At CHIL Interior Design, we approach hospitality as an opportunity to tell meaningful stories through space. Our designs aim to evoke a sense of place, one that is thoughtful, memorable, and rooted in the local context. Balancing creativity with precision, we focus on creating environments that resonate with people in real, lasting ways. This philosophy was challenged in new and exciting ways when we were invited to help realize Karl Lagerfeld’s first and only hotel—a project that pushed the boundaries of design and demanded a flawless translation of his highly personal, uncompromising vision.

Hong Kong Design Director Stella Liao discussing the project while accepting an award at the IIDA Awards Ceremony in Paris.

One of the key figures in this monumental endeavor was Stella Liao, now the Design Director of CHIL’s Hong Kong studio. When Stella joined the project, she was fairly new to Hong Kong having worked primarily in Taiwan up to that point.  She also quickly had to learn about the region and culture of Macau where this 5-star hotel was being built as well as Mr. Lagerfeld himself and his immense legacy that spoke to all aspects of the project. She quickly found herself at the heart of designing, material sourcing, supplier coordination, and the rigorous approval process that ensured every detail met Karl’s exacting standards. “I had to learn fast. There was no room for hesitation,” she recalls.  

Looking back, Stella describes this experience as nothing short of transformative. The challenges were immense, but the rewards were even greater. The project has since received international recognition, earning accolades such as the 5 IIDA Awards including Best of Competition in Asia Pacific, SBID Awards Overall Design Winner, and the 2024 Forbes Travel Guide 5-Star Award.

CHIL Global Principal Adèle Rankin and Hong Kong Design Director Stella Liao proudly accepted an award at the IIDA Awards Ceremony in Paris, presented by IIDA CEO Cheryl Durst

Here are the key lessons Stella and the team learned from working with Karl Lagerfeld:

 

The lobby at THE KARL LAGERFELD MACAU captures Karl’s unmistakable style, with elaborate detailing, dramatic proportions, and statement-making furniture and fixtures.

1. Details Matter, Even When You Think No One Will Notice The Karl Lagerfeld design team operated with a level of meticulousness that left no detail unchecked. Every material sample had to be submitted in a 1:1 scale for Karl’s review, shipped to Paris for approval. Nothing in the hotel escaped his examination: every tile, textile, and decorative element was personally reviewed and often reworked multiple times to meet his exacting standards. At one meeting, he instantly spotted the difference between two seemingly identical gold mosaic tiles among a sea of samples, proving that no discrepancy, no matter how minute, would go unnoticed. “Karl’s eye was unlike anything I had ever encountered. He saw what others couldn’t, and he made us all better because of it,” Stella says.

   
   For every meeting with the Karl Lagerfeld team in Paris, our designers traveled with over 45 kilograms of meticulously organized samples carefully curated for streamlined approval.

2. Develop an Eye Like a Camera Karl’s sharp eye and photographic memory were legendary and working with Karl meant developing a new way of seeing. Stella trained herself to look through his lens: a world where every texture, sheen, and silhouette carried weight. “He had the sharpest eyes I’ve ever seen,” she recalls. Over time, she began to anticipate his preferences, fine-tuning her attention to detail until the approval process became second nature. On site, this visual memory became her superpower: remembering every last specification and coordinating approvals down to the border width of a rug.

Every corner of THE KARL LAGERFELD MACAU was thoughtfully crafted to bring Karl Lagerfeld’s vision to life, including the hotel fine dining restaurant — Mesa.

3. Passion is in the Pursuit of Perfection The team’s dedication was tested as they worked to perfect every element. The indoor pool’s mosaic artwork, for instance, underwent numerous iterations. Should the woman’s eyes be open or closed? Should she have a headscarf? What posture best captured Karl’s vision? Every question required an answer, and every answer had to meet Karl’s standards. “Our team’s passion was stretched to its maximum. We didn’t stop designing until we truly felt it was right,” says Stella. There was no shortcut. That commitment paid off, with The Spa at THE KARL LAGERFELD now winning the SBID Awards Wellness Design Regional Winner – Asia, the IIDA Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards, and achieving the prestigious 2024 Forbes Travel Guide 5-Star Award.

The mosaic artwork in the indoor pool was refined through countless iterations, each version pushing the boundaries of detail and design to achieve the final striking result.

4. Design Should Reflect a Clear Identity Designing Karl Lagerfeld’s first and only hotel wasn’t about guessing what he might like. It was about executing a vision he had already defined with absolute clarity. “It’s about Karl” became the team’s guiding mantra. With four of his personal sketchbooks as the foundation, plus references from his runway shows and signature motifs, Karl gave the team a deeply personal roadmap. He knew what he wanted, and he expected every detail, from the furniture profiles to the palette of materials, to reflect his standard of beauty. For Stella, it was about listening closely, studying his world, and delivering on his direction with precision. If Karl had walked through the finished hotel, she hoped he would have seen himself in every corner of the space, and that every decision stayed true to his aesthetic.

 

5. Excellence is Non-Negotiable This was Karl Lagerfeld’s first and only hotel, and with that came a new benchmark for excellence—his own. Nothing was arbitrary. Perhaps the most astonishing testament to this is The Book Lounge, where over 4,000 books were not only handpicked but arranged by Pantone color, a process that took six months to perfect. Every decision, no matter how seemingly minor, was treated as a vital piece of a much larger vision. Suppliers were asked to ship life-sized mockups to Paris for approval. Over 100 people were involved across continents, and the core team lived in Macau for half a year to oversee every last detail. “Working on this project taught me that excellence isn’t a goal, it’s a given,” Stella reflects. “That level of consideration was what made this project so extraordinary. Karl never settled until something was truly the best it could be.” It’s a mindset that has reshaped how she approaches every creative collaboration since. “This project set the bar for everything I do now. If it’s not excellent, it’s not finished.”

   Karl Lagerfeld’s personal library served as inspiration for the Book Lounge in the hotel.

One of the most astonishing testaments to this meticulous vision is The Book Lounge, where over 4,000 handpicked books were meticulously arranged by Pantone color, a process that took six months to perfect.

6. Stay Gracious, No Matter Who You Are For a man so iconic, Karl Lagerfeld carried himself with surprising humility. “The first time I met him, he walked into the room, greeted everyone personally, and shook all of our hands before we even got started,” Stella recalls. “He didn’t need to do that. But he did, every time.” It was a small gesture that left a lasting impression, especially on a young designer who never expected that level of warmth from a global fashion legend. In those moments, Stella realized that part of Karl’s enduring influence wasn’t just his creative genius, it was the respect he showed every person in the room. That kind of hospitality wasn’t just inspiring; it was a lesson in leadership.

Read more about the KARL LAGERFELD MACAU here