THE WORLD’S MOST GLAMOROUS HOTELS
Issue 34 - on sale June 2010 for further information, please visit:
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LUXURY FOR LIFE Baufritz is passionate about creating a luxurious living environment that’s designed just for you. All our homes use an abundance of high quality, natural materials that are completely free of toxins, creating a harmonious atmosphere that looks beautiful, protects the environment and makes you feel good. To find out more about Baufritz or to make an appointment contact Baufritz in Cambridge: 01223 235632 enquiries@baufritz.co.uk
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NATURAL HOMES, ORGANIC LIVING
SieMatic kitchens range from ÂŁ15K - ÂŁ100K + They have been the choice of the discerning home owner, architect and interior designer for over 80 years. Art House Creative Interiors - a National Winning Studio with collectively over 60 years experience - will create the perfect kitchen for your lifestyle.
by Art House Creative Interiors Arthouse Creative Interiors. 57 London Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7DY 01625 581313 www.arthousecreativeinteriors.co.uk design@arthousecreativeinteriors.co.uk
A touch of beauty For a copy of our brochure, or to find out more, please telephone or visit our nearest showroom: LONDON 555 Kings Road Chelsea London SW6 2EB 020 7610 6626
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19 Editorial
20 The Ritz Carlton Residences Bangkok
30 The Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa South Africa
40 The Pergola Hotel Italy
Neal Jones Furniture has built a reputation for creating high quality furniture that is as unique as you are. Beautifully handcrafted by British cabinet makers, our designs reflect your lifestyle, your personality and your ambition. We provide a highly personalised design service and have the expertise and skill to create both contemporary and classic pieces such as dining tables, console tables and sideboards through to breathtaking, fully bespoke fitted libraries, bedrooms and kitchens. Neal Jones Furniture‌ the home of bespoke, beautifully crafted, classic and contemporary furniture.
Neal Jones Furniture Ltd 01200 429 669 neal@nealjonesfurniture.com
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50 Onguma Plains Camp Namibia
60 Altstadt Vienna Austria
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AFG Kitchens offers a full design, management and installation service - whether it’s a single kitchen or a full development - continuing the level of quality set by the kitchens themselves.
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“Our home has a new heart...”
When a family from Saddleworth wanted someone to transform their kitchen they knew only the best would do.
Sue Flanagan has good reason to be so attached to her Saddleworth home she and her husband built it themselves 15 years ago. But times change and after the family flew the nest, the couple realised their traditional kitchen and separate dining room no longer matched their requirements. After shelving any plans to move, they decided to knock the rooms into one open plan space encompassing the dining room, kitchen and conservatory. They were conscious that this represented a large commitment in terms of time and money so they wanted it to be right. That was why they contacted Diane Berry, they liked her and the level of service she and her team offered. ‘Diane had a nice way about her,’ explains Sue. ‘Diane was inspirational and came up with some excellent ideas, we felt like we could work with her’. The Flanagans wanted a personal kitchen to cater for their needs and Diane came up with lots of different ideas they could consider and she thought of things the client hadn’t reckoned on, such as lighting and ceilings. As a result, Sue is very pleased with the end result and dinner party guests have told her how much they love it. Before the changes, Sue felt quite isolated when she was cooking. Now, the kitchen has changed their way of living and it has become the focal point of the house. And the high point for Sue? ‘I’m thrilled with the steam oven, which Diane recommended. In fact, I can’t stop telling all my friends about it.’ Diane Berry has been working in kitchen design for over 25 years and since opening her own ALNO studio in 2002 she has continued to build a reputation for an efficient, personal service and a professional level of installation which includes design consultancy and project management for all aspects of the installation. Diane and her colleagues are now a multi award wining team.
Winner of Master Kitchen Retailer 2009 Diane Berry Kitchens Ltd 132 Bury New Road Prestwich Manchester M25 0AA Tel: 0161
798 5335
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Hand picked, hand forged, hand finished. It’s the personal touch that makes our products unique. To create a truly unique environment you need truly unique furnishings and fittings. Every item in the Jim Lawrence Professional Collection is a one-off, individually crafted and hand finished, exclusively available from Jim Lawrence and no one else.
