DepART Volume 2: Interiors & Masterpieces

In this second installment of our DepART blogs, we explore two distinct yet intertwined themes. Immersive Interiors celebrates spaces that draw directly from their natural and cultural landscapes, where colours mirror the terrain, patterns carry history, and craftsmanship speaks of the land itself. Meanwhile, Masterpieces in Residence turns our attention to design as curation, where art isn’t simply hung — it’s embedded. These are interiors that live and breathe creativity, where style is a constant companion, even as the world outside the window changes.

Together, they offer something rare: the chance to inhabit beauty with depth, and to travel not just through places, but through feeling.

Immersive Interiors

These interiors embody their surroundings. Think sun-baked palettes drawn from the earth, prints that echo local heritage, wildlife woven into the walls, and craftsmanship steeped in place. Every room tells a deeper story of culture, of nature, of feeling. This is where design becomes atmosphere, and every detail makes you want to linger just a little longer.

Jumeirah Capri Palace

Capri, Italy

There are many things that are quintessentially Italian. The zesty bite of limoncello. Vespas darting down cobbled streets. Hand gestures punctuating every conversation. But the blue and white hand painted ceramics are where designers have drawn inspiration from for the interiors of Il Riccio, a seafood restaurant at Jumeirah Capri Palace.

Set just steps from the island’s world-famous Blue Grotto, it would be remiss of Jumeirah not to make a nod to the nautical hues that embrace the entire island. The porcelain tiles that adorn the walls can be found along the entirety of the Amalfi Coast – an interior flourish so typically Italian that just the sight can transport you back to a summer in Sorrento in an instant. Along azure shelves sit a set of old brass scales, a Neapolitan pulcinella figurine, and, just in case you happened to forget where you are, ship models and carvings of fish that remind you that you’re in the Bay of Naples.

The rest of Jumeirah Capri Palace's interiors take a more restrained approach, allowing the setting to speak for itself – white walls, crisp linens, indulgent sofas in every shade of white. But there’s always a nod to Italy: gilded golden chandeliers, delicate hints of blue breaking up the sea of white underfoot, whimsical pieces of art, and models of black sea urchins and sculptures of women diving for squid that offer playful tributes to l’isola di Capri. 

“My family is from Sorrento, so I’ve visited Capri countless times since being a child. The blue and white tiles are everywhere in the Campania region of Italy, so seeing them now - no matter where I am in the world - feels like coming home.”

Isaac Fluss | Personal Travel Concierge

Chitwa Chitwa

Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

At this safari retreat, part of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, the interiors don’t try to compete with the bush. Instead? They’re in perfect conversation with it. Think dark wooden floors and old stone walls, traditionally woven rugs and leopard print accents, roaring hearths and just-so lighting, and the kind of silence only broken by the distant roar of a lion.

The reserve is made up of Chitwa House, Chitwa Suites, and the Charlsy Suite. Each displays a classic bush style combined with a refined modernity that sets it apart from other lodges in the region. A sense of distinction that’s only heightened by original artwork by Maria Brink. Influenced by her background in international fashion, a deep admiration for Francis Bacon, and - naturally - a profound connection to Africa, her bold, contemporary pieces add a striking counterpoint to the lodge’s wild and ancient surroundings. Some lodges try to tame the wild, but others simply invite it in. 

ASK US ABOUT... Creating a whole itinerary around this game reserve. You could add on an exploration of South Africa, a trip to Botswana, or a luxury beach break in Mauritius.

Raffles Doha

Doha, Qatar

Set inside the curved blades of the Katara Towers, this Raffles property showcases the kind of unapologetic grandeur people flock to Doha for. Think high golden arches and bas relief headboards, brass-trimmed shelving that looks more gallery than guestroom, and bathrooms that are encased in marble and flirt with the line between self-care and installation art. Sinks turn to glass, light shades become crystal chandeliers, and if the visuals weren’t enough, the in-suite fragrance library by Compoz allows guests to tailor the scent of their space like a final brushstroke. 

