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      Restored Book Tower in Detroit features hospitality venues by Method Co

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      Several restaurants and a hotel have opened within Detroit’s historic Book Tower as part of a years-long restoration project of the building undertaken by its developer and architecture studio ODA.

      The 1920s skyscraper has undergone extensive restoration work over the past seven years by local developer Bedrock, which has transformed the former office building into a mixed-use space.
      Among Book Tower’s restored features are a grand glass dome, which sits over the lobby’s Bar RotundaA collaboration with Method Co has led to the first phase of restaurant and bar concepts, which were introduced through the course of 2023.
      “We have been ever-mindful of what the restoration of Book Tower means to this city,” said Randall Cook, CEO and cofounder of Method Co, “and we’ve worked hard to create hospitality concepts that will excite and reconnect Detroiters to Book Tower once again, and at the same time honour the heritage of this magnificent property.”
      Developers Bedrock worked with architects ODA on the restoration of the 1920s neoclassical buildingLocated on Washington Boulevard in Downtown Detroit, the 38-storey neoclassical building was designed by Louis Kamper – a prolific and celebrated architect in the city during its Gilded Age.

      New York architecture firm ODA was hired to update and expand the programming and existing structures, resulting in half a million square feet (46,450 square metres) of mixed-use space.
      Method Co was brought on to conceptualise and operate multiple culinary offerings within the building, including Le Suprême brasserie at street levelThe work included restoring the exterior windows and stonework and bringing an ornate domed glass ceiling back to life.
      Method Co was then brought on to conceptualise three restaurants and bars, as well as a hotel, and operate each of these venues within the building.
      Designed with Stokes Architecture + Design, Le Suprême includes a zinc bar top, hand-made tiles and mosaic marble flooringDining options include Le Suprême, a classic French brasserie that offers an all-day menu and both indoor and outdoor seating at street level for up to 210 guests.
      Designed in collaboration with Stokes Architecture + Design, the 6,200-square-foot space features a traditional zinc bar top, hand-made art nouveau tiles, mosaic marble flooring and oxblood leather booths.
      Furniture and decor were chosen to reflect Detroit’s cultural heritage, and photos on the walls of the Le Mans car race tie to the city’s automobile legacy.
      On the 14th floor is Kamper’s, a rooftop cocktail bar designed with ODAOn the 14th floor is Kamper’s, a rooftop cocktail bar designed with ODA comprising an indoor lounge that opens onto an expansive outdoor terrace via large French doors.
      The cosy interior has exposed brick walls and dark wood accents, complemented by marble mosaic flooring, antiqued mirrors and velvet drapery.
      Kamper’s opens onto an expansive terrace with views across DetroitBar Rotunda sits below the glass dome and acts as an all-day lobby cafe and bar, with 70 seats surrounded by ornate architectural details that recall the grand eateries of early 20th-century Paris.
      “The space is canopied by a beautifully restored 100-year-old Keppler Glass dome that features more than 7,000 individual jewels and 6,000 glass panels making it an architectural centerpiece,” said Method Co, which also worked with ODA on this space.

      The Quoin hotel by Method Co opens in historic Delaware bank

      Also planned to open soon within Book Tower are sake pub Sakazuki, and izakaya and omakase-style dining spot Hiroki-San.
      The hotel component of the building, Roost Detroit, offers short and long-stay accommodation in contemporary apartment-style spaces, alongside The Residences that are purchasable as permanent homes.
      The building’s accommodation component, Roost Detroit, is Method Co’s latest iteration of its apartment hotel brandRoost Detroit is the latest iteration of Method Co’s apartment hotel brand, joining multiple outposts in Philadelphia – including the Morris Adjmi-designed East Market – along with Tampa, Cleveland and more across the US.
      The company also operates The Quoin boutique hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, which offers 24 guest rooms within a converted bank building, and the Whyle extended-stay property in Washington DC that was longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021.
      Roost Detroit offers short and extended stays within contemporary spaces of various sizes and configurationsDowntown Detroit’s revitalisation has taken shape over the past few years, and a handful of new hotels have opened to accommodate visitors who are returning to witness its cultural and creative rebirth.
      They include The Siren Hotel, designed by ASH NYC to recall the city’s glamorous past, and the Shinola Hotel, which Gachot Studios designed for the local watch company of the same name.
      The photography is by Matthew Williams unless stated otherwise.