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Call 01473 826680, email sales@jim-lawrence.co.uk or visit www.jim-lawrence.co.uk Showroom at The Ironworks, Lady Lane Industrial Estate, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 6BQ.
We know just how it is; there are so many ideas, products and pieces in magazines that you wish you could find. The question is, where do you start to look? At design et al, we want to help you. We have been window shopping throughout the World and we think that we have found the best innovations and brought them home for you. There are too many prodcuts and suppliers to list on a page at the back of the magazine, so we have developed a customer helpline to give you that little bit extra - support and advice when you need it most. You can call or email to find out more about any products featured in design et al, find your local stockist or check on any additional details. Remember, we are always here to help.
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When you think of the most glamorous hotels in the world, your mind may turn to the obvious few; we all know them and we all have our favourites. This is,however, not a book about hotels as such; so we have not considered the number of rooms they have, the size of bathrooms, the spa and pool facilities or the location to the beach/ city/ countryside as rating agencies and travel agents will do. This is not a book featuring ideas for your next holiday. It is a design book and our aim is to hand-pick select hotels by leading designers that have inspirational design schemes. We hope that the projects featured will offer just that: good
design, varied in context, content and perspective. The projects themselves range from the Ritz Carlton in Bangkok, to projects in South Africa and Namibia and from a decadent scheme in Austria to an ecofriendly build in Italy. They are all very different and each has its own distinct attributes and offers individual inspiration. We hope your find them as interesting as they are diverse. This represents the fourth in a series of five hard-back book issues we have launched for 2010, we do hope that you enjoy them and keep them as reference material for years to come. Next month look out for our annual publication “The World’s Most Glamorous Homes” – our most popular issue of the year, each year, since 2007. Kind regards Joanne
Oriental Inspirations MahaNakhon Pavilion – A David Collins Studio Design
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MahaNakhon Pavilion, part of the iconic landmark ‘MahaNakhon’ mixed-use development, is also home to the superluxury, ‘The Ritz-Carlton Residences’, Bangkok Sales Gallery. An impressive structure in its own right, the 200 million baht, 2,400 metre sales gallery which showcases two and three bedroom residential units has been designed with three floors to accurately reflect the scale and revolutionary architectural features of the actual residences due for completion by mid 2013. Interior design for The Ritz-Carlton Residences has been inspired by the work of the renowned and award-winning David Collins Studio which has focused on a subtle combination of spatial optimisation, minimalism and understated luxury.
“The concept and interior architecture evolve around the spectacular circular reception hall, covered in hand dyed shagreen that flows effortlessly to link the private and the entertaining spaces within the residence.”
