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      Birch Selsdon hotel takes over 19th-century mansion in Croydon

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      British hotel chain Birch has opened an outpost in south London, with grounds rewilded by designer Sebastian Cox and interiors conceived by local studios A-nrd and Sella Concept.

      Birch Selsdon is housed in a 19th-century mansion in the borough of Croydon and accommodates 181 rooms alongside a wellness space and lido, co-working facilities and a medley of restaurants and bars.
      Birch Selsdon takes over a 19th-century mansionThe building was first turned into a hotel in the 1920s, with slapdash extensions and modifications added over the following century.
      Local studios A-nrd and Sella Concept took a “restorative approach” to the interior works, stripping back much of the existing fit-out to allow the building’s original architecture to come to the fore.
      The building’s original stone walls and bas-relief ceilings can be seen in the lobbyRestoration was also the focus for Sebastian Cox, who developed a woodland management plan for the hotel’s grounds as well as a rewilding strategy for its 18-hole golf course.

      This will involve introducing grazing pigs and ponies, which can naturally distribute seeds and shape growing vegetation. The former fairways of the golf course will become wetlands, while the sandy bunkers will eventually attract small reptiles and other animals.
      Timber from the grounds was used to create the shingled reception desksCox has also turned trees harvested from the grounds into a series of furnishings for the hotel, creating affordable, locally produced products while providing ecosystem benefits for the woodland.
      “Managed woodlands have higher biodiversity because when you harvest the trees, light gets onto the woodland floor and other vegetation can grow,” Cox explained during a recent episode of Dezeen’s Climate Salon podcast.
      “So we can categorically say that our furniture actually makes a net contribution. It doesn’t just harvest materials, it actually contributes to the spaces that the materials come from.”
      An arched nook discovered during the hotel’s renovation is now a dining spaceAmong Cox’s furniture contributions is a pair of shingled timber reception desks in the entrance lobby, backed by an ombre curtain that mirrors the shifting seasonal hues of the landscape around Birch Selsdon.
      The lobby’s floral bas-relief ceiling was preserved alongside the original masonry walls, which peek out from behind the curtain.
      Peach-coloured surfaces appear in Birch Selsdon’s Meadow BarDotted throughout the space are moss-green velvet sofas as well as wicker armchairs, potted plants and vintage petal-shaped pendant lamps made from Murano glass.
      When guests are hungry, they can head to the hotel’s all-day restaurant Vervain, which serves a farm-to-table menu.

      Red Deer and Jan Hendzel Studio combine ceramics, beaten copper and recycled plastic for hotel valet stands

      The space is anchored by two huge, arched banquettes featuring seat cushions upholstered in an abstract camouflage print and sawn-timber backrests, which were also sourced from the hotel’s woodland.
      Oversized rice paper lanterns hang from the ceiling overhead, which is painted a rich apricot shade to highlight the existing ornate bas-relief.
      The hotel includes another bar called The Snug with wood-panelled wallsFor drinks, guests can head to the hotel’s peachy-hued Meadow Bar or to the Snug, which has a slightly more grown-up aesthetic thanks to the dark, wood-panelled walls that are original to the building.
      The space is dressed with vintage travertine coffee tables and an array of lounge chairs in sumptuous colours like ochre, olive green and damson purple.
      Chequerboard flooring in The Orangery nods to the Victorian periodTo one side of the room lies a curved seating nook that was uncovered during the renovation works. Its interior was rendered in blush pink to foster a warm, intimate dining ambience.
      There’s also the option to relax in The Orangery, a light-filled space centred by a wiggly cobalt-blue sofa. Terracotta tiles are arranged in a traditional checkerboard pattern across the floor in a nod to the building’s Victorian past.
      Bedrooms are filled with textural details like linen curtains and sisal rugsThe aesthetic of the hotel’s communal spaces is maintained in the guest bedrooms, which are finished with textural decorative elements like linen curtains and hand-blown glass lamps that cast dappled light across the limewashed walls.
      Larger suites come complete with lounge areas, dressed with plump armchairs and sisal rugs.
      Timber from the hotel’s woods was also used to produce 352 bedside tables for the rooms, all crafted in Cox’s Kent workshop.
      The bedside tables are also made with timber from the hotel’s groundsThe launch of Birch Selsdon comes just three years after the opening of the inaugural Birch branch near Hertfordshire.
      It was designed by architecture studio Red Deer to challenge the notion of a luxury hotel and features a series of pared-back rooms with quirky, unfinished details.
      The photography is by Adam Lynk.

