Complete with lawn chairs, colorful blankets and strategically placed clothespins, a young Ave (pronounced Ah-vay) Bradley triumphantly constructed backyard forts to trump all backyard forts. Raised in a small Wisconsin town, Ave enjoyed an early exposure to design by working on art projects in her grade school classes and frequenting local furniture stores. Press fast forward and Ave now steers the innovative design vision for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, as Creative Director and Senior Vice President of Design.
Ave joined Kimpton in 2009 as the Vice President of Design and has spearheaded the creative design charge for a portfolio of hotels including the brand’s 10th Hotel Monaco (Philadelphia), Hotel Palomar (Phoenix and Chicago), Surfcomber Hotel (South Beach), Hotel La Jolla, The Brice (Savannah) and restaurants including Lantao Social Club (Miami), Red Owl Tavern and Stratus Lounge (Philadelphia) and Pacci (Savannah). Hospitality Design magazine recognized her work and granted her a “Wave of the Future” award in 2012.
“When I approach a new project, I like to let the building, the neighborhood and the market shape the vision for the design and allow a unique story to develop naturally from that,” said Ave. “Design aesthetics differ from hotel to hotel but ultimately, it’s all about creating a sense of place, comfort and fun for our guests.”
Ave’s first professional foray into design began on the sales floor at Pottery Barn where she learned the retail furnishing business from the inside out. Talented and eager to learn, she was just scrappy enough to be asked to join the company’s merchandising team where she ultimately grew to become the furniture buyer, which eventually led to the world of hospitality. Prior to Kimpton, Ave was a key strategic team member in developing and launching the W Hotels brand. As Director of Interiors & Director of Brand Development, she unveiled their first 24 hotels over the course of six years. Soon after, she opened a hospitality design consulting business, Fishnet Holdings, boasting clientele including Hyatt Regency, Trump International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, among others.
When she’s not busy living the life of a road warrior scouring the country for great pieces to add to Kimpton’s ever-expanding hotel collection, Ave can be found tapping into her inner yogi, traveling internationally and embracing activities that spell out adventure at every turn. She draws constant inspiration from international travel, flea markets and the creative & entrepreneurial community surrounding her.
Ave graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor of arts in psychology and resides in Los Angeles, California, in a mid-century home that will be her next project of love.