Nika Private Residence at Velaa Private Island — Noonu Atoll, Maldives

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Nirolhu Private Residence guestroom, Noonu Atoll, Maldives
(Image credit: TBC)

The Maldives may be heaven on earth, but when you’re running a luxury resort like Velaa Private Island, all that fresh sea-salted air can take a devilish toll on the furnishings.

Which might explain why the 47-key property has found it necessary to spruce up one of its four private residences when it’s only been open since December 2013.

The masterplan is to invite a tent-pole designer to refurbish each of the remaining villas – originally designed by Czech architect Petr Kolar – and first out of the box is Patricia Urquiola’s work on Nika Private Residence.

With a quietly sure hand, the Spanish-born, Milan-based designer infuses the two-storey, 1,350 sq m pleasure dome with a low-key mod-Euro atmosphere that doesn’t detract from that fabled vista of sun, sand and sea visible from each of the four bedrooms. The furnishings are a tight edit of her Moroso collection framed against straw weaves, dark timber screens, and earth-toned textiles, making Velaa primed for a fresh close-up.

Nirolhu Private Residence lounge, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

(Image credit: TBC)

Nirolhu Private Residence bathroom, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

(Image credit: TBC)

Nirolhu Private Residence guest room, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

(Image credit: TBC)

Nirolhu Private Residence lounge, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

(Image credit: TBC)

ADDRESS

Noonu Atoll
Maldives

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Daven Wu

Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.