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      Martin Brudnizki designs Gilded Age-interiors for The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York

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      Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has designed the interiors for a 1907 Renaissance-style palazzo building in New York, which has been turned into a luxury boutique hotel by architecture studio Perkins Eastman.

      The Fifth Avenue Hotel sits on the site of what was once one of the last mansions of The Gilded Age.
      Throughout the late 19th century, the home of Charlotte Goodridge at 250 Fifth Avenue hosted receptions and musical evenings as part of New York’s social season.
      Classical fixtures contrast a contemporary colour palette in the hotel’s roomsPerkins Eastman added a 24-storey glass tower, designed with PBDW Architects, to the five-storey brick and limestone building.
      This was originally designed by McKim, Mead & White as the Second National Bank in 1907, replacing Goodridge’s 19th century home.

      Drawing on the history of the neighbourhood and heritage of the building, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) aimed to create an aesthetic for the new hotel that would embrace “Bohemian romanticism and the glamour of the gilded age,” while maintaining contemporary styling.
      Martin Brudnizki has employed colour and texture to reflect global travels”One of the biggest challenges was that we were working with both an existing and a new building at the same time, which each presented their own challenges architecturally,” studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.
      “We worked with the architects to marry the historic narrative with the contemporary tower addition, which reflects New York today, and the concept of the modern traveller,” he said.
      A corner bedroom features yellow curtainsRooms feature a rich colour palette of garden greens, buttercup yellow and peony pink with gold accents.
      Bold patterns and textures jostle each other in a “harmonious and fun way, juxtaposing modernity with the classic finishings,” the designer said.
      The hotel’s walls host an extensive art collection”The intersection of interiors with architecture is so important. The mansion is a much more classical response to the history and details of the building, whilst the tower enthuses a more modern touch,” Brudnizki explained.
      “Both are unified by the choices of colours and certain furniture, fixtures and equipment that carry between the two sites.”

      Martin Brudnizki draws on “gritty glamour” for colourful Broadwick Soho hotel

      Bedrooms feature a global blend of references, including Pagoda-style table lamps, custom wardrobes informed by traditional Chinese cabinets, antique inlaid side tables, Murano glass chandeliers and star-like ceiling lights.
      The double-height entrance lobby features walls panelled with faceted antique mirrors, marble floors and grand arched windows – which echo throughout the hotel bedrooms as room dividers between sleeping and sitting areas.
      Rooms have been designed to have a residential feel”We loved the idea that all these great characters had once walked along the boulevard of Fifth Avenue and the fabulous parties hosted within the mansions of Fifth Avenue; the people and the conversations that took place,” said Brudnizki.
      “We wanted to create a space that felt as though its interiors had been brought together over time, pulling items from our muse’s travels and adventures from across the globe.”
      Antique glass panelling and modern mirrored artworks fill the double-height lobby”It is a truly eclectic and layered project that is intended to feel as though it has been around since the days of The Gilded Age,” the designer concluded.
      Other boutique hotels recently published on Dezeen include Christian Louboutin’s hotel Vermelho in Portugal and Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, by Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects.
      Photography is by William Abranowicz.

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      Bentley curates Scandinavian architecture and design travel experience

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      Promotion: in 2023 Bentley Motors launched an architecture and design-centred travel experience around Scandinavia, with highlights that included a stay at Wingårdhs’ forest hotel in Sweden and a tour of BIG’s studio in Copenhagen.