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      Keiji Ashizawa and Norm Architects design tactile interiors for “hotel in the sky”

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      Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa and Danish studio Norm Architects have unveiled their design for the Bellustar Tokyo hotel, which aims to evoke a sense of nature in the middle of Tokyo’s urban Shinjuku district.

      The two studios worked together to design interiors for five penthouse suites as well as hospitality spaces for the top floors of the Bellustar Tokyo, 200 metres above the ground in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho tower.
      Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design had to take the city views from the building into account when designing the hotel rooms, which are spread over three levels from the 45th to the 47th floor.
      The Tsuki (moon) penthouse suite has calm grey walls”I would say that it is the tallest hotel I have worked on,” Ashizawa told Dezeen, describing it as “a quiet hotel in the sky of Shinjuku”.
      “Since there are no nearby buildings at this elevation, there was no need to be concerned about privacy, and it feels surreal that the views from all the windows are almost always spectacular,” he added.

      “That is why the relationship between views from the windows and the space is indeed very simple.”
      Floor-to-ceiling windows let light into the Tori (bird) suiteBoth studios were involved in the spatial organisation of the five penthouse suites as well as the placement of the hotel’s three restaurants, its top-floor spa and a penthouse lounge designed for guests to enjoy the setting sun.
      Ashizawa and Norm Architects drew on their signature use of natural materials and muted palettes to create the interiors for the five guestrooms.
      The penthouse lounge was designed for guests to view the sunsetThese were informed by the “beauty of the four seasons in Japan” and have names such as Hana (wind) and Tsuki (moon).
      The rooms have been furnished with pieces by the studios’ Karimoku Case Study series for wood furniture company Karimoku and feature a mix of natural materials.
      “The use of organic forms and natural materials like wood and stone can be seen as an antidote to the city that serves as artworks through the grand windows,” the studios said.
      The Hana (flower) penthouse suite features furniture in dark woodAmong the tactile details in the guest rooms are stone-topped bedside tables and wood-panelled headboards.
      “The idea is to create a balance of hardness and softness against the large area of the room that will be covered with textiles,” Ashizawa said.
      A bench creates distance from the view in the Sora (sky) penthouse suiteAs the guestrooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, the bedrooms and living rooms feature benches and curtains that were added “to create a little distance from the view to make the space feel more comfortable,” Ashizawa explained.
      A colour palette of mainly white, ivory and gray was used throughout the Bellustar Tokyo, which is a Pan Pacific hotel, with darker colours creating contrast in some of the spaces.