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok Sales Gallery comprises: Simplex Residences – a 430 square metres residence with the classic interior design inspired by the work of David Collins Studio, also featuring skyboxes and terraces; Duplex Residences – 216 square metres with modern design and ‘As is Residences’ – which are the residences available to customers. The ground level of the Sales Gallery consists of three areas: The Ritz-Carlton Gallery showcase, Public gallery – for exhibitions with frequently rotated art pieces for the public and also The ‘Dean & DeLuca Café’ . The MahaNakhon mixed-use development project that is set to be an architectural landmark and at 314 metres, Bangkok’s tallest building. MahaNakhon is the largest property development project in the history of Thailand and South East Asia, with a total project value of baht 18 billion. The Residences will start from the 23rd floor of the building, up to the 72nd floor. The interior design has been inspired by the work of David Collins Studio – the worldrenowned interior design agency. Sizes range from 120 to 850 square metres, and include a combination of two to five bedroom residences with ceilings up to 3.5 metres high and a floor-to-ceiling glass window to provide expansive panoramic views. A vast array of services and amenities are available to residents, including The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge private facilities on the 53rd floor - including private dining rooms with special catering services, private library, and meeting rooms , an outdoor six lane lap pool, a landscaped sundeck adjacent to the pool on the 7th floor, fitness centre with personal trainer, Yoga and Pilates studio, steam rooms and private changing rooms, Private Media Lounge for private film screenings and game rooms, VIP services including room service, catering services and housekeeping, 24-hour doorman, valet parking, concierge services and Director of Residences and Spa treatment services. David Collins Studio have created a bespoke interior layout for the simplex apartment. The concept and interior architecture evolve
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around the spectacular circular reception hall, covered in hand dyed shagreen that flows effortlessly to link the private and the entertaining spaces within the residence. Many of the pieces of furniture have been designed by David Collins Studio exclusively for MahaNahkhon, and form the basis of the limited edition range of art pieces. With its distinctive sculptural appearance, MahaNakhon has been carefully carved to introduce a three-dimensional ribbon of architectural ‘pixels’ that circle the tower’s full height, as if excavating portions of the elegant glass curtain wall to reveal the inner life of the building. This creates an indelibly arresting profile for MahaNakhon on the skyline while generating a set of very special features – projecting glass skyboxes with sweeping views and generous indoor/ outdoor spaces with plunge pools and oversized terraces – uncommon to highrise living in global capitals but well-suited to the tropical climate of Bangkok. The ‘pixels’ have been designed to maximize unobstructed panoramas for the residences, offering rare bird’s eye views of the city and the Chaophraya River. At the same time, residences located in the non-pixelated area of the tower enjoy a parallel innovation never before seen in a skyscraper: singlelevel and duplex homes offer grandly scaled double height living spaces equipped with multiple bays of full-height operable bi-fold balcony windows – sections of curtain wall that literally fold inwards to open up homes to fresh breezes and cityscapes, allowing living areas to become indoor/outdoor environments. The design of MahaNakhon dismantles the typical tower and podium typology, creating not a tower in isolation but instead a skyscraper that melds with the city in both literal and cultural ways by gradually ‘dissolving’ the architecture as it flows downward to meet the ground and upward into the sky. This is achieved through a series of generous cascading indoor/outdoor terraces at the Hill – the area of the tower’s base housing luxury retail and dining – where the architecture is articulated to evoke the shifting protrusions of a mountain landscape. The Hill Terraces fit keenly into lush cultivated gardens that give way to the city’s own green swathes. MahaNakhon also features an adjacent freestanding building known as the Cube, with multi-level indoor/outdoor terraces corresponding to those of the Hill Terraces across the expanse of an outdoor atrium. The outdoor atrium, a metaphorical natural valley, offers a network of social spaces with an extensive and carefully selected mix of dining, leisure, and fitness facilities that serve The Ritz-Carlton Residences, guests of The Bangkok Edition Hotel, and the general public via a direct above-ground pedestrian link to the main CBD Skytrain station, as well as plaza-level access and connections.
www.juliettesinteriors.co.uk Tel. +44(0)1789 721 911 sales@juliettesinteriors.co.uk
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Inspired by Nature The Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa – A David Collins Studio Design
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Celebrated for its creation of iconic bars, hotels and private residences for design connoisseurs, The Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa by David Collins Studio perfectly complements the existing Delaire Graff Estate winery and restaurant, also designed by David Collins Studio that, opened in 2009. Located in Stellenbosch – the heart of South Africa’s Winelands outside Cape Town – on the exceptional Delaire Graff Estate, this opening represents the next phase in the relationship between David Collins Studio and owner Laurence Graff, of Graff Diamonds.
“My inspiration has been the colours and textures of this part of the world which are a contrast between stone, earth and vineyards with the more arid rocky outcrops the further you go above sea level.”
The Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa reflects the brand identity to give guests the ultimate wine experience in unrivalled surroundings with perfect accommodation. Elements of the lodges, such as polished plaster walls and contrasting tones, strongly echo the winery giving the whole Graff Delaire Estate both a real synergy and sense of luxury. They have been created with their own distinct personality to feel as if they are run by the owners and are the perfect mix of contemporary Cape Dutch architecture and aspirational features demanded by the modern traveller. In keeping with the breath-taking surroundings and backdrop of the Cape Winelands, the design concept was created with nature in mind and materials used have been locally sourced. Walls are covered in grasscloth, backed onto silver shimmering foil, to give a feeling of warmth whilst contrasting white washed traditional latte cane makes up the ceiling. End grain oak floors, hand woven rugs with twists of colour and textured leathers have all been chosen for their sophisticated feel, while still being true to traditional South African design. All are perfectly complimented by bespoke furniture and lighting handmade in South Africa by the David Collins Studio. In signature David Collins style, colour is used throughout and the use of texture to play on both colour and light are important. Deep earth accents create a cosseting and comfortable environment that evokes a feeling of warmth and overcomes the constraints usually associated with lodge living. The scene is set from the central circular hallway from which all rooms radiate. The apartment encompasses master and guest bedroom - both with en-suite bathrooms, an extensive walk-in dressing room, the ultimate living room, a private dining room, a study/ media room, a kitchen and separate staff quarters. It is designed as “a haven from this busy and exciting city”. This is an elegantly proportioned interior, which captures, in essence, the importance
of the most valuable luxury – time and space. Inspired by the grandeur of generations of historic stately Manhattan apartment homes from the time of the Vanderbilts, the Astors and the Whitneys. This feeling is no more evident than in the private cinema, where dark port-coloured, stitched leather panels against grey walls effortlessly create a warm enveloping environment. Other areas, such as the Xahar restaurant, use dark rich blue hues combined with battered copper and limed oak to create a vibrant dining experience that extends outside, allowing diners to take full advantage of the stunning scenery. Finally, light neutral tones have been used in the main lobby and spa areas. Of the project David Collins comments, “My inspiration has been the colours and textures of this part of the world which are a contrast between stone, earth and vineyards with the more arid rocky outcrops the further you go above sea level. We have used a number of materials and colours to reflect the location such as bamboo ceilings, polished concrete floors, end grain wood and natural coloured plaster. Perhaps most importantly, we wanted to ensure that the overall feel of Delaire would reflect the vision of its owner.” The design concept for MahaNakhon derives from many years of refining a concept, coined some time ago by David, called ‘minimalist luxury’. The style is one that focuses on the importance of detail, colour, atmosphere, lighting and comfort. Colours are chosen with the care of an artist and every detail examined to ensure that it is perfectly fitting within the overall design statement. This is an iconic building which will make its all-important debut on the Bangkok skyline. This is Bangkok city living at its most prestigious. Each of the lodges benefit from private heated swimming pools and double volume ceilings with exposed timber trusses. In addition, there will also be a full service spa, where guests will be able to indulge in signature health treatments. For maximum privacy, all guests will have access to a private cinema, meeting facilities and an alternative dining destination to the estate restaurant. Personal touches extend to the main lobby, which will act as an area to display select pieces of Mr Graff’s art collection. Following on from the precedent set on the estate, the art collection features prominent South African artists of outstanding reputation.
