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California architecture studio Electric Bowery and graphic design firm Land have completed the renovation of a 1980s hotel in Laguna Beach informed by European seaside inns. More
Interiors studio YSG has updated a seaside home in Byron Bay, Australia, creating a series of retro spaces with colours and furnishings that evoke the 1970s.
Byron Bay is known for its tropical climate and surf culture, so YSG director Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem designed a laid-back interior filled with period details to complement the lush environment.
YSG has renovated a seaside home in Byron Bay, AustraliaResponding to the client’s love of deep brown hues and vintage furnishings, the 1970s theme informed details such as the use of chrome and the addition of a sunken lounge.
“Despite tropical surrounds, the home’s gaze is now firmly fixed inwards to create sensory journeys heightened by the eccentric beats of nostalgia,” said Ghoniem.
A chrome balustrade create a threshold between the kitchen and loungeThe existing kitchen was gutted to double its size, with a new galley kitchen partially enclosed by a wooden screen and a circular island that can be used for casual dining.
A chrome balustrade informed by old-school skate parks provides an additional place to lean alongside the island. Fixed to a timber column, it helps to create a threshold between the kitchen and the sunken lounge.
Vintage Italian dining chairs were reupholstered in chartreuse velvetThe island’s chrome footrest echoes the nearby barstools and vintage Italian dining chairs sourced in Paris, which YSG has reupholstered in chartreuse velvet.
The project is titled Checkmate after the geometric patterned floors featured throughout the property.
Terracotta pavers are arranged into a geometric grid across Checkmate’s living areasIn the living areas, YSG specified terracotta pavers arranged in a simple grid with wide grout lines that add tonal contrast.
Checkered porcelain tiles used in the family bathroom extend across a balcony that wraps around the parents’ bedroom. The same pattern and hues were used for the bedroom’s cork flooring – another nod to the seventies.
Checkered sandstone floor tiles feature in the guest bedroom downstairsThe raised bathtub in the main bathroom was retained and wrapped in mosaic tiles, while the guest bathroom downstairs features chunky sandstone floor tiles in a similar checkered pattern.
YSG’s limited spatial interventions also included enclosing an internal balcony to create a hallway leading to the children’s enlarged bedrooms. A circular window on this level now looks onto the verdant balcony off the main bedroom.
The home is furnished with a mix of new and vintage piecesAs in many of its previous projects, YSG used timber framing and slatted screens in the home to help provide visual cohesion while fulfilling practical functions.
In addition to the screen installed in the kitchen, a latticed partition on the upper floor provides privacy for the children walking from the bathroom to their bedrooms.
Pattern completes understated interiors for Locura bar in Byron Bay
The balcony on this level already had a slatted ceiling and YSG added matching vertical battens to further shade the space and protect it from being overlooked by neighbours.
To furnish the interior, Ghoniem sourced a variety of new and vintage pieces that reference aesthetic styles from the 1950s to the 1970s, including a limited edition denim Soriana chair from Cassina placed in the living room.
The raised bathtub in the primary bathroom was updated with mosaic tilesThe dining chairs are complemented by cone-shaped bar stools upholstered in a tropical fabric from Kvadrat, while a pair of Italian armchairs purchased at vintage emporium Oda Paris feature a chocolate-and-spearmint harlequin pattern.
Lighting and accessories add further layers of pattern and texture to the interior, with the various shades of brown providing a backdrop for more expressive elements.
A circular window overlooks the balcony off the main bedroom”We steered away from deep shades, opting for warm caramel and toffee shades,” Ghoniem told Dezeen.
“To this grounding tone, we added a gamut of colours from jolts of indigo and denim blues to watermelon pink and green stripes adorning the kitchen’s window treatments, and assorted coloured ceramic pulls to the primary suite’s wardrobes.”
Timber screens shade the upstairs balconyA moon-like fibreglass light fixture was created as a custom piece to fill the large void above the sunken lounge, while bespoke timber handles used for the kitchen cabinets as well as the property’s front door add a whimsical detail.
In the main bathroom, an LED artwork by local artist Jeremy Kay was installed on the ceiling to create a dynamic disco effect.
An LED artwork by Jeremy Kay creates a disco effect in the main bathroomYasmine Saleh Ghoniem founded her eponymous design studio in 2020, having previously worked with landscape architect Katy Svalbe at their joint studio Amber Road in Sydney.
