“It’s about escapism,” Martin Brudnizki said of the two hotels that mark his hospitality debut in Paris.

Brudnizki, the Swedish-born, London-based interior designer and renowned architect behind exclusive establishments such as Los Angeles private members’ club, The Britely at Pendry West Hollywood, and the new Vesper Bar at The Dorchester, recently brought his signature aesthetic to the City of Light. He designed La Fantaisie, in Paris’s ninth arrondissement and Le Grand Mazarin, in the Marais, both of which opened this fall.

Escapism is precisely where Brudnizki’s talent lies — not just in furnishing a hotel, but in constructing a world, with a touch of theatrical flair that immerses travelers in a more fun and beautiful world.

For La Fantaisie (nightly rates from $603), a 73-key hotel nestled on Rue Cadet, Brudnizki engages guests in a sophisticated, lush, and tranquil setting, a stark contrast to the area’s busy cityscape of Haussmann buildings, restaurants, theaters, bars, and historic landmarks.

Jerome Galland/Courtesy of La Fantaisie

Inspired by the street’s history, named after brothers Jean and Jacques Cadet, skilled gardeners who blanketed the city in blooms in the 16th century, Brudnizki and his team put greenery at the heart of their design. They created a stunning garden for the hotel, a rarity in this part of Paris.

“Our approach was to create a space that welcomes everyone, that makes everyone feel relaxed,” Brudnizki explained. To do this — and to soften the rigid lines of a newly built hotel — he infused the space with patterns of leaves and flowers.

Instead of a classic painted plaster wood ceiling in the lobby and reception area, he covered it in a tapestry of natural colors. Rich textures and floral upholstery carry the garden theme into the guest rooms. For example, the doors of a closet are covered in elegant Maison Pierre Frey wallpaper inspired by French gardens, while the bathrooms are painted in a soft shade of green paired with gold-hued finishes, marble, and oversized mirrors in wood frames. 

Jerome Galland/Courtesy of La Fantaisie

“When you’re in a room here, you feel like you’re part of the outside,” Brudnizki added.

Guest rooms have private balconies, Bluetooth speakers, and toiletries by Paris-based holistic beauty line Holidermie, La Fantaisie’s exclusive partner that also supplies products for its sumptuous spa, where facilities include a mineral water pool, saunas, and a hammam.

Aside from Brudnizki’s lavish interiors, at La Fantaisie, travelers can indulge in classic French dining experiences that include a ground-level café (yes, it has outdoor seating for people-watching) and a beautiful rooftop bar overlooking the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The star of the food and beverage program is Golden Poppy, the hotel’s flagship restaurant by chef Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Michelin three-starred Atelier Crenn. All three concepts have a Californian feel (Crenn has been a resident of the Golden State since the late 1980s), and the menus revolve around local and sustainable ingredients. 

Jerome Galland/Courtesy of La Fantaisie

About two miles south of La Fantaisie is Brudnizki’s second Parisian project. Located in the chic Marais neighborhood, a gathering point of intellectuals during the French Enlightenment period, Le Grand Mazarin (nightly rates from $739) is housed in three historic buildings at the corner of Rue des Archives and Rue de la Verrerie. The hotel is decidedly more residential and intimate in feel; it draws inspiration from 18th-century salons when writers, artists, and philosophers met in the private residences of well-off Parisians to discuss world affairs, literature, arts, and culture. 

Courtesy of Le Grand Mazarin

“The Marais is a very old Bohemian [neighborhood]. It was this mixture of artists and aristocrats,” Brudnizki said. “We tried to create a community, a space where people can meet because that’s what the salon is all about — people meet, have discussions, have a great dinner and drinks, and have fun. So, we want this hotel to be part of the community.”

In order to make the 50-room, 11-suite property feel like a home, Brudnizki tapped into France’s Decorative Arts tradition and incorporated plenty of tapestries, passementeries, and different patterns in a variety of colors. (“It’s everything everywhere,” Brudnizki said of his use of color.)

Courtesy of Le Grand Mazarin

Maisons Pariente, which owns and operates the hotel, emphasized art as a central theme in the concept. As a result, the property features hundreds of vintage and custom-made pieces of furniture produced by companies with the Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant label (a.k.a. companies using exquisite materials, techniques, and savoir faire that often have been in business for hundreds of years). There’s also contemporary artwork by artists such as Jacques Merle and Sophia Pega, which work together to create Brudnizki’s version of 18th-century joie de vivre style. Wallpaper inspired by book-lining fabrics, bathroom mirrors in the shape of human silhouettes, and crystal light fixtures add a touch of whimsy to the sophisticated decor.

