We are fortunate here at Marly to partner with some incredible businesses.
From hotels to co-working offices, photography studios to coffee shops, the opportunity to place our planters in thoughtfully designed, community-driven spaces is why we do what we do.
Life House Hotels is a perfect combination of the very best qualities we look for in a client.
Their various locations are the gold standard in designing with environment, geography, and local history firmly in mind. Life House Palm Springs, in particular, is a dream Marly collaboration.
A beautiful fusion of art, nature, and heritage? Check.
An homage to a conservationist whose life's work was to safeguard the natural beauty of the surrounding desert and its flora? Check.
A focus on sustainability, locally sourced produce, and plant-first ideals? Check, check, and check again.
Plus, a little Hollywood romance thrown in for good measure? We could not wait to work together.
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY IN THE DESERT
Each new project formed under the Life House banner starts with a bespoke narrative - an origin story through which each design decision is filtered.
For Palm Springs, the journey of a silent film star escaping Hollywood for a more natural life in the desert was imagined. The legend describes the star inspired by the work of renowned conservationist Minerva Hamilton Hoyt to create the ultimate desert exhibition, a modernist hotel blending the enigmatic beauty of the Coachella Valley with Old Hollywood glamor.
Thus, a desert hideaway was born, in which each guest room brims with the vibrancy of California’s natural terrain.
Sun-soaked rooms blend opulence with modernity, inspired by starlets who fled from the extravagance of Old Hollywood for a more minimalist lifestyle.
The hotel is a microcosm of Palm Springs itself; an oasis in the desert, close enough to retain the mystique of Tinseltown, just far enough away to disappear from it all, as and when required.
A CELEBRATION OF NATURE
One of the key features of Life House Palm Springs is their Desert Garden Club House.
It’s a space that encapsulates the desert city perfectly; stylish, sophisticated, sun-drenched. A welcome respite amidst the heat, and the perfect spot for a cocktail or two.
The Life House design team were keen to showcase plants that paid respect to the conservation work of Minerva Hamilton Hoyt. Thus, the garden patio is dotted with her much celebrated desert succulents such as cacti and aloe vera.
The addition of Marly planters has benefited the space in more ways than one.
Aesthetics are everything for Life House and a smattering of Marly’s earth colored planters fit seamlessly into this celebration of the desert - their modern, sleek design an effortless addition to the overall vision of the property.
Working with Marly’s plant design specialists, the Life House team opted to group clusters of plants stacked at varying heights around the garden, creating splashes of texture and color.
The desert climate is spectacular, but it can be unforgiving.
Marly planters are constructed from durable, weather resistant materials meaning hot days and cold nights are no issue. In an environment where only the best prepared survive, Marly thrives.
PIONEERING HORTICULTURAL TECHNIQUES
Henriette Kockum, VP of Design for Life House Palm Springs, shed further light on her project’s connection to the surrounding environment.
“We were delighted to learn about the Japanese American community that first leased the land in 1882 and transformed it from desert into fertile farmland”, she said.
“Together, many of the farmers pioneered dry-farming techniques that are still in use today, and these techniques have become increasingly important as California's climate grows drier…In honor of this lesser-known history, we incorporated elements of Japanese design throughout the private and common areas of the hotel.
We highlighted organic forms in our bespoke furniture and adorned the walls with East Asian ceramic wall art. Additionally, we created a Japanese-inspired desert garden for guests to peacefully nestle into.”
At Marly, we too are pioneering gardening techniques that combat drier climates, and are on a mission to save dead plants everywhere.
Our self-watering technology in particular is a game-changer.
Life House staff no longer need to worry about whether their plants are getting too much or too little water. They simply fill each Marly planter’s reservoir and let the plants themselves self-regulate their water intake via capillary action.
A water level indicator notifies staff members when it’s time to fill up again (typically once a month).
In an industry that can be non-stop for staff, and when there are this many plants to manage, Marly’s self-watering mechanism is a huge time, cost and stress saver. Not to mention hugely beneficial for the hotel’s growing plant collection.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LIFE HOUSE AND MARLY?
Having been in situ for a few months, we are thrilled to hear overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Life House team.
Guests have given Marly planters glowing reviews, commenting on their stylish aesthetics and stopping for photos on more than one occasion.
The facilities team are feeling the time-saving benefits of planters which self-regulate, and hotel designers have had the opportunity to easily rearrange configurations to match event themes and spacing limitations.
We hope to add further planters to each room of the hotel, and will be providing ongoing plant care consultations to ensure that every plant is thriving.
With Life House hotel properties in Lenox, Nantucket, Miami, and Denver, we’re looking forward to offering plant design expertise fit for the varied geographies and climates of each location.
Sustainability and a reverence for nature is a thread that runs through the entire Life House portfolio and we are proud to partner with a client who holds these values in such high regard.
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If you’d like to see Marly’s planters up close and personal, you can book a stay at the stunning Life House Palm Springs location here.
Interested in partnering with Marly on your own corporate package? We’d love to learn more about your project. Drop us a line here.