are no disagreements. Lisa wants to open a coffee shop next. . .”

Pam says Swavesey feels very much like home. “The people are just so nice. Not long after we moved in, Lisa broke an ankle. People we’d barely met were knocking on the door with food or flowers or offers of help. Wherever I’ve lived before, I’ve never had that.

“Some people might say I’m crazy, but I’d never swap a quiet retirement in Boulders Beach for our life in Swavesey: we just love it here.”

The Shop on the Pond opens on Saturdays, Sundays and all Bank Holidays, 10am until 4pm. Pam and Lisa are also happy to open by appointment on weekdays – simply give them a call on 01954 232247.

They also offer a mail-order shopping service. To find out more, and view a selection of current stock, visit www.shoponthepond.com

The Shop on the Pond is also holding a weekend of pre-Christmas festivities: on November 10th and 11th, shoppers will be able to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies – and 10 per cent off all purchases.