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

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      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.

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      Hawaiian heritage informs Wayfinder Waikiki hotel by The Vanguard Theory

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      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.

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

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      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.

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      Eight guesthouse interiors designed for peace and escapism

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      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.

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      Kelly Wearstler adds pattern-filled bar to Austin Proper Hotel

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      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.

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      Eight bedrooms with bathtubs that make a lavish statement

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      A steel bathtub in a grey carpeted bedroom and a marble bath positioned on a wooden plinth are included in Dezeen’s latest lookbook, highlighting luxurious bedrooms with bathtubs.

      Typically confined to bathrooms with splash-safe surfaces, a bathtub in a bedroom has an air of grandiosity and indulgence.
      It is often seen as an impractical design trend due to ventilation considerations, the need for a strengthened floor and the transition of moving from a soapy bath soak to fresh bed sheets, but this roundup showcases different ways baths in bedrooms have been achieved in homes and hotels.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cherry red interiors, minimalist bedrooms and concrete kitchens.
      Photo by Antoine HuotNicolai Paris, France, by Network of Architecture

      Architecture studio Network of Architecture added curved lines and custom oak furniture to this Parisian apartment, including a curved wooden plinth for a Botticino Fiorito marble bathtub in the main bedroom.
      Located in the former Hotel Nicolai, the studio transformed the interior into a two-level family home that “reflects the elegance of the Parisian ambience in the flat”.
      Find out more about Nicolai Paris ›
      Photo by Piet-Albert GoethalsApartment A, Belgium, by Atelier Dialect
      For the Apartment A residence in Antwerp, Belgian design studio Atelier Dialect placed a shiny steel rectangular bathtub in the carpeted open-plan bedroom, offsetting the surrounding green walls.
      Behind the tub is a partition wall covered in white and black subway tiles, creating a graphic backdrop and concealing a walk-in shower.
      Find out more about Apartment A ›

      Lundies House, UK, by Groves-Raines Architects
      Scottish studio Groves-Raines Architects combined Scottish vernacular and contemporary Scandinavian design when converting a former clergy living quarters into the Lundies House guesthouse, complete with a slipper bath in the main bedroom.
      With views out the nearby window of the Scottish highlands, the freestanding tub is a luxurious addition to the calming neutral-toned interior.
      Find out more about Lundies House ›
      Photo by Gaudenz DanuserConcrete Cabin, Switzerland, Nickisch Sano Walder Architects
      A deep polished concrete ledge with a sunken bath stretches the width of this holiday cabin bedroom, which is sunken into a rocky site in the Swiss Alps.
      Architecture studio Nickisch Sano Walder Architects designed the Concrete Cabin as a stark hideaway for up to two people. Timber salvaged from a log cabin previously on the site was used as the formwork for the cast concrete walls.
      Find out more about Concrete Cabin ›
      Photo by Mariell Lind HansenPrimrose Hill townhouse, UK, by Studio Hagen Hall
      The owners of this refurbished London townhouse can draw a pink curtain to separate the cork-tiled bathtub from the rest of the bedroom, designed by architecture office Studio Hagen Hall.
      The pastel-toned bedroom has a paired-back appearance compared to the rest of the home, which features elm, velvet and fluted glass surfaces informed by 1970s Californian modernism.
      Find out more about the Primrose Hill townhouse ›

      Amsterdam canal house, the Netherlands, by Standard Studio
      Local firm Standard Studio converted a canal house in Amsterdam into an apartment with rooms arranged around a central courtyard, including a bedroom with an oval bath and freestanding bath tap.
      Large glazed doors open the bedroom and bath area to the courtyard, and both interior and exterior spaces were finished with polished concrete floors.
      Find out more about the Amsterdam canal house ›
      Photo by Ricardo Oliveira Alves Open Hearts, Portugal, by AB+AC Architects
      Open Hearts is a wellness centre in Lisbon that doubles as an artists’ residence, designed by Portuguese practice AB+AC Architects.
      The studio added terracotta tiling to a corner of the white bedroom, visually separating the bath area from the rest of the space.
      Find out more about Open Hearts ›
      Photo by Ana SantlMona Athens, Greece, by House of Shila
      Located in a former 1950s textile factory, design studio House of Shila created luxurious open-plan rooms with freestanding baths for the Mona Athens hotel.
      A change in floor level and translucent drapes separate sleeping and bathing areas, creating a “certain balance of comfort and drama” according to the studio.
      Find out more about Mona Athens ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cherry red interiors, minimalist bedrooms and concrete kitchens.