      Karimoku opens Kyoto showroom informed by traditional houses and temple gardens

      “The color palette is what we and Norm Architects consider to be the colors of nature, and we hope to create a sense of richness by evoking nature in Shinjuku, the most Tokyo-like place in the city,” Ashizawa said.
      “As an antidote to the city, we have tried to listen to nature’s story of artistry, optimism, imperfection, and impermanence, and bring these poignant qualities into the work,” Norm Architects added.
      The Bellustar restaurants have views over TokyoAshizawa also used tiles and handcrafted details to create more tactile walls in some areas of the hotel, including in the main restaurant, which has custom-made tiles from Japan.
      The Bellustar Tokyo features three restaurants: the main restaurant and bar, which was designed solely by Ashizawa, as well as a sushi restaurant and a teppanyaki restaurant.
      Here, the studios worked with material palettes that include wood and brick.
      The restaurant’s sushi restaurant has an intimate design”The sushi and teppanyaki restaurants are designed to feel like small hidden and intimate traditional city restaurants but transformed into contemporary places on the top of Tokyo,” Norm Architects said.
      “Both restaurants have their own unique character and material palette where the sushi restaurant is bright and works with hinoki [cypress wood], the teppanyaki place is dark and dominated by dark bricks in creative patterns.”
      The Kaze (wind) penthouse suite has tactile material detailsThe studios hope that by using natural materials and muted colours, the Bellustar Tokyo will function as a refuge from the busy city.
      “We hope that the guests of the hotel will first experience the vibrant atmosphere of the Shinjuku Kabukicho district of Tokyo, and then enjoy the serenity of the penthouse interior – as if the lively Tokyo scenery were like a Zen temple’s karesansui (dry landscape garden),” Ashizawa said.
      Light falls in through the large windows of the penthouse loungePrevious projects by Keiji Ashizawa Design include the Hiroo Residence overlooking Tokyo’s Arisugawanomiya Memorial Park and the Kyoto showroom for Karimoku.
      Norm Architects recently created a headquarters for children’s brand Liewood and an inside-out greenhouse restaurant in Sweden.
      Project credits:
      Interior architecture: Keiji Ashizawa Design: Keiji Ashizawa, Mariko Irie, Kenji Kawami, Yuichiro Takei. Norm Architects: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, Peter Eland, Frederik WernerBellustar penthouse (five penthouses): Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm ArchitectsBellustar restaurant and bar: Keiji Ashizawa DesignSpa Sunya: Keiji Ashizawa DesignFurniture, fixtures and equipment: Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects

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      Linehouse designs Hong Kong hotel to evoke the comfort of home

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      Shanghai-based interior studio Linehouse used natural materials and a muted colour palette to give the Ying’nFlo hotel in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, the feel of an inviting home.

      The hotel occupies the podium of a 24-story tower on a hilly street in Hong Kong. Its ground floor holds a series of communal spaces that Linehouse designed to provide “home comfort” for guests.
      The ground floor comprises a series of rooms referencing living roomsThe Collectors Room, which greets guests at the entrance of the hotel, has a neutral palette of hand-rendered walls, timber paneling, and linen cabinetry that display curated objects and artworks. A communal oak table serves as a counter where guests can interact.
      This room also connects to an outdoor terrace through sliding glazed doors. Built-in bench seating and an olive tree sit at the centre of the terrace and invite guests to relax and socialise.
      A communal table and outdoor bench invite guests to socialiseA gridded timber screen leads further into the space through to the lift lobby and the Arcade room, where guests can gather to relax and play.

      Soft-rendered walls, timber shutters and an eclectic mix of furniture create a sense of intimacy, while floor tiles in various geometrical motifs add a sense of playfulness.
      The Music Room features ceramic tilesAdjacent to the Arcade is the Music Room, the social hub of the hotel. Here, ceramic tiles, a bespoke oak shelving system, a custom sofa and curated art and lifestyle objects were added to evoke a sense of a residential living room.
      The Music Room opens up to the Garden Terrace, where undulating greenery sits behind circular seating in yellow-striped fabric, a colourful contrast to the overall neutral colour palette of the Ying’nFlo hotel.
      Yellow-striped fabric seating on the terrace adds playfulness”The spaces are designed to have a warm, welcoming and familiar feel,” Linehouse said.
      “Against this backdrop of curated simplicity is an edge of youthful attitude and local context, with vibrant elements giving the hotel its own unique flavour.”

      Linehouse creates tactile restaurant with “Mediterranean soul” in Shanghai

      The guest rooms of the Ying’nFlo hotel are located on the upper floor and feature ceilings painted in a muted green hue, which the same green tone used to frame window seating nooks and for the hand-glazed tiles in the bathroom and kitchen.
      A clean palette of plaster, wood, white-washed oak and canvas add texture to the rooms. Seating nooks and lounge furniture serve multiple functions as spaces where guests can work, relax or dine.
      Muted green and selection of wood furniture create a warm feeling for the guest roomsLinehouse was founded by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013 and the duo went on to win emerging interior designer of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.
      The studio has recently completed a Mediterranean restaurant with natural, tactile materials, as well as a space-themed cafe decorated with real meteorites, both in Shanghai.
      The photography is by Jonathan Leijonhufvud.
      Project credits:
      Design principle: Briar HicklingDesign team: Ricki-Lee Van Het Wout, Lara Daoud, Justin Cheung
      Dezeen is on WeChat!
      Click here to read the Chinese version of this article on Dezeen’s official WeChat account, where we publish daily architecture and design news and projects in Simplified Chinese.

