December 17th #3
“It is. They’re going to start excavation this afternoon. For what it’s worth, you chose my favorite floor plan.”
“All of them were great, but I liked how the bedrooms were situated best in it. I will admit, I’m not sure when I’m going to find time to choose everything for the interior.”
“Remember our sample area in Fort Worth?” she says.
“Yeah.”
“Wait until you see the materials library here. Come on. I’ll show you.”
We take off back down the hall and then turn to an area that sits just off the entry. It’s filled with natural light. There are shelves housing swatches and samples, a big counter in the middle for laying them out, and acrylic trays to keep them together.
“It looks very well organized,” I say, noting how everything is clearly labeled and is neat and orderly.
“And it stays that way under threat of death,” she says with a laugh.
“We try hard to keep it neat. Which is hard to do when you’re feeling creative.
Needless to say, as you’re looking for products to put in our buildings, you will certainly fall in love with things for your home.
I do it all the time. I’ve actually been trying to talk Phillip into building a new home, but he’s dragging his feet.
Eventually, he’ll give in, but,” she says, pulling a tray filled with wallpaper and fabric samples out from one of the open shelves in the island, “as you can see, I’ve already started dreaming, just in case.
In the meantime, I’d be happy to help you and Damon in any way I can. ”
“Thank you.”
She takes me around the place, first showing me the offices of the two project managers.
“As you know,” Jadyn says, “they oversee an entire project from planning to execution and make sure we stay on schedule and on budget. They’re usually here on Mondays and Fridays and in Fort Worth the rest of the time.”
I get to meet three of the interior designers—Marnie, Eric, and Natalie, who I met in Fort Worth during my internship—as well as two purchasing agents, who order all the things the designers pick out and make sure everything ordered is there when the construction crew is ready for it.
“Right now, I’m in Fort Worth for a few days each month and keep up to speed on everything through video chats. And thankfully, the project is set to be ready for a July grand opening.”
“I can’t wait to see what’s all been done since I was there last.”
“We have a call today after lunch, so you’ll be able to,” she says, leading me around the corner to where Hayes’s office is.
“Ladies,” he says. “How’s your morning going?”
“Good,” Jadyn says. “I forgot to tell you, but I’m cool with you using a few of the empty offices for your new team, but I have to say, I’m shocked you’re coming out of retirement.”
“So am I,” Hayes says with a chuckle. “But I only agreed to do so for a year. By then, we should have a good plan for all this real estate.”
“And once he gets a plan,” Jadyn says, “then we have to design it, Ainsley. It’s going to be a very busy year. Exciting. Huge. But busy.”
The rest of my day is a whirlwind of Jadyn updating me on everything she’s got going on, showing me how she stays organized, her calendar management, and travel schedule.
We have lunch with a salesperson who the company buys most of their natural stone from and then have our video call for an update on the Fort Worth hotel project.
Then she leaves early for one of her children’s holiday program.
I sit down in my office and twirl around in my chair, taking a moment to just let everything I’ve learned marinate in my brain.
Then I get up and spread out the preliminary renderings for the condo building, the new hotel, and the restaurant from three different architectural firms. Jadyn told me before she left that she wanted to get my thoughts and ideas on their direction.
And I will admit, the first set surprises me.
I expected to see new buildings that look old.
That have character like the hotels that Tripp has refurbished and reimagined.
And as I look at a few of the interior sketches, I see more of the same—sleek lines, modern furniture, hard surfaces.
I wonder if they want to go in a new direction.
But when I see a door placard that says The Archibald on an exterior rendering, it just feels wrong.
I put those back in the file and take out the next set.
Now, these are interesting. Modern but with softer lines, a few more architectural details.
Group three is what I would expect to see. A building that is classic in style. It feels like it fits the brand, but at the same time, I have to remember where they are going to be and knowing that should affect our choice.
I type up an email and send it to Jadyn, listing my pros and cons for each and ultimately choosing my favorite, which is the middle one—modern with softer lines and more attention to details.
Although the second I hit Send, I start to question myself. But at the same time, I always go back to what would Tripp like. And Kansas City Tripp is not Cowboy Tripp or Rodeo Drive Tripp.