      The Extraordinary Journey Scandinavia tour was one of a series of curated travel experiences presented by Bentley in 2023, offering the opportunity to explore attractive destinations from behind the wheel of its luxury cars.
      The five-day, four-night tour started in Stockholm, where guests were collected from the airport in a chauffeured Bentley and taken to their first night’s stay in the world-renowned Ett Hem hotel.
      The first night’s stay was at Stockholm’s Ett Hem hotelWith interiors created by designer Ilse Crawford, the hotel is known for merging luxury with a feeling of home, with spaces that encourage guests to relax and mingle as if at a manor house.
      The hotel hosted a welcome reception, dinner in the library and a nightcap for the small party of guests on day one to get to know each other.

      On day two, attendees took the wheel of one of several Bentley models on offer and began the journey south through Sweden’s forests, with Scandinavia’s finest architecture and design destinations guiding the way forward.
      For lunch on day two, attendees stopped at NaturehouseFor lunch, the tour stopped at Naturehouse, a sustainability-focused lakeside spa by Tailor Made Arkitekter that merges the forms of a barn and a greenhouse, before continuing to reach the Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland in the afternoon.
      Designed by Wingårdh architecture studio, the hotel features just five suites that are raised high into the treetops on stilts, giving guests the chance to feel immersed in nature.
      The suites are “a true representation of Bentley’s design values of sustainability, materiality, and innovation” said the brand, and guests had the opportunity to relax in the sauna or hot tub before joining the hotel owners Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg at a drinks reception.
      The evening also included dinner in a forest near the hotel, which was made by Michelin star chef Niklas Ekstedt and celebrated natural ingredients coming together “to create something greater than the sum of its parts”.
      Lunch on day three took place at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture ParkDay three saw the group continue the drive south through Sweden’s forests and stop for lunch at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park, built around two converted stone barns with interiors by Kristina Wachtmeister.
      They then drove on through Malmö and across the Öresund Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe, connecting Sweden and Denmark, before switching to chauffeured transport once again for the final stretch of the journey to Copenhagen.
      With accommodation at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens, guests had ample opportunity to explore Copenhagen, including dinner at a world-renowned Nordic restaurant and then a city tour hosted by the Danish Architecture Centre.
      Day four included a tour and lunch at Bjarke Ingels Group’s studioThere was also a tour of Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio, hosted by a member of the team who gave insights into their creative practice. Lunch was also held within “the beating heart” of the office.
      Bentley’s Extraordinary Journey continues in the UK in 2024 with a programme where attendees will experience a scenic route starting at Crewe, the home of Bentley Motors, to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. The UK programme runs from 19 to 22 August and 2 to 5 September.
      For more information and to register interest, visit the Bentley website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Bentley as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Tara Bernerd fills Maroma hotel in Mexico with artisanal elements

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      Interior designer Tara Bernerd worked with local artisans when dressing the cavernous rooms at the Maroma hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, which were renovated to reflect hacienda-style living.

      Housed within white stucco volumes arranged on a coastal plot between lush jungle and the Caribbean sea, the longstanding Belmond hotel was renovated earlier this year but retained much of its traditional-style architecture.
      The Maroma hotel is housed within rounded stucco, palapa-topped volumesBernerd and a team of local artisans conceived the eclectic interiors to reflect the palapa-topped structures, creating a range of bespoke curved furniture and ornaments.
      “The buildings themselves are organic in shape and form and were originally positioned in response to the sacred Mayan geometry,” she told Dezeen.
      “We sought to retain and enhance the beauty of the hotel’s original character.”

      Tara Bernerd sought to reflect this “Mayan geometry” in the interior designAmong the custom pieces are over 700,000 tiles hand-painted and crafted by ceramicist José Noé Suro using clay from Mexico’s Jalisco region.
      The tiles cover the floors in all of the 72 guest rooms, which are characterised by rattan wardrobes and amorphous timber furniture pieces – 80 per cent of which were hand-carved.
      The guest rooms are characterised by rattan accents and blown glassArtisan Max Kublailan blew bulbous glass sconce lights, which feature throughout the rooms and are reminiscent of glowing gemstones.
      “We built up the layers of design within the spaces, with rich pops of colour being brought in through the tiled or mosaic floors, the use of decorative tiles in the walls and dado rail as well as cushions and fabrics,” explained Bernerd.
      An open kitchen clad in glazed ceramic tiles features in one restaurantMaroma’s two restaurants follow a similar design, with accents such as rattan pendant lights and tables featuring textured legs that give the appearance of tree trunks.
      An open kitchen clad entirely in caramel-hued glazed ceramic tiles was tucked into a corner of the Woodend eatery while Casa Mayor includes clusters of hand-painted plant pots.
      The other restaurant includes painted potted plants and oversized rattan lampshadesThroughout the hotel, cavernous alcoves were also dressed with custom interiors made up of stone, clay, wood and natural fibres.
      “Location and layout were key and I am especially proud of how we have managed to reimagine previously under-utilised areas and have created a balance between unique, dramatic spaces and cosier, slightly hidden areas,” said Bernerd.