There’s practically nothing off-the-shelf here. Even the smallest design choices - like curved brass bars or a traditional Qatari mural - speak to a level of detail that’s both obsessive and deliberate in equal measure. It’s everything we love about interiors. 

“Raffles Doha doesn’t try to feel like home, it just aims to feel like nowhere else. I’d describe the interiors as art – and being set within a building so eye-catching, so futuristic, so iconic, I’d have been disappointed to discover anything less.”

Zain Nadeem | Marketing Executive

The Datai Langkawi 

Langkawi, Malaysia

When your setting is a 10-million-year-old Malaysian rainforest, the design possibilities are endless. Some might choose to echo the surroundings with raw timbers, sweeping glass panels, and sculptural pieces inspired by nature’s shapes. Others might take a more pared-back approach: openair dining spaces, crisp white linens, clean architectural lines, and cool stone textures. Then there are those who would lean into cultural identity, weaving in traditional Malaysian motifs, intricate wood carvings, and handcrafted ceramics.

The Datai does all of this beautifully, impressively and effortlessly. Its villas and suites sit between rainforest canopy and golden shore, wrapped in rich, warm woods that exude the organic calm of this quarter of the world. Natural textures like jute rugs, polished stone, and soft woven fabrics add layers of quiet luxury. Delicate orchids rest on bedside tables, low-slung platform beds acknowledge Asian design heritage, hand-carved artworks anchor serene corners, and the overall aesthetic is elegantly restrained. The focus is on a peaceful and uncluttered environment, and a seamless integration with nature.

 VISIT THIS HOTEL DURING...Our Tailor-Made Holiday itinerary: Langkawi & Kuala Lumpur In Style. 10 nights, 2 five-star hotels, from £2,375 per person. 

Giraffe Manor 

Nairobi, Kenya

Giraffe Manor is, at first glance, a picture of refined safari style – a beautifully preserved relic of 1930s Kenya that’s all stately façade, manicured lawns, antique furnishings, and polished wood. But then the magic quite literally cranes its neck around the corner. 

Each morning and evening, a curious procession of resident Rothschild and Nubian giraffes see the manor’s interiors come alive, gently poking their heads through open windows in search of hand-fed treats. They join guests for breakfast, peek into second storey bedrooms, and meander through the gardens like resident aristocrats. A surreal, heartwarming, and entirely uncontrived experience that matches everything you’ve ever seen on social media, and earns the manor annual spots in the Forbes Travel Guide and Condé Nast Readers’ Choice lists.

The rest of the estate is no less charming. Set within 12 acres of private land, it includes a forest sanctuary - the manor is part of a successful breeding programme - as well as 6 Historic Manor Rooms and 6 Garden Manor Rooms. Each is adorned in the features you’d both want and need for a trip to Africa. Lavish four-poster beds with sheer white netting, simultaneously creating a romantic feel and serving a purpose in the tropical climate. Patterned textiles like floral lampshades, throw pillows, and Persian-style rugs, which add warmth and visual interest. Antique-style dark wooden furniture that contributes to the colonial-era aesthetic – a sense of history and timelessness. And roses on the bedside tables, trunks at the foot of the beds that add hints of personality – especially considered additions in suites named after Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton. A stay at Giraffe Manor feels like stepping straight into Out of Africa, only here, the cast includes a few gentle giants with incredibly long eyelashes.

 Click here to view all Kenya itineraries - we can swap out any Nairobi hotel for Giraffe Manor. 

Masterpieces in Residence

In these rarefied spaces, creativity spills into every detail. Suites curated like salons. Hallways that hum with heritage. Voyages where the surroundings shift, but the sense of style never wavers. Whether it’s classical opulence or contemporary finesse, every element is placed with purpose. You’re invited to admire the art, yes, but also to live alongside it…

The Silver Nova

The world of luxury cruising is no longer simply about where you travel to, it’s about how you feel while you’re getting there. It’s more layered, more imaginative, and more extravagant than ever before. And nothing quite captures that transformation as vividly as the art collections now adorning the decks and corridors of today’s most lavish ships. 

