Hotels

Subterms

    More stories

    • 88 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight serene bedrooms with striking natural views

      by

      Far-flung homes from New Zealand to Patagonia feature in this lookbook that showcases bedrooms with calm interiors where glazing has been maximised and clutter minimised to keep the focus on the views.

      Installing huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a no-brainer when a house is set in a prime location, whether overlooking Lake Tahoe or Chile’s craggy coastline.
      But the real key is to create pared-back interiors that don’t detract from the natural vistas, using minimal furnishings and a natural material palette that brings the outside in.
      Read on for eight minimalist bedroom interiors that make the view their protagonist.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, statement headboards and wood-panelled dining rooms.

      Photo by Patrick ReynoldsKawakawa House, New Zealand, by Herbst Architects
      A clerestory window wraps all the way around this home in the surf town of Piha, New Zealand, allowing light to filter through a canopy of pōhutukawa trees and into the bedroom.
      This dappled effect is mirrored in the interior through the use of dark birch on the walls and light plywood on the ceilings, which help to draw sun into the living spaces.
      Find out more about Kawakawa House ›
      Photo by Javier Agustin RojasEstancia Morro Chico, Argentinia, by RDR Architectes
      Wood, leather and wool help to add warmth to this otherwise spartan bedroom, which belongs to a family of sheep farmers in remote Patagonia.
      A floor-to-ceiling window makes the most of the region’s vacillating sunlight while providing views across the surrounding 27,000-hectare ranch and the wild steppe beyond.
      “The general aesthetics of the project were inspired by the traditional architecture of the region, which demonstrated extreme austerity and an almost primitive simplicity,” said RDR Architectes.
      Find out more about Estancia Morro Chico ›
      Photo by Marc Goodwin, ArchmospheresNiliaitta, Finland, by Studio Puisto
      In the absence of bedside tables, most of the space inside this cabin near Finland’s Salamajärvi National Park is occupied by a custom-made bed, placed directly in front of a glazed wall.
      Local practice Studio Puisto kept furnishings to a minimum and covered nearly all of the surfaces in the same pale wood, so as not to compete with the natural spectacle.
      “The interior is done purposefully so that it would only serve as a neutral blank canvas, second to the nature outside,” Studio Puisto said.
      Find out more about Niliaitta ›
      Photo by Felix ForestMatopos, Australia, by Atelier Andy Carson
      When Atelier Andy Carson renovated the home of gallerist Judith Neilson, the Sydney studio set out to provide a minimalist backdrop for her personal collection of art and furniture.
      Meanwhile, finishes and window placements throughout the house were chosen to honour nearby Freshwater Beach, with the best views provided by the window seat in the primary bedroom.
      “Thoughtfully placed windows frame vistas of the sea, while polished plaster interior walls reflect views of the blue and yellow hues of ocean and sand back into the home,” the studio said.
      Find out more about Matopos ›
      Photo by Cristobal PalmaHouse in Los Vilos, Chile, by Ryue Nishizawa
      This bedroom was carved out of a cliffside on Chile’s Pacific coast, with a glass front and private terrace opening it up to views of crashing waves and craggy rocks.
      The building’s board-marked concrete slab roof is left exposed throughout the interior, paired with pared-back wooden furnishings and floors.
      Find out more about House in Los Vilos ›

      Shelter, Sweden, by Vipp
      A huge skylight stretches across the ceiling of this compact loft bedroom, set in a prefabricated cabin on the banks of Lake Immeln in Sweden, to create the impression of sleeping under the open sky.
      To keep attention on the stars, the monochrome interior features moody lighting and slate grey felt panels that cover both the walls and the floors.
      Find out more about Shelter ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherLookout House, USA, by Faulkner Architects
      A huge bed is placed diagonally at the centre of this room, effectively displacing all other furniture but taking full advantage of the home’s sweeping Lake Tahoe panorama.
      For the interior, Californian studio Faulkner Architects brought together local materials including volcanic basalt, concrete made using local sand and walnut wood sourced from orchards in the nearby Sierra foothills.
      “Consistent through the house, the quiet built environment is muted in colour and tonality, which allows the landscape outside to be the focus,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Lookout House ›
      Photo by Peter ClarkeCasa X, Australia, by Branch Studio Architects
      Dramatic sloped ceilings finished in pale wood panelling envelop the bedrooms of this house on Phillip Island near Melbourne, with bedside pendant lights suspended from their highest point.
      Glazing covers the better part of one wall, looking out over the trees that encircle the property to provide privacy despite the home’s beachfront location.
      Find out more about Casa X ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, statement headboards and wood-panelled dining rooms.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Mariette Sans-Rival Studio brings set-design philosophy to Apollo Palm hotel