YSG’s multidisciplinary projects are defined by a bold approach to colour, texture and pattern. Ghoniem draws on her background in music and dance to infuse her designs with elements of storytelling and staging.
Other residential interiors completed by the studio include a suburban home in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a luxury hotel, and a coastal home featuring maximalist patterns that reference the beach clubs of Ibiza and Cancun.
The photography is by Prue Ruscoe.
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The founders of design PR agency Club Paradis have transformed an apartment in Ostend, Belgium, into a design-led vacation home where almost everything is for sale.
Available for holiday stays, meetings or photoshoots, Paradis Apartment is filled with furniture, accessories and artworks by the likes of Muller Van Severen, Destroyers Builders and Nathalie Du Pasquier.
Paradis Apartment features a bay window overlooking the Ostend seafrontBusiness and life partners Albane Paret and Micha Pycke bought the apartment for their own holiday home, but soon realised it could double as a show space for contemporary design.
Following a complete refurbishment, the couple filled the rooms with works by friends and colleagues, including some by designers, brands and galleries represented by Club Paradis.
The living room features Muller Van Severen’s Pillow Sofa and a carpet by Christoph Hefti”We have always been drawn to beautiful things, craftsmanship and art, but it wasn’t until we bought the flat last summer that an idea grew to do something more than just decorating and renting it out,” Paret told Dezeen.
“Talking to people in our network, the idea of placing objects and works of art in it, to show them off to best advantage, was born,” he said.
“We wanted to create an inspiring place where you see beautiful things and feel inspired.”
Muller Van Severen’s Wire C # 1 wall cabinet will be a permanent fixtureThe couple have a personal connection with Ostend. The seaside town, situated between Bruges and the French border, is where Paret grew up.
They bought an apartment overlooking the sea, with characterful period details including a grand bay window, herringbone parquet flooring, decorative crown mouldings and a marble fireplace.
A custom kitchen by Atelier Ternier features an undulating hardwood wall unitThe renovation opened up parts of the apartment that were previously separate, with a grand open-plan room now serving as a living room, dining space and kitchen.
The space features a custom-designed kitchen by Atelier Ternier, combining a precisely crafted island in brushed stainless steel with an undulating wall unit in lacquered sapele hardwood.
The apartment contains two bedrooms, including one with a double bedOther standout pieces in this room include Muller Van Severen’s squishy Pillow Sofa and gridded Wire C # 1 wall cabinet, and statement carpets by textile artist Christoph Hefti.
Paret and Pycke plan to change the furniture over time, swapping some pieces out to make room for new ones.
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They describe the apartment as “a moving, versatile and evolving project”.
“It’s not a gallery, nor a showroom or a shop, but a curated space where the works and objects are put to everyday use, away from the sacredness of the museum and the white cube,” said Paret.
A quilted silk blanket by Rooms Studio adorns one wallAlthough many of the works are by Belgian designers and studios, there are a few additions from further afield.
These include a quilted silk blanket by Georgian design duo Rooms Studio, which is presented as an artwork, plus accessories and textiles from Danish brands Hay and Tekla.
The second bedroom features bunk bedsBelgian design gallery Maniera, a Club Paradis client, is one of the main contributors. Other partners include up-and-coming studio Coseincorso and Ghent-based Lerry Ceramics.
“It’s a very personal project,” said Paret. “We chose objects and furniture from artists, designers, craftspeople and galleries that we know, which is why a lot of pieces are from Belgian designers.”
“Every choice we made was based on a feeling, an attraction to a certain object or designer.”
Danish brands Hay and Tekla provided accessories and textilesThe apartment sleeps five across two bedrooms, including a main room with a double bed and a second room featuring bunk beds.
Paret and Pycke plan to use the space throughout the year, depending on when it is booked out.
The apartment is the vacation home of Albane Paret and Micha PyckeThroughout the house, styled shelves feature books and magazines from their personal collection.
“If we come for a weekend, it has to be well thought out for us too,” Paret added.
The photography is by Frederik Vercruysse.
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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.
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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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Architect Gae Avitabile has designed the interior of Civico 29, a sea-informed cocktail bar in the coastal town of Sperlonga, Italy.
Located halfway between Rome and Naples on Italy’s western coast, the bar features colours and materials informed by the nearby seafront, with blue motifs and wave-like forms dominating the space.
