Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1542302
In a guest room, mohair seating and an Arts and Crafts style credenza. A bath swathed in Fireclay tile with onyx vanity. in the Houston art community. Their Cat Spring Collection (named for their property's art barn in Austin County) boasts notable works by (mostly) modern and contemporary Texas talents. More than 160 pieces are strikingly arrayed from the lobby and library to Hypsi restaurant, bar, and guest rooms. These works become not only one of the calling cards of the hotel, but they also speak to Houston's reputation as home to one of America's largest communities of working artists. Adding cred to the collection is the involvement of Hesse McGraw, former executive director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, who was tapped as the Daphne's curator by the Ackerleys. Belly up to the bar, and you'll encounter John Alexander's Life on a Merry-Go-Round, 2010, an epic canvas acquired from McClain Gallery this past fall at Untitled Art, Houston. The library's trinity of works span generations, including a glorious color-field canvas by Texas' most important painter, Dorothy Hood; modernist Toni LaSelle's ink and gouache on paper; and a sexually charged painting by Kelli Vance that adds edge. Other standouts in the public areas: paintings by Vernon Fisher (Hotel, 2015), Howard Sherman, Vincent Falsetta, Kent Dorn, Marcelyn McNeil, Raymond Jonson, and, coming this spring, a buzzy site- specific commission for Hypsi by San Antonio painter/King Ranch heir Matt Kleberg, who's known for his bold architectural abstractions. Hypsi, helmed by chef Terrence Gallivan (see page 26), is inspired by the private drinking clubs that flourished in the Heights' dry days. Afternoon light casts a soft and beautiful glow through a wall of windows on the southern side, which faces a courtyard with a heritage oak. The 49 guest rooms, including six with terraces and two suites, offer serene retreats in earthy palettes, with custom beds and nightstands framed in dark wood, cozy mohair seating, and Arts and Crafts-style credenzas. Baths are wrapped in rich Fireclay tile with striking onyx vanities. Rooms from $359. Hotel Daphne, 347 W. 20th St., hoteldaphnehtx.com. The library is painted high-gloss blue and marigold. Artwork Kelli Vance's Separation Anxiety, 2019. In the lobby, a circular vintage sofa found in Round Top is covered in Pierre Frey and Nobilis fabrics. Murano chandelier with rondini glass. 25