      Estudio Macías Peredo stylises Mayan architecture for Punta Caliza boutique hotel

      Traditional Yucatán doors with dense timber frames and chandeliers made from clusters of seashells were chosen to respond to Maroma’s setting.
      The hotel’s central swimming pool was renovated with Sukabumi turquoise tiles handmade from volcanic stone to emulate the cenotes – water-filled sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone – found in the Yucatán Peninsula.
      Cavernous corridors reflect the hotel’s architecture”In essence, we wanted to create something that was effortlessly serene and had the feeling of a chic home,” said the designer.
      “So we also drew inspiration from traditional hacienda-style living to create a relaxed, almost residential vibe throughout the resort and evoke a sense of connection, unity and flow between all of the public area buildings,” she concluded.
      The central swimming pool was informed by cenotesThe British designer is the founder of the London-based architecture and interiors office Tara Bernerd & Partners.
      Elsewhere in Mexico, local firms Productora and Esrawe Studio designed a San Miguel de Allende hotel with planes of green tile. Architect Alberto Kalach added a series of vaulted, brick arches to a resort in Oaxaca.
      The photography is courtesy of Belmond. 

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      De Durgerdam hotel takes over 17th-century sailor’s inn on dyke outside Amsterdam

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      Dutch hospitality company Aedes has pushed Amsterdam’s building restrictions to their limit to convert a heritage-listed tavern into an all-electric hotel.

      De Durgerdam hotel occupies one in a row of almost identical gabled buildings perched on a seawall on lake IJmeer, which together make up the small village of Durgerdam near Amsterdam.
      Constructed in 1664, the building originally served as an inn for sailors and fishermen, its white-painted clapboard facade acting as a beacon for boats that could pull right up to its deck in the Zuiderzee bay of the North Sea.
      De Durgerdam hotel is set on a seawall outside AmsterdamDue to recurring flooding, the village was cut off from the sea with the construction of a dam in 1932, turning the bay into a freshwater lake while the inn became a ferry terminal and later a cafe and restaurant.
      Following a five-year restoration led by Aedes, the building reopened this year as a boutique hotel with 14 rooms and interiors designed by material research studio Buro Belén.

