Might & Main<\/a>, a studio in Portland, Maine, that works on branding for clients in the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHe says the sense of impermanence is important. \u201cIf it\u2019s something we\u2019d like people to take, it should look nice, but not too nice, so that you don\u2019t feel bad taking it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elaine Markoutsas, a design writer and editor in Chicago, came across cookie tins full of matchbooks and swizzle sticks while clearing out her mom\u2019s house. They took her back to beloved family vacations and hotspots in the Windy City and Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also appreciated how much design went into these little sulfurous mementos, some of which dated to the 1930s and \u201940s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike old postcards, you could immediately spot the difference\u201d between different eras, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe older covers featured beautiful, hand-colored line drawings with amazing detail. What struck me was the creative artistry of such small space designs. They were like mini posters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s got one from Mangam\u2019s Chateau outside of Chicago, where legendary fan dancer Sally Rand performed. Another is from Math Igler\u2019s Casino Restaurant, where a T-bone with mushrooms went for $5 in 1950. And there\u2019s Chez Paree, a nightclub that feted the glamorous from the \u201930s to the \u201960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wilkinson says a memorable design is no less important today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve noticed items often show up in guests\u2019 Instagram photos,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice way to bring a pop of color and some graphic representation of the brand into a composed photo of your hotel room or your plate of food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A suite of takeaway items with different but complementary designs deepens an establishment\u2019s identity and story, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His firm has designed collateral items for restaurants like the Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, the Luna Rooftop Bar atop the seaside city\u2019s Canopy by Hilton hotel, and the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Adelphi, for instance, they collaborated with the hotel\u2019s interior architect, Glen Coben. Fabrics throughout the Victorian-era building are a rich navy, so Wilkinson\u2019s team used that color, adding gold foil and other complimentary hues. Water-glass coasters feature a blind-embossed damask pattern found in wallpaper and other accents throughout the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Might & Main\u2019s design for Portland noodle shop Honey Paw includes stationery and paper goods featuring a roaring bear and a series of undulating lines. The abstract line patterns represent both noodles and the restaurant\u2019s LP collection, which plays for guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHoney Paw\u2019s name is from an old anecdote about the mystical properties of the bear\u2019s paw used to scoop honey out of hives,\u201d explains Wilkinson. \u201cSo we knew there had to be a proper \u2018mascot,\u2019 and we wanted him to have a little swagger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the One Ocean Resort & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida, General Manager David Mariotti says drink cups, notepads, pens and key cards are often taken by guests. The resort\u2019s clean-lined, teal-on-white logo is on all of those. Card keys have photos of beachy sunrises, with inspiring quotes on one side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe absolutely encourage guests to bring home mementos from their stays with us,\u201d Mariotti says, adding that the resort now offers branded sunglasses too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To display these kinds of ephemera at home, you could mount them with removable putty or double-sided tape in an acrylic box for displaying on a wall or tabletop. Add a magnet to the back of a coaster or menu and pop it on the fridge. Or decoupage paper treasures onto the base of a serving tray, adding a coating of sealant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can buy wooden cases and album sleeves specifically sized for matchbook covers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wilkinson himself keeps a couple of Eventide coasters on his office desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And years after a memorable stay in New York City, he holds onto one goodie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still have the first key card I received at the Ace Hotel,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I first stayed there more than a decade ago, I remember being blown away by how cool you could make a hotel \u2013 how you could toe a line of hip yet understated, and still have great hospitality with little moments to discover.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The AP. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KIM COOKAssociated Press Chances are if you\u2019ve been to a great restaurant, bar or hotel, you\u2019ve snagged a coaster, matchbook, napkin or card key. Mementoes like these are talismans that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,11],"tags":[1942,1941,1940,1939,1938],"class_list":["post-3668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-decor","category-lifestyles","tag-ace-hotel","tag-david-mariotti","tag-elain-markoutsas","tag-might-main","tag-sean-wilkinson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3668"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3677,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668\/revisions\/3677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}