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

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      The ancient Acropolis of Athens is in full view from the rooftop of this boutique hotel, which design studio House of Shila has housed in a former factory building.

      Mona Athens is located in the city’s lively Psirri district, within an eight-storey 1950s building that once served as a textile factory.
      The Mona Athens lobby features an eclectic mix of furniture and decorHouse of Shila, led by New York-based entrepreneur Shai Antebi and Greek photographer and creative director Eftihia Stefanidi, chose to keep as much of the building’s bones as possible when converting it into a 20-key hotel.
      This meant retaining its original dramatic iron staircase, terrazzo flooring, metal window frames and marble facade.
      The spilt-level communal space houses a lounge and cafe”We designed Mona with great respect for the building’s 1950s architecture,” said Stefanidi.

      “The structure itself remains unchanged, revealing 70 years of history. Emphasis was given to preserving original features.”
      House of Shila retained as many of the building’s original details as possibleLayering over industrial materials like exposed concrete and weathering steel, the team added wooden furniture and textured fabrics to bring warmth and tactility to the spaces throughout.
      Accessed from the street, the 200-square-metre split-level lobby serves as a lounge and a cafe that can host pop-up events and installations.
      A variety of textured materials are layered over the building’s industrial bonesAn eclectic mix of furniture and decor populate the space, which can be opened to the outside via full-height folding glass doors.
      The hotel’s six different room categories range from intimate rooms of around 16 to 20 square metres all the way up to the 55-square-metre penthouses and Mona’s Suite, with some of the larger rooms providing access to private balconies and patios.
      Wash areas are open to the sleeping quarters in many of the roomsAll feature a similar sultry-meets-industrial aesthetic, which House of Shila compares to a “sensual refuge”, characterised by curtains of sheer cotton and richly-coloured velvet, low minimalist beds, custom-knitted carpets and soft lighting from bespoke fixtures.
      In the majority of the guest rooms, the washing areas are open to the sleeping quarters – with separate water closets for privacy – and some feature comfy lounge seating.
      Larger suites have access to porches, balconies and patiosWhite freestanding Corian bathtubs and industrial-style rain showers are shrouded by translucent curtains, creating a “certain balance of comfort and drama”, according to the design studio.
      The open rooftop offers a direct view of the Parthenon and other structures atop the Acropolis, the UNESCO-listed epicentre of Ancient Greece, while the tourist entrance to the site is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

      Raw concrete penthouse and event space created inside former Athens warehouse

      Reserved for Mona Athens guests and members, this outdoor space includes a long glass-and-metal communal table, cushioned sofas, outdoor showers, lush planting and a bar that serves cocktails and “eclectic fare” with ingredients sourced from the local food market.
      There’s also a speakeasy venue in the basement, where pop-up exhibitions and private events can take place.
      Freestanding Corian bathtubs are set against weathering steelAll of the decorative items in the rooms are available for guests to purchase, from the organic cotton bedsheets to the ceramic coffee cups.
      Antebi’s background is in real estate development while Stefanidi was previously the creative director for immersive entertainment company Secret Cinema.
      The rooftop is reserved for hotel guests and membersThe duo founded House of Shila after working together on their first hospitality project Shila – another boutique hotel-cum-arts venue in Athens’ Kolonaki neighbourhood.
      Once a quick stopover for tourists on the way to the Greek islands, the capital is becoming a popular destination for city breaks in its own right, thanks to its rich history, growing culinary scene, year-round fair weather and relative affordability.
      A prime view of the Acropolis can be enjoyed from the roofThe owner of Carwan Gallery described Athens as “the new Berlin” when the contemporary design gallery relocated there from Beirut in 2020.
      Several boutique hotels have opened or undergone renovation in the downtown area over the past few years, including the neo-modernist Perianth Hotel and the Evripidis Hotel, which received a new rooftop bar and breakfast room.
      The photography is by Ana Santl.

