Puerto Rico

Four vacation rental apartments within a green-painted building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, are each designed with a slightly different take on “minimalism meets retro-chic”.

Verde contains four minimalist apartments: two studios and two one-bedroom apartments, all a 10-minute walk to Ocean Park Beach.
Each of the four apartments in Verde has a different interior, including the cool-toned Verde 1The units were designed and are operated by LGBTQIA-owned hospitality group Dreamers Welcome, which manages over 60 rentable rooms across hotels, multi-unit properties and single-family dwellings in Puerto Rico and North Carolina.
All of the spaces at Verde are designed to create a “cohesive contrast where minimalism meets retro-chic charm”, according to the owners.
Verde 1 studio features concrete furniture and a giant keyhole that leads to an outdoor showerThe loft-like Verde 1 studio boasts 12-foot (3.7-metre) ceilings and opens onto a private terrace, complete with a water feature and hammock.

Inside, antique checkerboard tiles cover the floor and polished concrete furniture elements including a table-cum-counter and a centrally positioned headboard add Brutalist touches.
Verde 2 has a warmer palette, with honey-toned floors and colourful accentsWalls are painted pale blue until halfway up, then replaced with beige that continues across the ceiling.
A giant keyhole behind folding glass doors provides access to a small outdoor pool with a shower.
Verde 2 has access to two outdoor spaces, including one with a pink concrete tub and rain showerVerde 2 features a warmer palette, with honey-toned floor tiles and pink concrete surfaces including the outdoor shower and soaking tub.
This one-bedroom apartment has access to an additional terrace, wrapped with wood slats for privacy, and has colourful accents throughout.
In Verde 3, tinted glass gives the room an amber glow”The oversized windows overlook a verdant plant enclosure allowing for plenty of natural light to pour in,” said Dreamers Welcome.
Upstairs, Verde 3 is another studio unit, where retro-tinted glass gives the whole space an amber glow.
Neutral hues are used through the majority of one-bed Verde 4A compact kitchenette opens onto a balcony enclosed by concrete blocks and more tinted glass.
“Midcentury modern pieces like lamp fixtures, peacock chairs, and wood panelling create a unique contemporary vibe rooted in the past,” Dreamers Welcome said.
In contrast, Verde 4’s bathroom features olive green walls and a pink double vanity and showerThe final one-bedroom apartment, Verde 4, is decorated in neutral tones apart from the bathroom, which has olive green walls and pink concrete double vanity and shower.
A hammock is installed in the bedroom and a corduroy sofa in the living area can sleep a third guest.

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There’s a full kitchen for those who wish to cook for themselves, and a balcony for eating and relaxing outside.
Two of the four apartments also have access to a secret room, which is lined entirely with silver foil as an homage to Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York City.
Two of the units have access to a Warhol-themed secret roomGuests won’t know if the space they’ve booked is one of those with access until they arrive and discover the room by exploring for themselves.
Dreamers Welcome was founded by entrepreneur Stephan Watts and artist Roy Delgado, and the duo design the interiors for each of their properties themselves.
The apartments are housed within a green-painted building 10 minute’s walk from Ocean Park BeachPuerto Rico’s Caribbean climate makes it a popular tourist destination, particularly for American tourists, and the island has a wealth of accommodation options to cater to them.
A 1920s residence that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria and then converted into a luxury holiday home in Dorado, and pairs of apartments stacked in rectangular concrete blocks to form a self-sufficient guesthouse are among other choices for holiday makers.

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