      by

      Paris-based Mariette Sans-Rival Studio has used floor-to-ceiling curtains, brass lighting and custom furniture to fit out this boutique hotel, set across two Bauhaus-style buildings in the centre of Athens.

      Studio founder Mariette Sans-Rival, whose background is in set design, took references from Greek seafaring culture when designing the interiors for the Apollo Palm hotel.
      The whitewashed buildings of the Apollo Palm hotel surround a secluded courtyard”As my first architecture and interior design project, I leaned heavily on my background in the world of opera and live theatre to create a unique perspective, drawing parallels between set scenography and an inviting hotel atmosphere,” said Sans-Rival.
      Situated in the lively Psyrri neighbourhood, close to the city’s ancient Agora and Acropolis, the 48-key property is intended as a refuge for travellers and locals alike.
      Two neighbouring buildings were combined to create the hotelTo house the Apollo Palm hotel, Sans-Rival combined a pair of white-washed 20th-century buildings while creating a secluded courtyard at the centre, where guests can enjoy drinks and fare from the Patio Wine Bar and Bistro in the shade of palm fronds.

      A cocktail bar on the roof, which also serves brunch at the weekend, has an unobstructed view of the Acropolis and hosts music events, cinema nights and sunset parties.
      The hotel features a curved reception desk wrapped in brassDuring the renovation of the Bauhaus-style buildings, which feature clean lines and curved balconies, the studio also restored a large stained-glass window that spans multiple floors.
      A curved reception desk wrapped in brass matches the lighting fixtures found throughout the Apollo Palm hotel, washing spaces in a golden glow.
      Mariette Sans-Rival custom-designed the Lucie chairs for the hotel”I was challenged to create emotions through a narrative vision in an entirely new setting, building stories into the nascent place and developing recurring patterns to make the hotel autonomous and alive,” said the designer.
      In the guest rooms, floor-to-ceiling drapery billows over the large windows and in some spaces also continues around the walls.
      Drapery features heavily throughout the guest roomsTheir largely white-and-cream colour scheme is accented with sunny yellow, soft peach or pale green, used across the bedding, upholstery and plush carpets.
      Some of the rooms feature mirrored walls behind the beds, while others are furnished with reflective desks and vanities.

      House of Shila designs industrial yet sultry interiors for Mona Athens hotel

      Sans-Rival custom-designed much of Apollo Palm’s furniture, including the Lucie range of chairs and stools that are typified by geometric cutouts in their colourful wooden frames.
      “I started drawing unusual shapes, which ultimately led to the exclusive Lucie collection of furniture created for the hotel,” she said.
      Peach and pink tones feature in another guest bedroomLater this year, the hotel will also open a late-night bar and music venue named Studio Olala, which will be open to both guests and locals and available to hire for private events.
      Athens is currently experiencing a boom in its creative scene, as artists flock to the city for the fair weather and relatively cheap cost of living, as well as an increase in tourism from those choosing to stay longer when in transit to the popular Greek islands.
      Guests can enjoy drinks and fare from Apollo Palm’s courtyard cafeAs a result, the city has seen a wave of new hotels including the industrial yet sultry Mona Athens, and the Esperinos guesthouse filled with local artworks and modern furniture.
      The photography is by Jules Lanzaro.

      Read more: More

    • 88 Shares109 Views

      in Rooms

      W Budapest hotel occupies 19th-century Drechsler Palace

      by

      Interior design studios Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig have transformed a 140-year-old neo-Renaissance building in central Budapest into the latest outpost from hotel chain W Hotels.