      De Durgerdam, the first hotel to be owned and operated by the Aedes, provided an opportunity to see how far heritage restrictions could be stretched to make the building as sustainable as possible.
      The hotel occupies a former inn with a white-painted clapboard facade”What we have done in terms of sustainability is fairly innovative for a historic building of this kind,” said founder Paul Geertman. “We have pushed the boundaries as far as we could to reduce its environmental impact.”
      The 17th-century building now runs on renewable energy – provided by 32 rooftop solar panels and a green energy supplier – and its operations are entirely gas-free.
      This was made possible via meticulous insulation and four separate heat pumps, which cover all of the building’s heating and cooling needs in lieu of a traditional boiler.
      The ground-floor restaurant integrates a small lounge areaWith limited space in the old inn, the heat pumps are dotted across the garden where they are hidden in tiny outbuildings complete with gables and clapboards, which Aedes constructed especially to work around local building codes.
      “A heat pump in Amsterdam normally has to be inside of your building, otherwise you just don’t get the licence,” Aedes head of sustainability Esther Mouwen told Dezeen. “So we had to build a house around them.”
      The windows posed a similar struggle, as the municipality rarely allows the distinctive hand-blown glazing of heritage buildings to be changed.
      But Aedes was able to source an energy-efficient triple-glazed model with a pattern of tiny dots across its surface, which creates the optical illusion of looking at rippled glass.
      An Ingo Maurer chandelier hangs above a vintage sharing table in the restaurantThe renovation itself was a balancing act between changing as little as possible about the building while ensuring that it could survive for another 500 years.
      Although from the outside, the three-storey building looks almost exactly like it did when it was first constructed, large parts of its structure had to be carefully dismantled and reconstructed.
      “The building had deteriorated over time and the structural integrity had been compromised in some areas,” said Aedes marketing manager Monica Hanlo.
      “The interiors had to be carefully renovated and restructured, with beams and stones disassembled, inspected and either reused or replaced.”
      The bedrooms are finished in a moody colour paletteWhere timber could no longer serve a structural function, it was converted into floorboards alongside reclaimed wood sourced from old church pews and demolished timber houses from Austria.
      This wood was smoked for 18 hours to create a rich colour that permeates the timber rather than sitting on top like a stain, which would wear down over time and need re-upping.
      “Normally, they do not smoke it that long,” explained Buro Belén co-founder Lenneke Langenhuijsen. “Now it will patina super beautifully because all throughout, it became this really dark wood.”
      “It was important to us to make well-based decisions, maybe invest a bit more but it’s a long-lasting product that ages with the hotel and makes it even nicer over time.”

      Soho House opens in Amsterdam with a colour palette drawn from the Dutch Masters

      De Durgerdam marks the first time that Buro Belén has applied its material research approach to an entire hotel interior.
      “We did a lot of research so that the hotel also feels very grounded in what it once was, in its place,” Langenhuijsen said. “And if you look at the Zuiderzee, it was a very important part of the Netherlands, all the villages around made their living from it.”
      Layered throughout the hotel’s interior are references to this seafaring history, delivered via an eclectic mix of new, vintage and bespoke elements created by Buro Belén.
      A rusty red colour was used to highlight the building’s beamsIn the ground-floor restaurant De Mark, framed photos provide a glimpse of the inn’s evolution over the years.
      A shaggy curtain frames the lounge area near the entrance, made from traditional flax rope and raw flax fibres that were once used by local fishermen to make their nets.
      Weather permitting, patrons can dine outside on the jetty atop lake IJmeer or sit at a long sharing table that forms the centrepiece of the restaurant.
      The same colour dominates the guest bathroomsOverhead, Buro Belén suspended Ingo Maurer’s chandelier Lacrime del Pescatore – or “fisherman’s tears” – made of sparkling crystals that droop from a nylon net.
      Its name, according to Langenhuijsen, acts as a subtle reference to the plight of the local fishers, who lost their livelihoods as the village was cut off from the sea.
      Upstairs, the inn accommodates three suites and one room, accessed via the building’s untouched original staircase, which still shows the deep grooves that were worn into the wood by thousands of shoes over the centuries.
      Ten of the hotel’s 14 rooms are housed in a garden annexe added in 2006De Durgerdam’s remaining 10 rooms are housed in a garden annexe that was added to the building in 2006. All share a moody colour palette that was drawn from the craft and building traditions of the Zuiderzee.
      A rusty red colour – reminiscent of sails treated with tree-bark tannins to prevent rot – was used to highlight key architectural features like the building’s timber beams and the monochrome bathrooms.
      Similarly, the inside of the bedrooms’ Shaker-style built-in wardrobes was painted in a sky blue colour that nods to a traditional paint made from buttermilk, chalk and a particular blue pigment, historically used by locals across cupboards and box beds to repel insects.
      The hotel’s heat pumps are hidden in tiny gabled outbuildingsEven though construction is complete, Aedes is still working on reducing the hotel’s operational footprint, with the aim of getting 80 per cent of the way towards being zero waste by the end of next year.
      The company is also looking into a reliable way of offsetting the building’s whole-life carbon emissions via a reforestation scheme but has so far struggled to find a reliable company that can guarantee measurable, traceable carbon removals.
      “We’re not fans of offsetting, because we think we have to make sure we don’t create emissions,” Mouwensaid. “But it’s not possible yet.”
      Aedes has previously converted Amsterdam’s art deco Bungehuis building into a Soho House members’ club.
      The photography is by Chantal Arnts and Studio Unfolded.

