JOIN the AFICIONADOS
To receive our world of travel and style delivered straight to your inbox.
Axel Vervoordt is an iconic and internationally acclaimed interior designer, furniture designer and art & antiques collector, well-known for the incredible respect and distinctive use, throughout all his work, of the Japanese movement, wabi sabi.
A Japanese phrase derived from two distinct roots – ‘wabi’ means simplicity and ‘sabi’ refers to the on-going movement of time – an aesthetic concept that transcends conventional design. A philosophy that celebrates the beauty found in imperfection. Quiet and slow, it observes cracks, ageing and above all, authenticity; an attitude that iconic Belgium interior designer, Axel Vervoordt has adhered to all his life.
An interior designer of incredible eye and influence, Axel Vervoordt has been inspired by the essence of wabi sabi since a boy. Focussing on depth and history and never swayed by the decorative or superficial, his interior designs and enigmatic touch have grown his name and business into a design empire.
He continues to inspire and introduce wabi sabi in his latest creation – the penthouse and spa at The Greenwich Hotel, NYC.
The three-bedroom penthouse sitting atop The Greenwich Hotel in New York is an oasis of tranquillity, understatement and humility; an incredible architectural and design feat considering its position, floating amid a city that knows little of this.
Collaborating again with famed Japanese architect, Tatsuro Miki, Axel Vervoordt and he have created a world apart from the city that never sleeps.
Sparsely decorated, with a tiny, cave-like kitchen and a rolling farm door for the bathroom (insisted upon by the manager - it was designed without) this 2,800-square-foot penthouse is a space suffused with stories.
Captivating in its intelligent simplicity and architectural intent, The Greenwich Hotel's Shibui spa is no different, housed within a 250-year-old Japanese barn shipped over from Japan and put up without the use of one screw or nail.
Adhering to the essence of wabi sabi itself, the creation of this New York penthouse and hotel spa took a long, long time; but afforded it by co-owners Robert De Niro and Ira Drukier, it is self evident that each element, every design detail and architectural angle, each crack, was well worth the wait.
The Trubrigs have a trained curatorial eye when it comes to sourcing both the established and the new-comers in design. The couples' strong bonds with creative talent and influential designers of the day have fostered the relationships to be always one step ahead of the curve.
read more
Set among the wide streets and historic buildings of downtown Manhattan, for decades Tribeca has been an understated artist haunt, a fusion of easy-going European charm and New York ambition.
read more
When dealing with one of the oldest buildings in Salzburg, it takes the architect’s clever manipulation of architecture and design to create an exciting, inspiring atmosphere that coverts the old and the new to extreme yet complimentary dimensions.
read more
Some design principles are so uncomplicated and understated that they can be found in different iterations, in different corners of the world. The value placed on craftsmanship is one of these; so is the use of natural materials that not only can last a lifetime, but also get more handsome with each passing year.
read more
A city of effortless cool & pioneering Scandi design Copenhagen has long been at the heart of the world’s ceramics stage, from practical to the performative.
read more
Lisbon, Portugal's legendary capital simply bursts with heritage, azulejo tiles, Pastéis de Nata & art - this is a design guide you can shop, see & drink.
read more
Director of internationally acclaimed Vienna Design Week, Lilli Hollein had never yet turned her eye to interior design until Vienna's Hotel Altstadt came knocking.
read more
Zaha Hadid Architect's coastal Salerno Maritime Terminal in Cilento, Italy carries her hallmark curves inspired by oysters and the waves, a coastal landmark.
read more
Once considered the “rougher cousin” to Sweden’s pristine harbour-side capital, in the last decade, Gothenburg - or Göteborg to Swedes - has become the country’s west coast hotbed for all things cultural, lovingly nicknamed “Little London”.
read more
Salzburg’s striking Building Academy stands as a contemporary ode to Austria’s longstanding ability to wow us with her architecture and design.
read more
As part of our Hotel Altstadt Vienna interior design series, peek into the filmic world of architecturally trained movie buff, Gregor Eichinger, in room 66.
read more
Architect and interior designer Roland Nemetz designs 'his' suite at the boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna - part of a series of creatively inspired interiors that capture the soul of artsy Wien.
read more
To receive our world of travel and style delivered straight to your inbox.