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      Ember Locke hotel channels Kensington’s decadent heyday

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      Warm saturated colours and maximalist touches are combined inside Locke Hotels’ latest outpost in west London, designed by local studios Atelier Ochre and House of Dré.

      Occupying an imposing Victorian mansion block in Kensington, the Ember Locke hotel was designed as a homage to some of the area’s historic architecture.
      Atelier Ochre and House of Dré have designed the Ember Locke hotelAmong the references brought in by the designers were the art deco Kensington Roof Gardens and the now-defunct Biba department store, which rose to popularity in the Swinging Sixties.
      “We wanted to create interiors that are an extension and interpretation of the neighbourhood, a space that reflects the cultural heritage of Kensington but also somewhere that shows the area’s evolution over time,” Atelier Ochre founder Pauline Dellemotte told Dezeen.
      “We wanted to delve into the world of bold patterns, rich colours, eclectic furniture and art deco details, to tap into the sense of opulence that once dominated the Kensington scene.”

      The hotel accommodates 121 serviced apartmentsInstead of traditional guest rooms, Ember Locke accommodates 121 serviced apartments over eight floors, alongside a bakery, restaurant and conservatory cocktail bar, a stage for live performances, a co-working space, a gym and a garden.
      Its interiors were designed to offer a contrast to the hotel’s location on bustling Cromwell Road – home to three of London’s most important museums including the V&A and the Natural History Museum.
      Velvet banquettes in the rooms are trimmed with ultra-long fringingThe building’s original arch-topped windows are mirrored in the arches and curves found in each room, from tubular-backed banquettes and chairs to the sculptural meandering clothes rail of the deconstructed wardrobe.
      “The curved edges of the banquette, the rotating mirror and the wardrobe rail are attempts to combine the unlikely trio of playfulness, comfort and practicality,” said House of Dré founder Andreas Christodoulou.
      “We’ve introduced some bold furniture and sculptural objects to spark a sense of curiosity and playfulness, and to allow guests to interact and reflect themselves within the space,” Dellemotte added.
      Each apartment also has a small kitchenetteThe velvet banquettes are trimmed with ultra-long fringing, echoed by the fringed pendant lights that hang low above the circular table in each room to zone the seating area.
      Brass detailing across coat hooks, wall lights and clothes rails adds to the sense of opulent modernity.

      Fettle designs Schwan Locke Hotel in homage to early German modernism

      An intense colour palette, which layers red, orange and mustard tones, is offset by the deep green of the apartment kitchenettes, highlighting the more practical nature of this area.
      “With the fringing and warm earthy colours, the rooms flirt with maximalism but still possess the calm and contemporary sophistication that one would expect from a Locke hotel,” said Christodoulou.
      The bed is separated from the kitchen via a cotton curtainHeavy recycled-cotton curtains in a claret colour, custom-created by London textile company Yarn Collective, track around the walls and create a flexible room divider, separating the bed and kitchen areas when needed.
      Many of the communal spaces feature art by local and up-and-coming artists alongside specially created works by House of Dré.
      Striped shower curtains jazz up the bathroomsThe project was a close creative collaboration between Dellemotte and Christodoulou.
      “We are old friends who met at a previous practice,” said Dellemotte. “Our friendship grew to include exciting collaborations across hospitality projects, where we combined our passions for design and art.”
      “At Ember Locke, we’ve been given the opportunity to blend the interior aesthetics and art curation of the spaces with the overall branding of the hotel in a holistic way.”
      Surfaces are finished in a salmony peach colourLocke Hotels already has a number of other outposts in London. Among them is one in Bermondsey – with interiors designed by Holloway Li to echo sunny California deserts – and one near St Paul’s Cathedral that is housed in a converted 1970s office block.
      The photography is by Kensington Leverne

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      Cliffside hotel in China features cave-like pool with sea views

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      Chinese interior studio GS Design has created the nature-informed Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay near Shenzhen, China.