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      Martin Brudnizki draws on “gritty glamour” for colourful Broadwick Soho hotel

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      Interior architect Martin Brudnizki has used Italian maiolica tiles and bespoke furniture from India to give London’s Broadwick Soho hotel an eclectic look.

      The eight-floor hotel was designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) to evoke the history of Soho – the London neighbourhood that surrounds it.
      The hotel is located on Broadwick Street in London’s Soho area”Inspired by ‘gritty glamour’ and the diverse history of Soho, MBDS’s design influences range from 1970s disco pop elements to British eccentricity,” studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.
      The hotel was also influenced by “the strong women who frequented Soho during the 1960s and 70s such as Mary Fedden, Molly Parkin and Muriel Belcher.”
      Maiolica tiles decorate the restaurant barBroadwick Soho is comprised of  57 rooms, which Brudnizki decorated in opulent colours and patterns. For the downstairs Italian restaurant, Dear Jackie, Brudnizki sourced materials and accessories that nod to its cuisine.

      “A split-level restaurant, the communal dining takes centre stage with long counter-style tables featuring 1970s Formica tops and Memphis-inspired chandeliers suspended from coral lacquered ceilings,” he said.
      Floral patterns cover the walls of the restaurant”The bar features maiolica tiles in traditional southern Italian patterns,” Brudnizki added. “This compliments the maiolica wall covering adorned with Sicilian folk motifs of grapes and flowers.”
      The handpainted ceramic tiles for the bar were developed by the studio itself together with a family business in Sicily.
      Rooms feature decorative elephant wallpaperIn some of the guestrooms, walls were decorated with marbled wallpaper with a pattern of tigers and elephants. The elephant was chosen as a symbol for the hotel and was also turned into mini bars in the hotel’s suites.
      “A huge amount of bespoke pieces were designed by the studio and produced by talented craftspeople across the world,” Brudnizki said.
      Martin Brudnizki Design Studio had elephant minibars crafted in India”The wonderful elephant mini bars in the suites were designed by the studio and crafted in India,” he added.
      “We actually travelled to India to work with the craftspeople directly, ensuring each detail was as we envisioned.”
      A vintage Murano glass chandelier hangs in The NookThe studio also sourced a number of vintage pieces for the hotel, including a 1970s Murano glass chandelier that hangs from the ceiling of The Nook – Broadwick Soho’s residents-only ground-floor lounge.
      MBDS also commissioned new Murano glass lamps that are scattered throughout the space.

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      “All of the Murano glass lights throughout the property have been made and developed by local artisans in the Venice region,” Brudnizki said.
      “Lastly, there is a collection of antiques throughout the hotel that have been sourced from independent Italian and British antique dealers, auction houses and shops.”
      Rooftop bar Flute features a variety of polished materialsBroadwick Soho’s rooftop dining bar – named Flute after a 19th-century flute maker on Broadwick Street – is an example of how Brudnizki played with multiple colours and patterns to create a space that he describes as combining “cocooned comfort with maximalist glamour”.
      Here, saturated green and pink pastel colours contrast gleaming marble and brass details, while contemporary art decorates the walls.
      The Nook has a cosy reading areaThe overall aim of the project was to create a hotel that would suit the context and history of Soho.
      “We were conscious of ensuring that what we were designing felt authentic and true to the Soho context and neighbourhood,” Brudnizki concluded.
      “It has such a strong and important cultural history, we were conscious we needed to draw this out and bring it to the forefront of our design concept.”
      Previous London projects designed by Brudnizki, who was one of the judges for Dezeen Awards 2023, include a mythology-informed restaurant and the redesign of members’ club Annabel’s.
      The photography is by James McDonald.