Take Silver Nova, Silversea’s pioneering vessel launched in 2023. A marvel in its own right, it sails with more than 1,800 artworks on board – an astonishing and meticulously curated collection sourced from 59 artists across 25 countries. Sculptures, antiques, installations, and museum-worthy photography line its walls, making each step onboard another layer of experience.

As the ship crosses oceans and traces famous coastlines, you can begin an equally extraordinary journey through art and time without disembarking. The Steve McCurry photographs along suite corridors chart a passage through Asia and Africa, with the help of original maps from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. In the spa, Romaninspired works like Marina Mankario’s Venus Fragmentée #2 echo Otium, Silversea’s ancient philosophy of wellness, and bring classical ideals into a modern luxury context.

Among the standout pieces are the Messina Collection: 38 bronze sculptures by Francesco Messina that bring emotion and elegance in equal measure, and Artur Sula’s sprawling mural that resides in the library, accented with hand-applied 24-karat gold leaf to add narrative grandeur to the already storied space.

While Silversea is a master of hospitality, exploration, and refined travel, it turned to ICArt - an international art consultancy - to bring the Silver Nova collection to life. The result? Over 1,250 framed artworks, 9 installations, 8 sculptures, Murano glass vases, rare books, and antiques that transform this ship into something far beyond a mode of transport, as a simple walk to dinner or a leisurely afternoon by the pool becomes a brush with beauty.

 Click here to view all our sailings on the Silver Nova. 

JOALI Maldives 

Raa Atoll, Maldives

The Maldives don’t need to do much more than exist to be beautiful. Pearly white sands, twinkling turquoise lagoons, and views that seem to stretch into infinity. So when a luxury resort installs art pieces in every already-beautiful corner of the island, we know they’re committed to taking stays in the archipelago to astronomical new heights. 

Interactive, imaginative, and in perfect keeping with the untouched nature of the Raa Atoll, JOALI Maldives is the first art immersive ultra-luxury resort in the region – home to a collection designed to be experienced. So you’ll find art everywhere. The Manta Tree House by Porky Hefer and an augmented reality installation by Maja Rohwetter by the beach. Elaborate thread tapestries by Soojin Kang in the Four Bedroom Beach Residence and a coral-inspired sculpture by Zemer Peled in the JOALI Spa. Terracotta furniture, silverwase vases, botanical tiles, coiled lamps and kaleidoscopic glassworks around the island designed to “transport you to a wondrous realm”.

It serves as a reminder that art doesn't need four walls to make an impact, to highlight the united effort of craftsmanship and materials, international art and local influence. 

You can try your hand at recreating the art, too. Their Art Studio hosts special events with both international artists and local artisans – a space for guests to get inspired, join interactive workshops, and create a piece that will forever say ‘JOALI’. 

NEW FOR 2025… A captivating collaboration with British-French artist Sophie Kitching. You’ll find her exclusive artwork on display across the island, as well as hand-painted champagne bottles available for purchase as unique keepsakes. They’re are designed to complement Joali’s signature house champagne, Ruinart, which will also be featured in a stylish poolside pop-up in 2025. 

Taj Lake Palace 

Udaipur, India

Taj Lake Palace appears like a mirage, an illusion anchored in marble floating serenely in the middle of Lake Pichola. Once the summer refuge of one of the world’s longest reigning dynasties, it’s now one of India’s most iconic heritage hotels. 

At first glance it may seem like a maximalist fantasy: four acres of ornate courtyards, gilded salons, and mosaics rising from the lake with the kind of theatrical flourish only a palace could command. And you’d be forgiven for thinking it too extravagant, too cloistered, too stylised for more than a fleeting stay, but you’d soon find that time works differently within these walls. The layers of history and craftsmanship are so immersive, so finely woven and so unexpectedly serene that a few days will quickly feel like too few.