      W Budapest is set inside the 1886 Drechsler Palace designed by architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, previously home to a grand cafe and the headquarters of the Hungarian State Ballet Academy.
      Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig have renovated Drechsler PalaceWorking with local studio Bánáti + Hartvig, London-based Bowler James Brindley (BJB) wanted to draw out the glamorous history of the building, which had stood empty for 15 years before being acquired by W Hotels’ owner Marriott International.
      BJB aimed to “playfully modernise” the interiors while drawing on the architecture of the surrounding area on Andrássy Avenue – a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s also home to the Hungarian State Opera House.
      The building now houses the 151-room W Budapest hotelAlongside 151 rooms and suites, the building now houses a restaurant, lounge, spa and speakeasy.

      “The challenge from the outset was not to be overawed by the beauty and strength of the building,” BJB partner Ian Bayliss told Dezeen.
      “Many original details of Drechsler Palace were studied and re-imagined, as were original colours and textures. Protected architecture has been carefully restored and celebrated, and original glazed tiles have been reused.”
      Gridded metal screens surround the beds in the guest roomsCentral to BJB’s conversion was the re-establishment of the palace’s two original entrances. This allowed the studio to free up the spaces bordering Andrassy Avenue and create a “living room” within the building’s light-filled inner courtyard, which has been enclosed by a glass roof.
      Tasked with modernising the building’s interiors while adhering to heritage protection rules, BJB made what it calls “second skin” interventions, which included the creation of new “corridors” within the palace’s ornate arches using freestanding, fret-cut installations.
      In the bathrooms, checkerboard tiles reference Hungary’s affiliation with chess”We wanted to respect the fabric and ‘skin’ of Drechsler Palace so we set about designing spaces, which created a new atmosphere while not touching the beautifully restored fabric,” Bayliss explained.
      The studio took the same approach to the restoration of the palace’s vaulted basement spa, which uses “Houdini-inspired” mirror illusions to create a feeling of never-ending space.

      Hawaiian heritage informs Wayfinder Waikiki hotel by The Vanguard Theory

      Curving bronze metal installations follow the vaulted ceilings, while dimly lit treatment rooms were inserted within the natural spaces left by existing columns.
      “In homage to Houdini, the treatment rooms are completely mirror-clad and essentially disappear, literally reflecting the existing architecture and the new second-skin installations,” Bayliss said, referencing Hungarian-born magician Harry Houdini.
      Turquoise wall panelling is contrasted with gold-toned detailsIn the guest rooms, turquoise wall panelling is contrasted with the gold-toned screens that wrap the beds, while mirrored checkerboard doors with brass details nod to Hungary’s long ties to the game of chess.
      The chess theme continues in the bathrooms, where monochrome checkerboard tiling is offset by handmade terrazzo-lined double sinks and lightbulb-framed Hollywood mirrors that pay tribute to Hungarian-American socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor.
      “The combination of a beautiful free-standing French Renaissance-inspired building by a famous local architect with a modern, idiosyncratic interior inserted into it could only happen in Budapest,” Bayliss said.
      The hotel opens later this monthSet to open later this month, W Budapest follows the opening of the brand’s Rome outpost in 2021.
      Previous projects by Bowler James Brindley include several guest rooms at the W Barcelona and apartments on the lower levels of Herzog & de Meuron’s One Park Drive skyscraper in Canary Wharf.
      Other hotels recently featured on Dezeen include a “thoughtfully designed” brutalist hotel in Mexico and Capella Hotels’ Sydney outpost, which is housed within a heritage-listed former government building.
      The photography is courtesy of W Budapest. 

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      The Lodge hotel takes over 500-year-old farmhouse in Mallorca

      by

      A roughly-hewn stone trough and a traditional mill for pressing olive oil were repurposed by interior designer Pilar García-Nieto within this farmhouse-turned-hotel near Mallorca’s Serra de Tramuntana mountain range.

      The Lodge is the latest boutique hotel from Único Hotels, tucked away inside a 157-hectare estate filled with centenarian almond and olive trees, lavender fields and 20 kilometres of hiking trails.
      The Lodge is set in a converted Mallorcan farmhouseAll of the hotel’s public spaces and six of its guest rooms are housed inside a converted 16th-century farmhouse, which was renovated from the ground up.
      “To be able to enjoy a 500-year-old house is a privilege,” García-Nieto told Dezeen. “Many generations have gathered behind those walls. It is this spirit of a family home that we have tried to preserve.”
      The building’s original stone trough sink now acts as a fountainA further 18 suites were dotted across the grounds, set in newly constructed cabins modelled on the few remaining walls of the farm’s outbuildings.