Two bars and a restaurant enhance Le Grand Mazarin’s concept of a gathering space. Boubalé, the hotel’s eatery, which translates to “little darling” in Yiddish, is spearheaded by Israeli chef Assaf Granit, behind Michelin-starred Shabour, who treats patrons to traditional Ashkenazi flavors with a modern twist.

Joann Pai/Courtesy of Le Grand Mazarin

One thing 18th-century most salons probably lacked? A swimming pool like the one in the hotel’s wellness area with a spectacular ceiling fresco inspired by the works of French poet Jean Cocteau.

“It’s about an immersion. You walk into this space, and you’re part of a different story that will transport you to a different time, a different world,” Brudnizki added.

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By Caresse Jackman

Click here for updates on this story

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — A Midstate couple who wants to remain anonymous wants to spread what they say is their experience with DBA Trade Solutions and Deangelo Denton.

The couple said nothing had been done to their home except for spray paint markings.

“I gave him the cashier’s check for $17,874,” the man said.

The couple said the money was supposed to pay for an addition to the home, adding a bathroom, closet, and an HVAC system replacement. The estimated total project, the couple said, was $27,148.

“The same day I gave him the check, he cashed it the same day,” the man said.

Since then, the couple said Denton has vanished.

After the spray paint was laid down and the job was allegedly not completed, the couple searched his name on the internet and discovered that somebody else, possibly another customer who appeared to have a similar situation, created a website.

“It’s deangelodenton.com, so his picture comes up and it says ‘Alert!’ Fraud! Let’s bring him to justice,’ and it’s in 2001,” the woman said.

News4 has not been able to verify who is set up and what is on the website. Additionally, the identity of the website owner is unknown.

News4 also tried finding Denton by phone and email. News4 went to the address listed as his business, which turned out to be a house. Denton could not be found.

“I first heard about the complaint through you and through this story,” Kevin Walters, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, told News4.

The couple filed a complaint with the state. Walters said he did not see any record of a license for Denton or DBA Trade Solutions in its database. Walters said let this situation remind you to do your research before giving someone your money who claims to be a contractor.

“It’s better to wait to find someone who is licensed, who has good reviews, and it may take a little longer to get that person, given the demand for contracts that apparently is out there right now,” Walters said.

“I’m not happy with it. I’m not happy with him. I’m not at peace with it. I’m going to have to let it go, but that $17,000 didn’t come overnight,” the man said.

News4 has confirmed that Denton has an outstanding warrant for Grand Theft in Bay County, FL.

The Department of Commerce and Insurance said to remember never to pay a sizeable down payment amount on a project.

“The home improvement law in Tennessee prohibits contracts for asking for a down payment of more than one-third of the total contract,” Walters said.

Also, you should beware of pressure tactics.

“If they’re using high-pressure tactics, like ‘Sign now, it’s a great deal.’ ‘Gosh, I’m so busy where I’ve got to know now.’ Things like that are common red flags and common things that you’re going to hear from people who claim to have your best interest at heart, but in fact they really don’t,” Walters said.

Walters said the state’s website is where you can learn about contractors, file a complaint, and contact their contractor board. Walters said you could also ask about a licensee’s background.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The post Couple out $17K after alleged handyman by no means completed job appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A direct impact on Office REITs

Many large office real estate mutual funds (REITs) are deeply invested in the San Francisco market. Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE: ARE) is the company behind the terminated Pinterest lease at 88 Bluxome Street. It owns Stripe’s headquarters at 510 Townsend Street. Another marquee tech company, Stripe, recently announced plans to sublet this space.

Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) is another REIT that could lose value due to an office move in San Francisco. The company currently generates around 22% of its net operating income in the Bay Area.

The outlook for residential real estate

The housing market in San Francisco has also been hit hard, particularly in terms of rentals. The latest information from Zumper shows that the average rental price for a studio apartment in town is down 21% year over year to a still staggering $ 2,050 per month. Similarly, Realtor.com reported that the monthly rate for a studio in town fell 31% in September.

The latest statistics from the California Association of Realtors show that the market is still going strong. The average price for an existing single-family home in San Francisco Bay was $ 1,068,000 in August, up 18.7% year over year. While sales increased by 10.8% compared to the same period last year, they decreased by 6.3% compared to the previous month, which could indicate an imminent market weakness. The high price of residential real estate in the San Francisco market is one of the reasons many workers enjoy remote working. They hope they can move to a market where residential real estate is more affordable.

Chris Lim, Head of Brand Growth at @properties, says:

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