      Located in Nan’ao Subdistrict, the Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay was designed to reference its surrounding environment.
      Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay is located near ShenzhenThe exterior of the five-storey building is punctuated by a series of arched windows, inviting the surrounding natural landscape of the cliffside hotel into the building. Each storey was stacked above one another, creating balconies and terrace pool areas on the upper three floors.
      The Shenzhen-based studio used white as the base tone of the interiors to contrast the rich blues of the surrounding sea and sky.
      Wood and bamboo were used in the hotel restaurant to reference the natural environment”Elegant vacation is the core idea of this space,” explained GS Design.

      “The whole building takes pure white as the basic tone, combined with blue sea and sky, expressed the relaxation of the exotic vacation, as if people immersed in nature
      A cave-like pool features in one guest roomThe entrance of the hotel on the third floor where a public restaurant is also located. A bamboo ceiling painted in white and wooden furniture add to the overall nature-informed interiors of the hotel. GS Design cladded the bar in black bamboo to create a sense of mystery.
      Other public spaces of the hotel include a water bar, reading recreation area and a conference room. GS Design created 25 different guest rooms spread throughout all floors, each with a unique view framed by various shaped windows.

      GS Design repeats arch motifs throughout Sumei Skyline Coast hotel on Hainan Island

      One room features a cave-like pool that extends from within the inside of the room to the outside. The polished rugged surface of the cave envelopes the bath, protecting the privacy of the guests as well as connecting them directly to the outdoor nature.
      “The natural scenery corresponding to different caves and pools has become the core of space,” said GS Design. “Through the visual, tactile, auditory sensory experience , we create a more delicate appropriate sense of vacation for travellers.”
      The base tone of white contrasts the blues of surrounding sea and skyThe top attic rooms were designed specifically for family with children.
      According to the studio, triangle oblique top modelling and window framing evoke the memory of childhood corner, as they discovered in a survey a huge demand for parent-child serviced rooms for urban hotels.
      GS Design was established in 2014 and is based in Shenzhen. Previously it has designed a similar hotel on the beachside of Sanya, China, with arched windows and sculptural vaulted corridors.
      The photography is by Aoxiang.
      Project credits:
      Design director: Li Liangchao, Huang YuanmanSoft outfitting design director: Feng YuDesign team: Fu Qixin, Xu Zuohua, Zheng Yong, Zhong Zhige

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      Basile Studio enlivens Moxy Williamsburg hotel with “eclectic grab-bag” of spaces

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      Hotel brand Moxy has opened its first outpost in Brooklyn, with plentiful gathering spaces including a bar with motorised 20-feet-tall liquor shelves and an eatery modelled on Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus architecture.

      Californian hospitality design practice Basile Studio spearheaded the interior design of the 216-room hotel, set in the heart of Williamsburg on bustling Bedford Avenue.
      The aim was for the design to reflect the area’s rich history and its eclectic inhabitants while creating a slew of public spaces for locals and visitors to enjoy.
      Moxy Williamsburg’s public spaces include the lobby (above) and Jolene lounge (top)”The design for Moxy Williamsburg was inspired by the neighbourhood’s history as a magnet for mavericks, immigrants and creators while taking its place at the centre of Brooklyn’s contemporary social scene,” Basile Studio’s lead designer Ashley Evans told Dezeen.
      “The hotel’s eclectic public spaces reflect the area’s melting pot character, finding inspiration in both past and present with influences from both near and far.”