      Although The Lodge’s interiors are largely clean and minimal, traces of the estate’s agricultural past were left to peek out everywhere throughout the hotel.
      A traditional olive oil press decorates the receptionThe farm’s original tafona – a stone mill used for making olive oil – now stands in the reception in front of a wall of fridges filled with wine from local vineyards.
      “Aesthetically it is unbeatable,” García-Nieto said. “Either you are lucky enough to have one or it is impossible to replicate it.”
      “That is why it was important for us to preserve the one we have, and to give it the great protagonism it deserves.”
      Some of the building’s original stone walls are left exposedSome of the building’s original stone walls were left exposed on the interior while the huge trough sink that stood in the former kitchen now acts as a water fountain near the entrance.
      These period details were complemented with a selection of new and vintage pieces, sourced from second-hand shops in the nearby village of Consell and further afield.
      The lounge is traversed by a modular ceramic screenAmong them is an antique French tapestry that was suspended above a modern console table at the entrance. Nearby, in the hotel’s restaurant Singular, contemporary art hangs next to French bronze wall sconces from the Napoleonic period.
      Here, guests can eat in a high-ceilinged dining room or on a leafy terrace with clean-lined metal garden furniture, overlooking the hotel’s glistening infinity pool and the surrounding coppices.

      The Olive Houses are off-grid retreats hidden in Mallorca’s mountains

      The rugged nature of the nearby Tramuntana mountains informed The Lodge’s interior in the form of its earthy colour and material palette.
      Located right off the reception, the lounge combines blackened timber tables with rattan stools. And an original mortar found in the farmhouse is displayed inside a towering antique shelving unit from France.
      An antique French shelving unit is used to display ceramicsAt the centre of the room, a row of sandy beige sofas backs onto a biombo screen made from stacked ceramic modules.
      “It was a lot of fun to assemble it,” García-Nieto said. “It was like playing Tetris between five people.”
      The guest suites are finished in a colour-sparse but texture-heavy paletteCeramics also feature heavily throughout the rest of The Lodge, with many left over from the farmhouse and others made by local craftsmen.
      Among them are the decorative vases found in each guest room, which are handmade from black clay by a master potter.
      “We love what pottery represents – an element so closely linked to the earth that man has used since ancient times to turn it into essential pieces for his way of life,” García-Nieto said.
      Each suite has its own patioThe 18 suites that aren’t set inside the main farmhouse can be accessed via a short ride on one of the hotel’s bicycles or golf buggies.
      Modelled on the renovated farmhouse with its irregular gables, each of these cabins features a dramatic single-pitch roof with the ceiling beams left exposed on the inside.
      The same texture-heavy but colour-sparse palette from the main building is also carried over into the suites.
      Guests can navigate the estates using bikesInterest is provided by combining different kinds of timber, from the pale, raw-edged coat stands to the Japanese-style charred-wood stools.
      All of the suites have a private Mallorcan patio to provide a greater connection to the surrounding farmland, which the hotel is using to grow produce for the Singular restaurant and for Finca Serena – Único Hotels’ other outpost on the island.
      A long infinity pool provides respite from the heatThe Tramuntana mountain range occupies roughly 30 per cent of Mallorca’s terrain and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its rich agricultural history.
      Much of the surrounding area is still used for farming today – for example by the Son Juliana wine company, which has a solar-powered winery at the foot of the mountain range that is made from local sandstone with wicker sunshades and cork-insulated roofs.
      Increasingly, tourists are also being drawn away from Mallorca’s pristine beaches and towards Tramuntana’s dramatic landscapes, with the opening of several new hotels including The Olive Houses – a group of off-grid guesthouses, where craggy boulders jut through the walls and into the interiors.
      The photography is by Montse Garriga.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Hawaiian heritage informs Wayfinder Waikiki hotel by The Vanguard Theory

      by

      Honolulu design studio The Vanguard Theory has created interiors for a hotel on Waikiki Beach that “embrace the brutalist architecture” of the building, while adding tropical touches to the decor.