Gae Avitabile designed Civico 29 to mimic the experience of being on a beachAvitabile transformed the oceanside building, which previously contained an ice cream parlour, into a bar that aims to recreate the sensory experience of being on a beach.
“The space was used as a gelato ice cream parlour with simple, traditional interiors which were not evocative of the location,” Avitabile told Dezeen.
“Not being able to work on spaces and volumes – both in physical terms due to the small size, and because of the limits imposed by the council – I changed my point of view and began to think in terms of a project which would find its own dimension in multi-sensoriality,” he continued.
“For me, the sea is light and colour, sound, touch, taste and smell.”
The space was transformed into blue-toned cocktail barThe project was heavily influenced by the local area and uses a minimal material palette.
“The materials are unusual for the setting, and have been chosen to give life to my multi-sensory project,” Avitabile commented. “Despite this, the perception is that of strong links with the location.”
An outdoor terrace has seating overlooking the seaVisitors enter through a wide opening that leads to the main space. The room contains a long bar with a wave-like form coated in a blue gradient that mirrors the view of the ocean outside.
“The bar, its sinuous shape reminiscent of the movement of the waves, is an implicit reference to the sea and draws inspiration from the area’s great pieces of architecture,” said Avitabile.
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A lamp by Munari inspired by fish traps is suspended over the counter, contained in a white metal mesh structure, while a layer of traditional European hollow bricks filled with white lime and covered with resin lines the floor.
A white lamp and a blue mesh curtain feature in the spaceSurrounding the space is an aluminium mesh curtain created by Kriskadecor that lines two of the four walls, chosen by Avitabile due to its movement being reflective of coastal breezes.
“[The curtain] moves with gusts of wind and creates an elegant sound reminiscent of a coastal breeze,” Avitabile commented.
A small bathroom sits beside the main bar spaceTo the side of the main space is a small bathroom with wallpaper coated in exotic motifs. Large openings on the opposite side of the bar lead to an outdoor seating area overlooking the ocean.
“I deliberately avoided indoor seating, partly due to the small area available, and partly because enjoying the panorama remains the linchpin of this project,” said Avitabile.
Other cocktail bars featured on Dezeen include a Shanghai bar covered in over 1,000 insects by Atelier XY and a gender-neutral cocktail bar and salon in Kyiv designed by Balbek Bureau
The photography is by Carlo Oriente.
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Interior designer Gabriella Khalil has created Grand Cayman’s first boutique hotel, the beachfront Palm Heights, filled with collectible design pieces like Mario Bellini sofas, Ingo Maurer lights and an Ettore Sottsass rug.Khalil is the creative director and founder of Palm Heights, located on the well-known, white sand Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, the largest of the three Cayman Islands in the Caribbean.
Palms Heights hotel is designed to be like a 1970s mansion
Working with designers Sarita Posada and Courtney Applebaum, the London-based interior designer developed the design aesthetic to be like a 1970s-era mansion. The trio sourced suitable designs to decorate the property from Parisian flea markets, Los Angeles and Mexico.
“The design concept was inspired by the idea of a 70s era Caribbean mansion featuring collectible unique design pieces from Marcel Breuer, Mario Bellini, artworks by Pierre Paulin, and Vladimir Kagan to name a few,” said the team.
Guests rooms are decorated in an eclectic mix of materials
A number of these can be found in the guest lounge, which is intended as the heart of the 50-bedroom hotel, including a chequered Sottsass rug hung on the wall like a piece of art and a series of Maurer’s Uchiwa wall lamps behind the curved reception desk.
Pieces by a range of European designers and architects like Hungarian-born Marcel Breuer, French furniture designer Pierre Chapo, Italian designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli, and Italian architect and designer Mario Bellini also decorate this space.
Each features artwork selected by Gabriella Khalil
Khalil travelled through North Africa to research textiles for the project and has included a range of patterns and materials throughout.
Woven fabrics with black outlines cover the walls in a sitting area, providing a contract to blush lime-green sofas running underneath. They face wooden tables and white-painted wicker chairs with green trims.
The 50 bedroom suites are similarly decorated with unique artwork and pieces from designers including French furniture designer Pierre Paulin, American furniture designer Vladimir Kagan, Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Italian architect Gae Aulenti and Dutch jewellery and industrial designer Gijs Bakker.
Earthy and blue hues are reminiscent of the beach
Sandy yellows and bold blue tones, reminiscent of the beach, run throughout each room. Details include pale stone flooring sourced from Italy and pale brown sofa upholstery and curtains.