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Eco Friendly Architecture At Its Most Aesthetically Appealing The Pergola Hotel- Italy by architect Mateo Thun
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as individual as you are
Showroom and Workshop: Cane End Lane Bierton Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP22 5BH
Tel: 01296 468154 Fax: 01296 398722 www.simon-taylor.co.uk KITCHENS
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Algund - Meran, Italy Client - private owner Building Use - residence and spa Public Areas - spa area, breakfast room Room type - 12 apartments, 2 suites Total building area - 2400m
“Featuring recessed architecture at the top and a system of terraces at the bottom, The Pergola Hotel represents a classic pergola used in vine-growing”
The Pergola Hotel near Merano in Italy is a privately owned hotel consisting of 12 apartments, 2 suites, a spa area equipped with pools and saunas and a breakfast room. With an overall footprint of 2,800m, the hotel’s design is geared towards energy efficiency and borrows heavily from its environment – a sloping landscape in the vine-growing region. Featuring recessed architecture at the top and a system of terraces at the bottom, The Pergola Hotel represents a classic pergola used in vine-growing, a tribute to the beautiful Algund landscape in the vicinity of the hotel. In updating the traditionally styled building, the designers aimed to offer privacy, flexibility, functionality, ecology, tradition and cutting edge technology together with a range of natural sensations. By embracing the sloping landscape of the surrounding area, Pergola both compliments its surroundings and, through thoughtful design, exploits them as well. The recessed architecture offers residents privacy as well as making the building extremely energyefficient. The architects were keen that the structure and the local environment should “borrow each other’s forms” and that the structure should respect nature; when the vines are fully grown, the building disappears from sight, merging with its surroundings, and not impacting on the centuries-old
industry of the region. All this means that the only access to the hotel is through a valley beneath, while a well-beaten two-century old track winds higher up the mountain, offering views of everything. Again this demonstrates the respect for the surroundings, but also adds to the privacy afforded to guests; similarly all of the apartments have private entrances, and can be converted into private living units if required. The overall design was borne from traditional South Tyrol style buildings found in the region, but updated with non-invasive technology. All of the cutting edge technology found in the apartments has been hidden beneath the skin of the building so as not to distract from its form. As with the pergolas in the vineyard, indigenous larch wood has been used in the construction. Similarly, reminiscent of local Alpine construction work, hand-cut stone walls feature heavily throughout and further belies the fact that this is a modern interpretation of traditional construction. Whilst it was vital that the structure suited its surroundings, budget constraints meant that modern materials such as reinforced concrete were used in un-seen areas such as the cellar and foundations. Finances aside, the careful combination of modern and traditional construction methods has extended the life-cycle of the Hotel – especially the concrete foundations. Elsewhere, materials have been chosen based on suitability, rather than availability, which is a fitting contrast to the locallysourced materials found in other buildings in the area, and symbolizes how Pergola is a modern interpretation of its surroundings.
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An Interior Scheme Designed To Mirror Nature Onguma Plains Camp in Namibia by Heidrun Diekmann
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Creating a contemporary version of a Namibian fort in the bush may sound like an unconventional brief, but for interior designer Heidrun Diekmann it was a challenge that proved to be successful. The location was north Namibia, Etosha National Park, which is found on the border of the Etosha Pan. The fort is unlike any other, the only one of its kind in Namibia. It is built in exactly the right spot to give guests probably one of the best sunset views in the whole of the country – overlooking the beautiful scarceness of the Etosha Pans, decorated only with its wild animals and hundreds of Camel Thorn trees.
“The site is absolutely breathtaking and particularly at sunset when the sky turns to colours which are unforgettable”
The scheme combines vast raw walls, stunning stone claded features and a huge tower with views over toward Etosha and Fisher’s Pan. There are surprises at every corner, a classical African feel combines with a touch of Moroccan and Indian flavours, characterised by a section of the most incredible antique windows and doors. The interior scheme was started in 2007 and took sixteen months in all to complete. “ It is situated in a remote location so everything had be planned ahead down to the last detail,” Heidrun explained. “The construction was delayed so finishing the project was done under great pressure. Bulldozers were racing around the building to clean up whilst we were installing curtains, with dust raining down on us. It is not ideal when you have sixty minutes before the first guests arrive! In fact they were actually sent on a game drive to delay their arrival,” she laughed.