      The Wayfinder Waikiki offers 228 guest rooms just a few blocks from the famous surfing beach of the same name in the Hawaiian capital, on the island of Oahu.
      In the bedrooms at the Wayfinder Waikiki, rounded headboards feature a mix of patternsLocal firm The Vanguard Theory waas behind the transformation of an existing brutalist building into a colour-filled hotel that nods to both indigenous Hawaiian and imported traditions.
      “Celebrating the rich diversity and multicultural fabric of Hawaii, touches of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Filipino, and European details are all blended together, creating Kama’aina style,” said the hotel.
      The rooms are decorated in different colour combinationsA variety of different guest room sizes and types are available, from standard doubles all the way up to premium pool house studios.

      The rooms feature custom-designed wooden furniture and works by local artists and are decorated in different colour combinations that each reflect the natural world.
      The rooms range in size from standard double to pool house suitesGreen and coral hues are indicative of land, shades of blue and turquoise echo the sea, and gold and grey tones were chosen to represent the sky.
      Wainscoting adds dimension to the walls, some of which are painted in colour floor-to-ceiling, while others stop midway and continue in white to make the spaces feel bright.

      BHDM uses neons to make Shoreline Waikiki “the most instagrammable hotel in Hawaii”

      Round patterned headboards were created as a blend of “Japanese obi sashes, Polynesian-influenced tribal prints and plaid palaka fabric reflective of historic Portuguese ranchers” according to the hotel.
      The cords of bedside pendant lamps are laced with pikake and pakalana flowers – both native to Hawaii.
      The hotel’s lobby includes seating areas, a coffee bar and a shop selling merchandiseA similar design language is found in the lobby, where plants and floral prints sit side by side against concrete surfaces and leather furniture.
      Connected to the reception area along a counter with a fluted blue front is B-Side, a coffee shop from which guests can also purchase cocktails, light bites and hotel merchandise.
      The Redfish restaurant serves an all-day poke menuMore formal dining can be enjoyed at Redfish, an all-day poke restaurant where highly tonal wood panels cover large expanses of the walls and ceiling.
      Next to the 70-foot (21 metres) saltwater “lagoon” pool is a bar called Lost + Found that serves frozen tropical cocktails, plus a range of other drinks and snacks. There’s also an on-site gym.
      Guests can swim in a saltwater “lagoon” poolWayfinder Waikiki is the second location in owner Dovetail + Co’s Wayfinder portfolio, following its outpost in Newport, Rhode Island.
      It joins a wide range of accommodation options in Honolulu, a hugely popular tourist destination, including the mid-century influenced Laylow Hotel and the brightly coloured Shoreline Waikiki.
      The photography is by Mariko Reed, Read McKendree and Surf Please.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Lionel Jadot assembles 52 designers to create custom interior for Mix Brussels hotel

      by

      An iconic 1960s office block in Brussels has become a hotel, featuring an interior designed by architect Lionel Jadot using only custom-made furniture and objects.

      Set to open today, Mix Brussels takes over the listed former headquarters of La Royale Belge, the insurance company now known as AXA.
      Lionel Jadot designed a sculptural fireplace for the lobby of Mix BrusselsThe conversion of the 25,000-square-metre building was overseen by a team of architects made up of London-based Caruso St John, Antwerp-based Bovenbouw Architectuur and Brussels studios DDS+ and MA2.
      Brussels-based Jadot assembled a team of 52 designers and makers (including himself) to kit out the interior with furniture, installations and sculptures that were all designed specifically.
      The hotel has 180 rooms, all filled with custom-made objectsAlmost everything, from the chairs to the doorknobs, is the work of an independent artist or designer.