Built between 1743 and 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the palace was designed as a sanctuary of rest and ritual, but time inevitably took its toll and by the mid-20th century the interiors had dulled and faded. Enter Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The 1961 royal visit changed everything, the world took notice, and the following year the transformation into a heritage hotel began.

It was Maharana Bhagwat Singh who oversaw the revival, appointing American artist and architect Didi Contractor to lead the design. A wise choice as, with great sensitivity, she preserved the soul of the royal suites - Sajjan Niwas, Sarva Ritu Vilas, Khush Mahal - while a wider team travelled across Rajasthan to study regional crafts, materials, and vernacular traditions. 

The 65 rooms and 18 suites are unapologetically lavish as a result, framed by decorative corbels, brass bezels, coloured glass, and depictions of Radha and Krishna. Yet rather than overwhelm, their beauty soothes. Swathes of silk, velvet, and woven rugs soften the spaces, while objets d’art and ceilings of mermaids and fairies lend a whimsical charm. Every detail contributes to a feeling that this is uniquely Udaipur: radiant, romantic, and steeped in legend.

 Click here to view all our India itineraries. 

Amirandes, A Grecotel  Resort to Live

Crete, Greece

Pablo Picasso once drew himself as the Minotaur – a creature of Greek myth, half-man and half-bull forever bound to the Labyrinth of Knossos, Crete’s most storied archaeological site. Just a few kilometres from those ancient ruins, Amirandes pays homage to that same legend through a collection few would expect to find outside a museum. Since 2013, its Minotaur restaurant has displayed an impressive selection of original Picasso ceramics, drawn from his celebrated Madoura collection.

Sculptural vases, perfectly preserved pitchers, and ceramics etched with mythical symbols line the walls that overlook the Lago di Candia, lending a sense of respect and rarity to the dining space – a chance to dine on masterpieces while admiring them around you. For those seeking a true sense of theatre, we recommend two trips. On the first, eat indoors for a fully realised, art-focused experience. On the second request a table outside, as at nighttime the lagoon reflects the starry night – a celestial showpiece that’s inspired centuries of great artists.

Amanjena

Marrakech, Morocco

How can a single shape and shade so effortlessly capture a nation’s architectural traditions? Just as whitewashed stone harmonises with Santorini or glassy spires rouse visions of Dubai, Morocco is captured by its terracotta palette and curved arches. Centuries of Moorish artistry - horseshoe shapes, geometric patterns, slender minarets - have resulted in an architectural language so iconic it needs no translation. 

Start with a base of traditional zellij-tile floors, glazed to a soft shine. Scatter generously with handwoven Berber rugs, then fold in cool courtyards, vaulted ceilings, and archways so iconic they’re plucked from a ‘How To’ guide on interiors. Add a pinch of emerald rooftops, a handful of clay lanterns, and a few sculpted daybeds beneath the palms. Then finish with flickering candles and the scent of roses in the air. It’s a recipe for the finest ode to Morocco, abundant with detail and driven by intent.

Amanjena is just ten kilometres from the maze of Marrakech’s medina, trading souk-side bustle for a welcome stillness. The only sounds are the hush of olive trees, the trickle of marble fountains, and the faint echo of craftsmanship that’s been centuries in the making. It’s a masterclass in artistry that shouldn’t be missed.

ASK US ABOUT… Aman as a brand. They have sanctuaries in all of the most inspirational corners of the Earth: Venice, New York, Phuket, Bali, Bodrum, and Rajasthan, with residences coming soon in Beverly Hills and Miami Beach.

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Our brand new DepART brochure is now live, and ready to inspire your next beautiful escape.

Click through to explore the full collection of art-inspired journeys, where creativity and travel come together in the most extraordinary ways. From architecturally striking hotels to immersive cultural experiences, this is a celebration of aesthetics, emotion, and the joy of seeing the world differently.

Discover the full brochure now — and let your imagination lead the way.

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