Wendy has worked for Cape Resorts for nearly 20 years, starting off in property sales, then moving to take charge of West End Garage, Cape Resorts’ shopping mecca, when it opened in 2009. In 2018, she pivoted to Beach Plum Farm, where she used her design and merchandising skills to take the farm Market and Kitchen to the next level. Then, in 2020, Cape Resorts’ founder Curtis Bashaw created a new position for Wendy, which allowed her skillset to positively impact the whole company. “I feel like creativity has always been at the center of any role I’ve had at Cape Resorts, so I think it was a very organic step to take.”
So how does she keep all of these balls in the air? “It’s a collaboration between Curtis, myself, and the leaders of the departments. Curtis has a vision for everything—from the seemingly most minor things to the big picture—and it’s my job to help ensure that vision is translated into something workable.”
Take, for example, staff uniforms. “Uniforms are a HUGE thing at this company, because you’re creating a specific look for all of these different properties,” she says. “We have very specific ideas about uniforms, and it’s something we will spend a lot of time brainstorming. The look of the uniform is obviously extremely important, but you also have to think about the person who’s wearing the uniform and the duties they’re performing. If they’re working outside in 90-degree temperatures, they can’t be wearing dark, heavy denim!”
Another huge thing at Cape Resorts is bedding. “We are very, very specific about the sheets we use,” says Wendy. “People talk a lot about thread count, and they’ll say the higher the thread count the better the sheet—but that’s not true. Sometimes a very high thread count can leave the sheets feeling shiny, and that’s not the feel we are going for.” The feel they’re going for is percale cotton, known for its balance of softness, durability and breathability, all of which are crucial for a high quality hotel experience. The percale sheets and pillow cases are a huge hit with guests, which is why they’re available for purchase in the Tommy’s Folly Logo Shop in the History Hallway, along with almost everything else you see in your room (including the bedside lamps!) or at your restaurant table (from plates to salt shakers).
Speaking of restaurant tables, a lot of work goes into ensuring the aesthetic is on point. “I regularly go to tabletop shows—the BDNY show in New York is my favorite. It’s the leading trade show for boutique hotel design. You get a lot of inspiration from attending shows like that.”
But the Cape Resorts way is not simply keeping up with boutique design trends. Sprinkled throughout all of the properties are items of furniture that have been in the company for decades. Call it upcycling. “We don’t throw anything away, which drives the person who runs our warehouse insane,” says Wendy. Take a close look through the pages of Tommy’s Folly, the lavishly illustrated history of Congress Hall, and you’ll pick up a few clues. Those brightly painted chairs in the 1960s picture of the Yankee Clipper Grille (now the Blue Pig Tavern)? You’ll find them in the Rusty Nail today! Still brightly painted, though in different hues.
Color is something you will find in myriad shades at Cape Resorts properties, and that’s down to Colleen Bashaw, owner of Brown Hall Design and the person responsible for the company’s classy-but-quirky design aesthetic.
“I love working with Colleen. Before I met her, I was very cautious with colors,” says Wendy. “But she has transformed how I feel about them. I am much less afraid of color than I used to be. Don’t get me wrong, there are still times when she will come up with a combination that I instinctively think, ‘That’s not going to work’, but it always does! Always. It’s incredible how she uses colors and textures. She’s super tuned in.
So when Wendy is going over ideas for, say, menu covers that involve colors, she will run it past Colleen to ensure there’s consistency with the other design elements in the room, from the wallpaper to the lampshades.
Undoubtedly a huge part of Wendy’s job is decorating the properties for seasonal events. This year, Wendy and her team decorated Congress Hall for a month-long Valentine’s celebration—dubbed the “Month of Love”—for the first time. “It was our first stab at it, but I think it turned out great. Plus, now there’s a plan to go even bigger next year and look at doing something awesome.”