      “We wanted to create something different so that when you enter, nothing is normal,” Jadot told Dezeen.
      “Nothing is from a catalogue, nothing is seen on Instagram,” he said. “Everything is custom-made in Belgium specifically for this project, by a big family of designers working together.”
      The hotel is located in the listed former headquarters of La Royale Belge. Photo is by Serge BrisonThe four-star hotel includes 180 rooms and suites, three restaurants, a food market, a co-working space, an auditorium and a health club.
      To win such a large commission, Jadot enlisted all of the designers from Zaventem Ateliers, a creative hub he founded in 2018 in a former paper factory on the outskirts of the city.
      Maison Armand Jonckers created a brass reception desk, which is topped by Lionel Jadot’s Disco Fan Light. Photo is by Mireille RoobaertZaventem Ateliers brings together 25 creatives in a collaborative environment that supports the creation of limited-edition and collectable art and design.
      When a design competition for the project was announced, Jadot convinced them that the hotel could become a celebration of the city’s craft culture.
      Arthur Vandergucht’s aluminium RB Tables furnish the hotel lobby. Photo is by Louis Vielle”This building is really iconic for Brussels and I have been in love with it since the age of 10,” he said.
      “Every Friday, my mum would drive us past it on the way to my grandmother’s house. I thought there was something about it that was really special,” he recalled.

      Modernist building in Brussels transformed into Fosbury & Sons co-working space

      “I told the team that we needed to be the ones to do this project,” Jadot added.
      As well as the existing members of Zaventem Ateliers, he also enlisted 27 other creatives to collaborate with them on the fit-out.
      The hotel includes a health club. Photo is by Louis VielleThe overriding concept, Jadot explained, was to create interiors that complemented the sculptural qualities of the building’s distinctive concrete-framed interior.
      “The idea was always to have a horizontality in the creation,” he said. “It was not for me to tell them how to work; the point was for them to feel free to pitch something.”
      Bedrooms feature curtains by KRJST Studio and tables by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte. Photo is by Amber VanbosselThe contributing designers from Zaventem Ateliers include Maison Armand Jonckers, which produced the engraved brass reception desk, and Arno Declercq, who built a monumental blackened-wood sculpture.
      Artist Thomas Serruys created wooden stools that can be found throughout, while designer Adeline Halot produced lampshades for the hotel lobby and sculptural mirrors for the bedrooms.
      Other additions include mirrors by Jonas Moënne, nightlights by Studio Elementaires and a lamp by a lamp by Pascale Risbourg and Atelier Haute Cuisine. Photo is by Amber VanbosselAmong the lighting designs, eco-materials specialist Roxane Lahidji produced pendant lamps from salt, while Studio Elementaires created stylish nightlights.
      Textile works include printed curtains and weavings by KRJST Studio, who teamed up with designer Emma Cognée, and tapestries by La Gadoue Atelier.
      Jadot’s own contributions include a fireplace installation and various chairs, while other notable additions include a papier-mâché artwork by Papier Boulette, tables by designer Pierre Coddens and foam seats by artist duo Touche-Touche.
      Roxane Lahidji produced pendant lamps from salt. Photo is by Mireille RoobaertThe opening of MIX Brussels aims to help cement the city’s reputation as a hotspot for collectable art and design.
      As well as hosting annual fair Collectible, the city recently saw design gallery Maniera and contemporary art gallery Xavier Hufkens both expand their presences.
      Lionel Jadot and Woit Foundry created the custom knobs in the bathrooms. Photo is by Mireille RoobaertJadot hopes the project will defy expectations of hospitality design, showing that it is possible for this industry to support local creative talent on a large scale.
      “A lot of hotels opening today just order poor quality furniture from other countries, then after a few years, everything is destroyed,” he said. “It’s not a good way to do it.”
      Key to the alternative approach, Jadot said, was that the investors trusted him to project-manage the process.
      A papier-mâché artwork by Papier Boulette covers a wall in one of the meeting rooms. Photo is by Mireille RoobaertHe is proud that, unlike most new hotels, the completed interior is difficult to put a date on. He sees this as a sign that it will last a long time.
      “You don’t know really if this project was born today or yesterday,” he said.
      “We have created this combination, even though we totally avoided vintage. We only have collectable contemporary design, but it’s a really special mix.”
      The photography is courtesy of Lionel Jadot.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight guesthouse interiors designed for peace and escapism

      by

      A one-room hotel kitted out with a miniature nightclub and twin dwellings with labyrinthine staircases informed by MC Escher are among the guesthouses featured in our latest lookbook.

