This week, we stumbled upon Villa Westhinder in Knokke-le-Zoute, a small Belgian seaside resort. Designed in 1931 by Henry van de Velde, the ocean-liner-inspired villa reflects the architect’s evolution from a pioneer of Art Nouveau to an advocate of modern design.
It’s an interesting transition, from the expressive, organic forms of Art Nouveau to an era when architects like Le Corbusier were describing houses as “machines for living.” But van de Velde didn’t necessarily see the two as mutually exclusive.
He believed architecture could embrace modern technology and rational design while still leaving room for artistic expression. In fact, as early as 1914, he’d argued against the standardization of design in a famous debate within the German Werkbund, defending the creative freedom of the artist at a time when others were arguing for standardized forms suited to industrial production.
It’s always a pleasure to source a Placement project for the archive. This time, we’re in Brunswick, Melbourne, where salvaged materials transform a former bridal shop into TENDER, a surprisingly warm and tactile yoga studio, deep listening space, and neighborhood gathering place in one of the city’s most vibrant arts districts.
It feels like Sea Ranch gets all the love when it comes to California coastal modernism, but some 300 miles south, near Ventura, Faria Beach Colony has an interesting history of its own. What began as a place for local families to camp along the Pacific gradually became a community of modest beach cabins. In 1985, architect Carl Maston designed Susman House for Tracy “Babs” Susman, whose family had ties to an earlier cabin on the site. It’s remarkably informal given its extraordinary oceanfront setting, and has remained largely untouched for four decades. Now, for the first time ever, it’s been listed for sale, asking $5.1M.
We have a new stay in Stockholm for you. Stadshotell occupies a building constructed in the 1870s as a charitable home for elderly women, commissioned by Sweden’s Queen Josefina. Ateljé Nord worked with heritage authorities to restore the historic architecture, while Studio Escapist designed the guest rooms and communal interiors.
The founders of Stadshotell looked to the Arts and Crafts movement for inspiration, not just in the interiors, but in their idea of what a hotel should be. They commissioned local artists and craftspeople to create everything from intricate wood-inlay scenes of Stockholm to custom birch bed frames, with the ambition of creating something closer to a neighborhood living room than a conventional luxury hotel.
If you’re planning a trip to Stockholm, hit our line — booking Stadshotell with LINEAR gets you daily breakfast, a room upgrade (when available), plus some special, LINEAR-only treatment when you arrive. And if you’re headed somewhere else, we’d love to help with that, too.
(You’ll also be supporting a small, independent publication. We independently select every hotel we recommend, and earn a commission from the hotel when you book through us.)