      Among the hotel’s communal spaces are several co-working studios with modular rearrangeable furnishings as well as four different dining and nightlife venues created in collaboration with Bar Lab – the hospitality company behind Miami’s famous Broken Shaker cocktail bar.
      Bar Bedford lies just off the lobby”For Moxy Williamsburg, we envisioned an eclectic grab-bag of experiences that mirrors Williamsburg’s diversity,” said Bar Lab founders Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta. “Once you enter, you don’t want to leave.”
      It is housed in an 11-storey building, designed by local studio Stonehill Taylor, which has a glass-fronted facade that opens completely onto the sidewalk of Bedford Avenue.
      Guests enter via a lobby with exposed 20-foot ceilings, reminiscent of Brooklyn’s many converted warehouses.
      The room is organised around a curved barOn one side, custom timber joinery frames a small seating area with a built-in bench and a long planter, helping to soften the otherwise industrial space.
      A monumental artwork by creative studio RareCulture presides over the hotel’s two blacked-steel check-in counters. Stretching up all the way across the ceiling, this shows a pointillist depiction of nearby Williamsburg Bridge formed from thousands of colourful crayons.
      Immediately to the right lies Bar Bedford, which was designed to resemble a comfortable living space.
      Oblong windows connect the bar to the neighbouring Mesiba restaurant”Our seating is miscellaneous and meant to feel warm and inviting, modular in the sense that we want to invite people to move around and get social,” Evans said.
      The room’s centrepiece is a curved bar, which houses 1,500 bottles of wine and liquor inside a custom 20-foot-tall cabinet made from white oak and glass, with motorised shelves that move up and down like dumbwaiters.
      Although designed largely for entertainment value, the system was actually modelled on New York’s historic automat restaurants.
      The restaurant features plentiful planting and leather-upholstered booths”The automats, ubiquitous in New York in the first half of the 20th century, were fast food restaurants where customers would pick up their food from a wall of glass-fronted cubbies,” said Mitchell Hochberg, president of the hotel’s developer Lightstone.
      “We thought it would be fun to take something that was iconically New York and introduce it into the design.”
      Timber also features here in the form of the dramatic pendant lights – designed by Basil to resemble a giant nest of twigs – and the portals that provide a peek into the neighbouring Levantine restaurant Mesiba.

      Yabu Pushelberg references multi-faceted LA culture in conjoined hotels

      With its textured plasterwork, abundant greenery and curved seating booths upholstered in burgundy-red leather, the eatery was designed to reference the buildings of Tel Aviv.
      “The curvilinear lines of Bauhaus architecture find echoes in the rounded bar overhang and the oblong wood-framed etched-glass windows that offer a glimpse into Bar Bedford,” Evans said.
      “Travertine tabletops hearken back to Tel Aviv’s historic architecture, providing a striking contrast to the Bauhaus-influenced elements.”
      The hotel’s club has marquee-style lights integrated into its ceilingMoxy Williamsburg has three co-working and meeting rooms that can be used independently or combined to host larger groups thanks to their modular furnishings.
      After hours, the hotel also has its own club, named Jolene in homage to the iconic Dolly Parton song and outfitted with a sound system designed by DJ Nicolas Mater – the owner of infamous New York nightclubs Output and Cielo.
      Informed by 70s interiors and mid-century recording studios, the space is lined with rows of integrated high-fidelity speakers and rectangular acoustical panels in shades of green and gray.
      The hotel also has a rooftop bar and terraceWalnut, leather and fabric finishes ensure warm, resonant acoustics while hundreds of multicoloured, marquee-style lights that sync to the music are integrated into the ceiling.
      Modular furniture, including floating banquettes and low semicircular armchairs, allows the space to act as a lounge, a club or something in between.
      On the top floor, Basile Studio imbued the LiliStar rooftop bar with Balinese influences that can be seen in the hand-shaped timber chairs and the theatrical ceiling lights, which resemble giant lotus flowers carved from copper, glass and leather.
      Custom birch wood joinery defines the guest rooms”It’s much more playful here with an elevated tropical feel while, again, not being too literal,” Evans said. “We stuck to patterns and textures along with shelving inspired by shutters and exteriors of homes in Bali.”
      The hotel’s 216 bedrooms are pared back and fitted with space-saving birchwood joinery such as collapsible desks and wall-mounted pegs, that guests can be folded away when they are no longer needed.
      Moxy has recently completed a number of other outposts across the US. Among them is New York’s Lower East Side branch designed by Michaelis Boyd and another in Downtown Los Angeles by Yabu Pushelberg.

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      Eight Milanese interiors with eye-catching material palettes

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      In the lead-up to Milan design week, we have rounded up eight residential and hotel interiors in the Italian city that are united by their use of muted colours and diverse materials.