      Guesthouses are accommodations for travellers, including cabins, rental cottages and private rooms, sometimes located in close proximity to permanent structures such as homes or offices.
      Despite their temporary nature, guesthouses can feature distinctive designs created to be remembered for longer than just during their occupants’ stay.
      From a bird nest-style retreat in Namibia to a micro dwelling in South Korea, here are eight guesthouses with impactful interiors from across the globe.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring gardens with swimming pools, cave-like interiors and striking accent walls.

      Top image: Trunk House in Tokyo features a miniature nightclub. Above: Photo by José HeviaLa Hermandad de Villalba, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
      Spanish studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil sought to honour the original architecture of this eighteenth-century building, which was renovated to feature decorative doorways and original arched ceilings.
      Nestled in a wine-growing town in Spain’s Extremadura region, the guesthouse takes visual cues from its site, with hues of deep red and pale green that nod to the town’s natural terrain and surrounding vineyards.
      Find out more about La Hermandad de Villalba ›
      Photo is courtesy of Den OutdoorsDen Cabin Kit, USA, by Den Outdoors
      Prefabricated in New York, Den Cabin Kit is a flat-packed kit-of-parts for a steeply pitched cabin that is designed to be assembled in a few days.
      Cabin-design company Den Outdoors created the structure to cater to a guesthouse, study or yoga studio. Slanted wooden walls and a single triangular window create a cosy atmosphere inside.
      Find out more about Den Cabin Kit ›
      Photo is by Katinka BesterThe Nest at Sossus, Namibia, by Porky Hefer
      The Nest at Sossus is an off-grid guesthouse in Namibia with a thatched facade informed by the amorphous shape of bird nests.
      Thatching also features on the interior, which South African designer Porky Hefer created with bulbous protrusions and built-in furniture to mimic the stacked components of a nest.
      Pieces include a sunken Chesterfield-style sofa upholstered in oxblood-coloured leather.
      Find out more about The Nest at Sossus ›
      Photo is by Chao ZhangDream and Maze, China, by Studio 10
      Shenzhen-based Studio 10 designed a pair of guest rooms in Guilin, China, which take cues from the optical illusions of the seminal Dutch graphic artist MC Escher.
      Called Dream and Maze, the rooms feature colour-coded arched doorways and disorientating anti-gravitational staircases built within a seven-metre-high structure with a pitched roof.
      “The challenge was in keeping the balance between the practical need of a hotel suite and the illusionary, spatial effect we wanted to achieve,” the studio told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Dream and Maze ›
      Photo is by José HeviaAlfondac, Spain, by Aixopluc 
      Catalan studio Aixopluc filled a guest apartment above its offices with modular furniture that can be assembled using DIY techniques.
      Named after an Arabic word describing a place for both guests and for storing goods, Alfondac features various exposed appliances and living areas amalgamated into one space.
      “This iteration is an exploration of the potential benefits of having different activities and their smells – shit, lavender soap, pee, escudella [a type of Catalan stew], incense, linen sheets after sex, hyacinth flowers, baby’s poo and half-full glasses of Priorat wines – coexist rather than being segregated,” said Aixopluc.
      Find out more about this apartment ›
      Photo is by Texture on TextureNuwa, Korea, by Z_Lab 
      Nuwa is a tiny guesthouse in northern Seoul that measures under 30 square metres. Local studio Z_Lab renovated a traditional Korean home, known as a hanok, to create the apartment out of a single room.
      A porthole window inserted next to the bed provides views of the surrounding garden, while a sunken bath and walnut and stone accents define the rest of the space.
      Find out more about Nuwa ›
      Photo is by Tomooki KengakuTrunk House, Japan, by Trunk and Tripster
      Hailed by its designers as containing Tokyo’s smallest disco, this one-room hotel in the city’s Kagurazaka neighbourhood features a miniature nightclub with a bright red interior, a curved bar and an illuminated dance floor.
      Hotel brand Trunk collaborated with design studio Tripster to create the interiors within a traditional 70-year-old geisha house. Living spaces are characterised by muted palettes, including a tearoom with tatami mats arranged around a sunken fireplace.
      Find out more about Trunk House ›
      Photo is by Piet Albert GoethalsThe Olive Houses, Mallorca, by Mar Plus Ask
      Architecture studio Mar Plus Ask designed a pair of guesthouses in the Mallorcan mountains to celebrate the craggy boulders that jut through their walls.
      The Olive Houses are off-grid dwellings created for solo creatives as a silent refuge. Sloping cave-like walls were rendered exclusively in blush-pink stucco to complement the pale green shade found on the underside of an olive tree leaf.
      “To us, the [boulders] became a piece of art – suddenly the house was more about sculpting its backdrop and being its lightbox,” explained the studio.
      Find out more about The Olive Houses ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring gardens with swimming pools, cave-like interiors and striking accent walls.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Kelly Wearstler adds pattern-filled bar to Austin Proper Hotel