Kasiiya Papagayo has tented guest rooms that peek from a tropical forest in Costa Rica
The suites open onto the balconies at the rear of the property, which is designed to stagger down towards Palm Heights’ slice of the beach. Some of the suites have outdoor spaces with dining tables and sun loungers, where guests can laze and enjoy the sea views.
A range of fabrics and materials are used throughout
Eateries in the hotel include The Coconut Club, a casual beach bar, and the main restaurant Tillies, which has an outdoor area overlooking the sea and an indoor dining room.
There are two swimming pools divided by green hedges to provide privacy for the guests – one of the pools is flanked by palm trees and extends towards the sea. Guests can also relax on the hotel’s sun loungers on the beach, which have yellow- and white-striped umbrellas, or play ping-pong at branded tables.
The hotel has two swimming pools
Khalil is currently working with architect Dong-Ping Wong, who runs New York studio Food, to complete an outdoor wellness space called The Garden Club, which is set to open later this year.
Palm Heights is billed as the first boutique hotel in Grand Cayman.
The building staggers down towards the beach at the rear
Other recently completed boutique hotels in spectacular settings across the world include Kasiiya Papagayo, which has tented guest rooms that peek from a tropical forest in Costa Rica, and Casa Grande Hotel in Spain, which occupies 18th-century stone manor house.
Photography is by Clement Pascal.
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American studio MW Works has converted and refurbished a large beachside apartment on Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida, using tropical hardwood and sand-coloured plaster.The studio knocked together two units in a new high-rise building to create a home for a family of six relocating from Seattle.
Living areas feature plaster walls and concrete floors
Materials were chosen to make the most of the quality of light and views of the seashore.
“The irregular surface of the plaster highlights the changing quality of light throughout the day and lends a softness to private spaces,” said MW Works.
Dark tropical hardwood in the dining area
The Ocean Drive apartment’s five bedrooms are placed around the perimeter and decorated in a paler palette, while the kitchen and dining areas in the middle are darker and moodier.
“Bedroom volumes are treated in pale, sandy tones of hand-troweled plaster reflecting natural light deep into the floor plate,” said the studio
“The heart of the unit is clad in dark tropical hardwood with careful detailing emphasising mass and craft.”
Plaster and dark wood in the kitchen
Wide wooden planks form the floors. Handles and light switches are set into the doors and walls to create an uncluttered atmosphere.
In the living room and media room, pale concrete floor slabs and a plastered ceiling bounce light around from the floor to ceiling glazing. Balconies overlook a stretch of beach with Miami’s signature lifeguarding huts.
The home is for a family of six
Gauzy curtains and earthy-coloured rugs continue the highly textured, refined yet beachy aesthetic of the apartment on Ocean Drive.
“Woven baskets and patterned floor coverings add a layer of softness,” said MW Works. “Amongst the neutral canvas varied shades of blue, orange and red respond to the native flora and fauna of southern Florida.”
Bas relief texture in the master bedroom
In the master bedroom, the headboard wall dividing the bed area from the bathroom has a detailed geometric pattern in bas relief.
“This design opportunity grew out of the client’s extensive travel in the middle east and their interest in mathematical patterns,” said MW Works.
“Working with the craftspeople who would install it, we developed a pattern and a fabrication procedure to create an abstracted surface to catch the morning light.”
The Miami apartment has ocean views
In the ceilings, an LED lighting system is programmed to track with the sun and change across the course of the day. At night, one of the bathrooms lights up with an approximation of moonlight.
Based in Seattle, MW Works was founded in 2007 by Steve Mongillo and Eric Walter. The studio often works with natural textures, cladding a cabin in Washington with blackened cedar and using reclaimed timber for a home in Seattle.
Project credits:
Architecture and interiors: MW WorksGeneral contractor: DowbuiltLocal contractor: WoolemsEngineer (MEP): Shamrock EngineeringEngineer (low volt): Visual AcousticsEngineer (structural): PCS Structural SolutionsLighting: NiteoFurnishings: Studio DIAA; Matt Anthony DesignsCarved Countertops: The Vero StonePlaster (walls, master headboard): Cathy Connor Studio CWood (casework, floor, ceiling): DowbuiltMetal (casework, hardware, patinas): DowbuiltInterior landscape garden: FormanetaCustom concrete: John DietrichMetals: Argent
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