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      Furora Studio designs Kraków rental apartment Pops with “very sugary interior”

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      Bespoke scalloped edges and a Verner Panton S-Chair feature at the Pops holiday apartment in Kraków, which Furora Studio designed to be more playful than a permanent home.

      Named Pops after lollipops, the dwelling was conceived by Diana Żurek and Gutek Girek of Polish firm Furora Studio.
      “The project is a temporary apartment for anyone who wants to spend time in an attractive and very sugary interior,” said the designers.
      Pops is a holiday apartment in central KrakówSpread across one level of a multi-storey building in central Kraków, the rental home includes an open-plan kitchen and living room.
      This space was dressed with a velvety salmon-pink curtain, which stretches the length of one of two of the walls, and a central display cabinet finished in pistachio green and “crowned with frills”.

      Furniture including a decorative display cabinet was custom-made by Furora StudioMuch of the furniture and other design elements were custom-made by Furora Studio and follow the same toy-like geometry as the cabinet – a combination of round and wavy motifs created in pastel pinks, greens and creams.
      For example, a white and turquoise pendant light with scalloped edges was suspended above a circular dining table, while a ribbed half-moon alcove was created as a backdrop for the wall-mounted television.
      Pastel hues define the apartment”First and foremost, we aimed to find suitable forms,” said Żurek, describing the studio’s starting point for the project.
      “Most of the elements were custom-made because we wanted to maintain the coherence of the interior while ensuring proper functional arrangement,” she told Dezeen.
      “Essentially, each element was its own small project. The selection of shapes, milling, small details, and perfecting the form – all of these were important considerations.”
      A ribbed, half-moon alcove was created as a backdrop for the televisionAn olive-hued, L-shaped sofa was tucked into one corner of the living space and echoed by the kitchen splashback, finished in the same green colour.
      Żurek described the apartment’s double bedroom as “a pink box with a whimsical headboard and an abundance of pillows”.
      Designer Diana Żurek described the bedroom as “a pink box”In one corner, a light green built-in desk was positioned in front of a sculptural Verner Panton chair.
      The iconic S-shaped seating was originally designed by Panton in the early 1960s and recently influenced the furniture created for the Dreamhouse at the centre of the set design in this year’s Barbie film.
      “We rarely have the opportunity to be in interiors that evoke memories of earlier years, when as children, we had few responsibilities and sought joy and playfulness,” noted Żurek.
      “But this is not about returning to preschool or infantilising the space,” stressed the designer.
      “It’s about positive energy. We sought solutions that would more literally create a colorful space, full of rounded patterns, light colours and a sense of relief,” she added.
      The studio added a Verner Panton chair to the apartmentThe bathroom is also awash with pattern, featuring a jumbo scalloped-edged cabinet and pink and brown terrazzo tiles.
      Bulbous pendant lighting illuminates the space, which contains a walk-in shower.
      Summarising the holiday apartment, Żurek called it a place to “have fun and cuddle”.

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      “Certainly, there are many enthusiasts of such candy-like solutions, but this interior may not be for everyone, especially for long-term use, such as in the case of a private home,” reflected the designer.
      “For short-term rentals, I believe most people would be tempted to experience how it feels to be in such a vibrant interior,” she added.
      “These projects allow for the use of [design] solutions that might be somewhat tiring on a daily basis, but spending a brief moment in such a place opens us up to new experiences, feelings of peace and relaxation.”
      A jumbo scalloped-edged cabinet features in the bathroomElsewhere in Kraków, London-based office Studio Mills transformed an apartment at a converted monastery into a family home. Polish practice Projekt Praga created a bar with a self-service beer fountain within the taproom of a centuries-old brewery just outside of the city.
      The photography is by ONI Studio. 

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      Adean Studios overhauls High Country Motor Lodge with nods to astronomy

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      An old roadside motel on America’s iconic Route 66 has been renovated by San Francisco-based Adean Studios to reflect the culture and enviromnent of Flagstaff, Arizona.