      by

      American designer Kelly Wearstler has created an intimate cocktail lounge within a hotel she designed in Austin, Texas, which is intended to evoke “a balance between old-world opulence and modern elegance”.

      The Quill Room forms an extension to the existing dining and drinking options at the Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, which Wearstler completed the interiors for in 2019.
      The Quill Room offers hotel guests and residents an additional lounge and bar spaceThe lounge is tucked away on the second floor of the Handel Architects-designed building in Downtown Austin, and offers a French-inspired menu and live music programming for the hotel’s guests and residents.
      Wearstler’s interiors for the bar are awash with pattern, mixing gold, brown and black to create a space that appears warm, rich and elevated.
      A variety of vintage and contemporary chairs populate the spaceMany of the design elements blend nostalgia and contemporary twists, like tufted leather armchairs positioned beside funky sculptural lamps.

      “The design of The Quill Room is a balance between old-world opulence and modern elegance,” she told Dezeen. “The salon-style bar pairs the aesthetics to transport guests to another time within Downtown Austin, while still reflecting the city’s creative and music scenes.”
      Golden patterned wallpaper covers the wallsGolden patterned wallpaper covers the majority of the walls and continues across the ceiling, helping to make the room feel more intimate.
      “A highlight would have to be the gold wall covering,” said Wearstler. “It’s actually an adaptation of a piece from my own archive, originally created during the UK’s 1920s Arts & Crafts movement.”
      Within niches, folded screens feature a checkerboard of gold mirrorSmall tables and mismatched seats are positioned in recesses, against folding panels with a checkerboard of gold mirrors and floral motifs within wooden frames.
      Wearstler’ also included low leather and upholstered seats, as well as taller dining chairs along the sheer-curtained windows.
      Furniture pieces were sourced from Europe and a famous Texas antiques marketMost of the furniture pieces are vintage, or were crafted specifically for this project, including the rugs, lighting and additional decorative items.
      “The Quill Room features a lot of inspired furnishings that represent design through the decades – mainly from the 1960s to 1990s – which we’ve sourced from Europe and as nearby as the famed Round Top Antiques Market,” Wearstler said.

      Kelly Wearstler creates sculptural oak staircase for hotel in Austin

      The bar itself runs straight along the back wall, fronting an open cabinet filled with liquor bottles that is topped with red neon tubes. “It’s a detail crafted by an Austin artist, bringing the modern and the local to the forefront amongst the vintage-inspired,” said Wearstler.
      Another feature element is the illuminated, self-playing Edelweiss piano that was custom designed to offer “a uniquely Texan experience” for guests. There’s also a small, shaded outdoor terrace for enjoying drinks and bites in the warm Austin weather.
      An illuminated, self-playing Edelweiss piano was custom designed to entertain guestsThe new space joins the hotel’s Mediterranean-influenced restaurant The Peacock, private ground-floor cocktail bar Goldie’s, and Mexican-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar La Piscina.
      “I see The Quill Room as a complement to The Austin Proper’s existing restaurants and bars,” Wearstler said. “Like the rest of the property, it embodies modern elegance and refined luxury that heightens guests’ experience of the city while offering an immersive escape.”
      The Quill Room serves cocktails and French-inspired light bitesWearstler has completed multiple locations for the Proper hotel group, including several outposts in her home state of California, such as San Francisco and Santa Monica – which was named AHEAD Americas Hotel of the Year in 2020.
      Her most recent project for the franchise, in Downtown LA, opened last year and features a suite with its own indoor swimming pool.
      The photography is by The Ingalls.

      Read more: More