      As the Salone del Mobile furniture fair is set to kick off next week, alongside its surrounding Fuorisalone events programme, these interiors provide a glimpse into some of the city’s design-led apartments, homes and hotels.
      Among the featured projects in Italy’s industrial capital is a hybrid home and office space in a former dental studio, a home set within a 200-year-old palazzo and a nunnery-turned-hotel.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring accent walls, bookshelves and terracotta tiles.
      Photo is by Carola RipamontiTeorema Milanese, Italy, by Marcante-Testa

      With the exception of removing a partition wall to create an open-plan living and dining area, Italian design studio Marcante-Testa looked to maintain the classic layout of this apartment in a 1960s building on Corso Sempione during its renovation.
      The studio decorated the apartment in muted colours and used pale grey cipollino tirreno marble as a “carpet” across the sitting area. Elsewhere, a pale lemon-hued cabinet functions as a partition while the bathroom is clad in a maroon-streaked salomè marble.
      Find out more about Teorema Milanese ›

      Out of the Blue, Italy, by AIM
      Italian design studio AIM made liberal use of the colour grey when renovating the interior of this 150-square-metre home in Milan. The concealed staircase that forms the centre of the renovation is framed in the distinctive bluey-grey hue.
      And in the dining area, the home’s wooden flooring was decorated with a painted rectangle that aims to visually zone and separate the space from its surroundings. Brass fixtures complement its grey hue, which can also be found across light fixings and ornaments.
      Find out more about Out of the Blue ›
      Photo is by Giovanni Emilio GalanelloPrivate apartment, Italy, by Untitled Architecture
      A cylindrical staircase and metal structural elements are the focal features of this small apartment, designed by local studio Untitled Architecture.
      The apartment has a minimal paired-back aesthetic, with white-painted walls and bleached wood elements contrasted against tiny pops of colour introduced through blue-hued grouting and balustrades.
      Find out more about the private apartment ›
      Photo is by Michele FilippiCPR Apartment, Italy, by +R Piuerre
      Housed in a former dental studio, this hybrid home and office belongs to a young remote-working couple and was designed to combine Milanese modernism with Nordic design.
      Two areas of the apartment were colour-coded according to their function, with the bedroom, office and entryway covered in tones of grey while the living area and kitchen are marked by a bright yellow hue. The spaces are connected by a white-painted staircase constructed from sheets of folded metal.
      Find out more about CPR Apartment ›

      Room Mate Giulia, Italy, by Patricia Urquiola
      Pistachio green was used to colour the dado wall panelling and soft furnishings inside this suite in Milan’s Room Mate Giulia hotel decorated by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola. Meanwhile, the upper half of the walls and the ceilings are covered in white wallpaper with a geometric grid pattern.
      Industrial materials and furnishings, including a galvanised metal shelving unit, were repurposed as boutique storage solutions and room partitions.
      Find out more about Room Mate Hotels ›

      Casa Salvatori, Italy, by Elissa Ossino Studio
      This home, designed by Milanese architecture practice Elissa Ossino Studio for the head of Italian stone company Salvatori, brings together marble furnishings and flecked terrazzo floors to link the interior with Salvatori’s stone manufacturing history.
      Dulled hues of blue, peach, green and yellow were carried through the interior of the home, which is set within a 200-year-old palazzo in the city’s Brera district.
      Find out more about Casa Salvatori ›
      Photo is by Giovanna SilvaHouse with an iron staircase, Italy, by Roberto Murgia and Valentina Ravara
      An iron staircase with a zig-zagging framework reminiscent of structural trusses was installed along one wall of this apartment in the Isola district, designed by Italian architects Roberto Murgia and Valentina Ravara.
      The floor of the main living space features a geometric design, achieved through the use of hexagonal cement tiles. Each of the tiles is handmade and coloured in shades of light blue and white to provide tonal variation.
      Find out more about House with an iron staircase ›
      Photo is by Alberto StradaThe Sister Hotel, Italy, by Quincoces-Dragò
      Housed in a former 16th-century nunnery in Milan’s city centre, The Sister Hotel features decadent yet eclectic interiors by architecture studio Quincoces-Dragò.
      The studio looked to grandiose private townhouses when designing the interiors, opting for moody shades of navy blue and deep green within the bedrooms. Furnishings introduce brighter colours into the suites, including a velvet-upholstered orange sofa.
      Find out more about The Sister Hotel ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring accent walls, bookshelves and terracotta tiles.

