MARKZEFF have been Shortlisted for 9 Categories in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2022. Read more about President and Owner Mark Zeff below:

Name: Mark Zeff

Company: MARKZEFF

Position within company: President and Owner

Website: https://markzeff.com/

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

I would say that the largest source of inspiration for me is what I gather up while traveling. Traveling for me is a hobby and really has helped me grow my eye and my appreciation for what happens elsewhere in the world and has helped inspire a lot of my projects. My kind of travel is really everything from you know outback Australia, Safari in Africa and the obvious spots and areas within Europe. Another source of inspiration is watching old movies and gaining inspiration from the style and the attitude of the 40s 50s and 60s. Now that we live in a world of the great Internet universe there are many ways to be inspired and this is definitely changed my ability to access lots of different aspects of the world very quickly every day of my life.

How do you relax and find your work/ life balance?

I now live out of this city of Manhattan in an area called East Hampton which is close to the ocean. Living in this area has enabled me to enjoy the country aspects that I love most like fishing exploring the bucolic landscapes and getting involved heavily in landscaping which is become a big hobby and inspiration in my life. I am also able to spend more time with my family which is a wonderful experience that had I lived in the city would not have had as much. I do travel to the city from time to time to visit my office and connect with the people on my team as well as enjoy what Manhattan has to offer.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Kimpton hotel in St. Louis
Canopy hotel in New Orleans
Canopy hotel in St. Louis
Canopy hotel in Kansas City
Alila Hotel in Cabo Mexico
Standard hotel in Cabo Mexico
Mixed use residential – Brooklyn / Miami / Connecticut/ Boston / Punta Miata / Monterrey mexico
Restaurant in Scottsdale
New Hotel brand development for the US
Restoration of a 18th cen Mansion in Charleston
Town house – west Villiage NYC
Two new homes in East Hampton and Montauk

Tell us a little more about these project(s)…

The projects that I’m working on in Mexico are really very high-end projects which are amazing to be working on as we are working with some very talented artisans and builders. The mixed-use projects that we’re doing around the country range from you not very large projects to very upscale projects and the work is mostly about developing new amenity concepts as well as the interiors of all the apartments. The restaurant that we’re doing in Scottsdale is a old client of mine that has resurfaced in Scottsdale and has developed a new brand which we are helping with, this flagship restaurant will become the incubator for many more to come. The restoration of the mansion in Charleston has been going on for three years and is finally finishing up very soon and this has been an amazing project because we have restore the original house as well as add it on another 400 m to the existing structure.

What are your thoughts on the future of design?

The future is always on my mind and as we look into the future in terms of the design world I see us all making big changes in terms of how we live how we work and how we play wellness has become The new buzz word in the design world and I think that it’s important that we look at this as a aspect in the design world that complements whatever we do in terms of interior or exterior design. Innovation in terms of materials that support this concept is very key. I think as the future outlook in certain ways is not very positive it causes pause in terms of how we design and the responsibility as designers to deliver a well thought out design so that this creates harmony in the world , seems a naïve statement to make , but I
hope we could all work this way going into the future.

Please tell us your aims for the next twelve months and beyond?

In the next 12 months and beyond I see that the work that we’re doing is going to be very different from the past. I see us working more responsibly and taking note of the way we collaborate and develop projects with others. I think collaboration for me is an exciting era in my design life and I hope to collaborate a lot going into the future.

Which direction are you moving in from a design perspective?

As I’ve said before I think being responsible and looking at the world through a lens that is not so much about wow factor but about being very conscious of how the spaces are going to be used so that the last the lasting factor is far more taken into account than ever before. Working in an innovative way with materials as well as technology is very exciting to me looking forward and I hope I get to do this more.

MARKZEFF

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