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The first stage of the project involved meeting the architect and then a site visit to really get a feeling for the building to determine colours for plaster finish and the style of the finish, which in this case was textured. At this stage the design team took inspiration from nature, the texture and colour of the soil and the unique environment. “For the colours of the interior we took inspiration from the tiny flowers blooming in the brightest colours in the veld,” she continued. “ One may think that Namibia is an arid country but the amount of colour which is present is amazing. The site is absolutely breathtaking and particularly at sunset when the sky turns to colours which are unforgettable. Initially the owner wanted the colours to be all monochromatic and natural, but we finally settled on using a few bright colours to bring life to spaces. This works beautifully, as it simply underlines what one sees and experiences outdoor, in any event.” Fabrics throughout are textured rather than patterned, to maintain the continuity and the idea that the interior mirrors elements of the natural landscape. “ Nature is such a strong element, you don’t want to compete with it, rather to simply underline it,” she concluded. And her favourite area of the project? “Well it has to be the deck area looking out onto Fisher’s Pan,” she told me. “To sit there during early morning or late afternoon and enjoy the surroundings and countryside makes you realise why so many people fall in love with Namibia.”
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Glamour and Sensuality from a By-gone Era Altstadt Vienna - by Matteo Thun
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The Altstadt Vienna is to be found in a building from the “Gründerzeit”, close to the area Spittelberg in Vienna. Matteo Thun has created eight new rooms and one suite. In a modern and fresh interpretation, Matteo Thun celebrates a revival of the period of the turn of the century and its lifestyle. The high and middle bourgeoisie of this period balance between euphoria for the future and tedium of life, between atmosphere of departure and worldweariness, the period is characterised by happy-go-lucky nature, fascination for death and caducity, frivolity and decadence.
“The high and middle bourgeoisie of this period balance between euphoria for the future and tedium of life”
The members of this social stratum bathed themselves in their wealth and celebrated themselves superficially and airily in mundane representation: in the cafés, cabarets, salons and concert halls. The urge for easy-going entertainment let art and culture flourish and made the turning away from an unsatisfying reality possible. Like no other European capital city, Vienna offered the ideal conditions for the exploration of nudity and the re-discovery of sexuality. Nowhere else was such a big delight in ambiguous and exciting scandals to be found, nowhere else the unveiling was celebrated in a more refined way. A symbol of this time and an expression of the transgression of the established and recognised moral codes is Vienna’s most famous prostitute Josefine Mutzenbacher, whose personality inspired Matteo Thun in the design of the rooms. Stepping into the room, the guest is immediately brought back in time, into the world of Josefine Mutzenbacher and Vienna of the turn of the twentieth century: The eye falls on the large-format picture on the wall, which represents a study from the nude, dated within the period between 1900 and 1950. All eight rooms are very dark: the parquet
floor is made of pickled oak, the wallpaper of dark damask. The furniture, covered with red velvet (Wittmann; armchair “Villa Gallia” by Josef Hoffmann) and the chandelier of Czech production refine this heavy darkness and recall associations to the Viennese salons and their pompous elements. To loosen the scene there are the cream-coloured curtains over the windows, recalling in the floral design the damask of the wallpaper. Some pieces of furniture, like the desk and the bed end made in capitonné, are custom-made by Wittmann, design by Matteo Thun. These pieces borrow some historic elements, like the technically turned table-legs, to give way to a new interpretation. The walls of the bathrooms are covered with black Bisazza mosaics, some Swarovski stones are applied individually and create points of light, and the floor is made of black reflective marble. The dark background sets an elegant contrast with the water taps made of chrome-plated brass (“Bellagio” by Zucchetti) and the fresh white of the washbasins (“Roma” by Catalano) and creates a luxurious atmosphere. Every single room has its own name, woven into the dark grey carpet which has been custom-made by Tollgate. The suite designed by Matteo Thun is the so-called study: just as one would imagine the room dedicated to the landlord and his guests in the Vienna of the Belle Epoque. Contrary to the other rooms, the wallpaper here is striped. The sofa and armchair are upholstered in brown leather, the bed is dark, the carpet cognac-coloured. The most flamboyant element in the study is the open bathroom, with a freestanding bathtub on a podium, together with washbasin and mirror. Bathing is celebrated in a particular way, the own body is exhibited, and a ritual of seduction is staged.
Design Et Al 34 69
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