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      Emma Martí celebrates Menorca's architectural heritage in Hevresac Hotel

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      Spanish architect Emma Martí has converted an 18th-century townhouse on the Balearic island of Menorca into the intimate eight-bedroom Hevresac Hotel, taking over all of its five floors from basement to attic.

      The building, which originally belonged to a local merchant and privateer, is set in the historic centre of Mahón – a former trade hub that still bears traces of French and English culture after spending many years under colonial rule.
      Emma Martí has converted a five-storey townhouse into the Hevresac HotelHevresac owners Ignasi Truyol and Stephanie Mahé brought Martí on board for the renovation in part because she was an old friend, who they thought could be trusted to conserve and enhance the spirit and character of the building.
      Martí’s aim for the project was to fill the building with light and life while preserving its wealth of existing architectural elements, from wooden beams and mosaic flooring to stucco walls and staircases.
      “The aim of the project was to create a fresh and inspiring hotel that values the beauty of the existing architecture,” said the hotel’s owners.

      Original details such as parquet floors were retained throughoutHevresac’s original floors, covered variously in wooden parquet and encaustic cement tiles, were carefully preserved.
      In areas where it was not possible to retain the original elements, Martí chose a new design language using modern equivalents of these original materials, including micro-cement.
      Hevresac Hotel has only eight guest roomsThe renovation process revealed both the stucco on the walls and the original paintwork on the beams, uncovering part of the building’s hidden history.
      The original wrought iron columns in the living room are now a celebrated feature. Less noticeable but equally interesting is the Masonic symbolism on the wrought-iron railing of the marble staircase at the entrance.
      Solid timber was used to frame private bathrooms in each of the bedroomsMartí also wanted to preserve the original room structure of the townhouse.
      To allow for this, she added private bathrooms within each of the existing bedrooms using a lightweight timber framing system made of solid Flanders pine, while three-ply spruce boards form partitions, headboards and wardrobes in each bedroom.
      “Martí’s intention is for the new materials to coexist and harmonise with the originals, providing a new language, lightness and contemporaneity,” the owners said.

      Artchimboldi Menorca is a work retreat inside an abandoned girls’ school

      A new staircase – also utilising spruce ply – now coexists with the original staircase, providing an alternative route through the Hevresac Hotel.
      The material is key to the contemporary language of the new insertions, which sit clearly differentiated alongside layers of the building’s past.
      “I like to work with an honest and frank attitude towards the island’s architectural heritage,” Martí told Dezeen. “I wanted it to be clear what our intervention was, not to highlight it but to highlight the value of what existed in the building.”
      Three-ply spruce boards form partitions and wardrobes in each of the bedroomsTo fill the spaces with natural light, several skylights were added on the upper floor, with one above the main stairwell as well as three new openings in the facade.
      In the basement, the vaulted ceiling made of local marés stone required an intervention to lighten the space.
      Martí’s response was to remove a bay of the existing vault and install a new, more comfortable staircase to link the ground floor with the basement and flood the space with light.
      Martí also added a new spruce ply staircaseHevresac’s choice of furnishings reflects Mahón’s cosmopolitan history, including an eclectic assembly of antique, vintage and contemporary pieces from all over Europe.
      Among them are Nanimarquina rugs, Achille Castiglioni lights and some of Marcel Breuer’s Cesca chairs, as well as items from Menorcan antique dealers including Alcolea & Kraus and Antics Antigüedades.
      “It’s a kind of synergy,” the owners said. “Together, the components project a warm, creative and personal composition, which is more than the algebraical sum of those individual pieces.”
      The hotel has a small terraceMartí, who founded her self-titled studio Emma Martí Arquitectura in Menorca in 2013, has since completed a number of projects on the island.
      Among them is a work retreat inside an abandoned girls’ school, with design-driven spaces where businesses can host meetings or team-building sessions.
      The photography is by Pol Viladoms

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