      Adean Studios worked with local architecture studio Synectic Design to overhaul the High Country Motor Lodge, which is operated by Marc & Rose Hospitality.
      Dark blue walls and amber lighting set the tone inside the High Country Motor Lodge lobby loungeThe mid-century property is accessed directly off the historic, cross-country Route 66 highway that runs through Flagstaff – the city that provides a base for visitors to the Grand Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort and miles of hiking trails through the surrounding wilderness.
      Almost 7,000 feet (2,100 metres) above sea level, the city is also home to the Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered in 1930.
      The hotel was renovated by Adean Studios to reflect the landscape and history of FlagstaffAll of these elements were combined as influences for the hotel’s design, which lands somewhere between a mountain lodge and a retro motel.

      “Our goal was to incorporate the rich astronomical history of Flagstaff, while also creating an environment that blends elements of a retro 1960s lounge with modern mountain design,” said Adean Studios principal Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar. “The entire property showcases a darker colour palette accented with rustic woods and 1960s-inspired fixtures and furnishings.”
      Guest room interiors are a cross between mountain cabins and retro motel roomsPainted midnight blue, the hotel buildings form a U shape around a central lawn and a large swimming pool, which was also renovated as part of the project.
      The lobby, restaurant and other public areas face the highway, while the majority of guest rooms are located in perpendicular two-storey blocks behind.
      Low furniture and cassette players add to the nostalgic atmosphereOn the west side of the site, three new shingle-clad cabins were constructed to house larger suites, bringing the total number of keys to 123.
      The dark facade colours continue inside the lobby, lounge and bar areas, where a variety of seating types and configurations allow guests to dine or relax as they choose.
      Dark green and blue hues throughout the property nod to the forested surroundings and night skyAmber-hued glass light fixtures emit a soft, warm glow in these spaces, while velvet curtains and blankets were included.
      The bar and lounge opens onto a stepped outdoor terrace, where more dining tables and low chairs are arranged around a series of fire pits.
      The property is arranged around a central lawn, which public events are held, and a large renovated swimming poolA general store off the reception area sells a curated selection of snacks, merchandise and other locally sourced gifts.
      In the guest rooms, navy blue wainscoting wraps the lower portion of off-white walls, and dark wood floors and low furniture add to the mid-century aesthetic.
      Three shingle-clad cabins that house suites were built as part of the projectEach is equipped with a cassette player and a set of three tapes, which play tracks that evoke nostalgia for the road trip era.
      High Country Motor Lodge also boasts a Nordic spa, comprising two private wood-lined saunas that guests can reserve for one-hour sessions.

      Eight mid-century American motels reborn as boutique accommodation

      These cabins are accessed from an enclosed courtyard with an outdoor shower and fire pits, and have direct access to the hot tub for further relaxation, or the swimming pool for a cold plunge.
      “Inspired by the local lifestyle of adventure-seekers, day-sleepers, and night-watchers, the great lawn, private cottages, and the Nordic Spa have been designed to enhance the outdoor experience, constantly reminding guests of the beautiful nature that surrounds,” Nafisi-Movaghar said.
      The hotel has a Nordic spa that guests can book for private experiences. Photo by Landon KroegerThe hotel’s branding was created by Charleston-based SDCO Partners, and also plays up the retro and astronomy themes.
      “Nestled between the Grand Canyon and Barringer Crater, the High Country Motor Lodge is at once both celestial and earthly, and the brand design honors both,” said creative director and founding partner Amy Pastre.
      The sauna cabins are located close to the hot tub. Photo by Landon Kroeger”An eclectic family of hand-rendered typographic and illustrative graphic elements celebrate the motor lodge’s vintage style, contemporary design, and the love of high desert adventure.”
      A range of public programming is organised at the location throughout the year, including theatrical performances, and a folk music festival in the fall.
      The private saunas can be reserved for an hour. Photo by Landon KroegerMany former motels and motor lodges across the US have been bought up and renovated into boutique accommodations over the past decade.
      From Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach and The Drifter in New Orleans, to Scribner’s in New York’s Catskills Mountains and Tourists in the Berkshires, these hotels are often designed with a location-specific twist.
      The photography is by Werner Segarra, unless stated otherwise.

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