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      Capella hotel takes over former government building in Sydney

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      Architecture firm Make and interior design practice BAR Studio have converted Sydney’s heritage-listed Department of Education building into the latest outpost from Capella Hotels.

      The adaptive reuse project involved adding a modern extension with curved glass corners to the building’s roof, set back from its sandstone facade to respect the original Edwardian Baroque architecture.
      With these four additional floors, the building now measures eleven storeys high and houses 192 guest rooms alongside bars, restaurants and a 20-metre swimming pool that occupies the former sixth-floor gallery.
      Sydney’s Department of Education building was converted into a Capella hotelSince the Department of Education was constructed in Sydney’s historic Sandstone Precinct in 1912, its interior had been compromised with countless ad-hoc changes, according to Make.
      The studio worked to restore the sense of grandeur envisioned by the original architect George McRae, for example by reinstating the internal garden courtyard on the ground floor.

      “Stitching together the existing Edwardian Baroque-style structure with a new contemporary layer of architecture is one of many things that makes this landmark project stand out as a hotel,” Make designer Michelle Evans told Dezeen.
      It now houses 192 guest rooms and restaurants including Brasseries 1930″Capella Sydney has been a joy to work on, as it builds on our growing portfolio of reusing and adapting existing and heritage buildings,” she added.
      Picking up the baton from Make, hospitality design firm BAR Studio was tasked with creating luxurious yet contemporary interiors for the hotel that work seamlessly with the history of the building.
      “The heritage building that houses Capella Sydney provided us with the underpinning for the interior design,” said co-founder Stewart Robertson.
      A swimming pool occupies the building’s sixth-floor galleryWhile the building’s exterior was largely intact, only a few areas of historical significance remained inside.
      Some of these spaces offered incredible opportunities for reinvention, such as the gallery on the former top floor, which has become the Auriga spa and pool.
      Meanwhile, references to the original steel-framed windows were incorporated into the interiors via a recurring motif of framed forms.

      Make completes dramatic arched link for Chadstone shopping centre

      Steel in black and bronze finishes was used throughout the building to frame doors, windows and screens, making a subtle reference to the district’s origins in the age of industry.
      This serves the practical purpose of delineating and dividing spaces but also brings a restrained form of embellishment, Robertson said.
      “We’ve used framing techniques to create separation but also to build an organic connection between the public spaces,” he explained.
      “We wanted the colour and finish to feel appropriate to the original era but also for these elements to read as new and sophisticated insertions.”
      The same floor also houses a spaA palette of natural materials brings a sense of subtle luxury to the bedrooms and communal spaces.
      Steel was used alongside honed marble, sandblasted travertine, natural wall coverings and light and dark timber. This approach enables the heritage features as well as the art and objects to become the focal points.
      The colour palette, too, is simple and neutral, taking its cues from the material palette with stone-coloured walls and tan leather upholstery.
      Each treatment room sits under a one of the original roof lanterns”The neutral base palette of cream stone and dark and light timber integrates with the existing architectural and design elements but sets a warm and soothing mood, creating a real sanctuary from the surrounding city,” explained Robertson.
      In keeping with the light touch of the new architectural interventions, much of the furniture draws on the concept of campaign furniture – traditionally made for military campaigns and therefore easy to transport.
      “These portable and ingenious pieces bring the comforts of home to remote places,” said Robertson.
      A recurring motif of framed forms features throughout the hotel’s interiorsOther Capella hotels include the Norman Foster-designed Capella Resort – set on an island off the coast of Singapore – and the Capella Sanya, which won the 2020 AHEAD Asia award for best landscaping and outdoor spaces.
      The photography is by Timothy Kay.

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