We’re Obsessed With These Arched Doors

Karine Monié
·2 min read

Dorothée Meilichzon—founder of Parisian studio Chzon—never stops. At only 38 years old, she has already worked on over 50 interior architecture, furniture, and graphic design projects all over Europe and New York City. One of her latest projects, Menorca Experimental, is a true gem located on one of Spain’s Balearic Islands. What really caught our eye: the doors.

“I wanted to create a connection with the rest of the hotel but also a clear space with nice details such as the LRNCE plates handmade in Morocco, mirrors, floor lamps, vases, and candles,” the French designer says. “It’s a very quiet space.”

With 43 rooms, a vegetable garden, nine houses with private swimming pools, an indoor restaurant and cocktail bar, a large outdoor swimming pool, and an outdoor restaurant, the 74-acre property was designed as the summer residence of an imaginary artist. It was only missing one thing—a spa—until just a few weeks ago. Massages, yoga, sauna, and hammam form part of the relaxing program in an atmosphere where curves and soft colors echo the aesthetic of the hotel, which was inaugurated last year.

The painted arches on the walls tie together the doorways and add a fun visual effect.
The painted arches on the walls tie together the doorways and add a fun visual effect.
KAREL-BALAS

Spread over 2,690 square feet, the spa is all about arches, a motif that shapes the doors. In different colors, these patterns are also painted one over another on some walls, with two hues, for a very cool visual effect. “In Menorca, there are many stone architraves so we were inspired by this and we replicated them, sometimes in stone, sometimes in paint.”

“I’ve decided to play with the shapes of the space and the columns to create steps, and introduced squared elements,” Dorothée says.
“I’ve decided to play with the shapes of the space and the columns to create steps, and introduced squared elements,” Dorothée says.
KAREL-BALAS
“The typical Menorca architecture, with round doors, the marès (a sandstone from the Balearic Islands), and the colors that can be seen in the town of Ciutadella de Menorca (such as dark red and dark green), characterized the spaces,” Dorothée says.
“The typical Menorca architecture, with round doors, the marès (a sandstone from the Balearic Islands), and the colors that can be seen in the town of Ciutadella de Menorca (such as dark red and dark green), characterized the spaces,” Dorothée says.
KAREL-BALAS

Concrete, enameled tiles, and terra-cotta combine in a perfect mix of raw and refined, resulting in a feeling of warmth throughout. There’s a connection between the hotel, spa, and local environment, with cool archways being the major wow factor.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest