Suites at Sea: Four eras of design set sail at Sea Containers

Creative director Jacu Strauss has partnered with vintage marketplace Vinterior to create four themed suites at London’s Sea Containers hotel, embracing and expanding the site’s existing nautical narrative.

Operated by the Lore Group and perched on the banks of the Thames, the hotel occupies part of the Sea Containers House — a 1974 Warren Platner-designed structure transformed into a luxury destination by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio in 2014. Dixon originally took inspiration from 1920s cruise liners, and Strauss’ new designs delve even deeper into maritime history.

GALLERY  

Each of the four suites — Edwardian, Art Deco, Mid-century and Dynasty — nods to a different era of seafaring and design, styled as cabins aboard a ship. Sourcing entirely from Vinterior, Strauss has curated period-authentic pieces with sustainable and timeless appeal. “We’re not just providing an alternative to mass-produced furniture – we’re offering a way to create thoughtful, sustainable interiors,” says Vinterior founder Sandrine Zhang Ferron.

The Art Deco suite is a standout, filled with 1930s glamour and geometric flourishes. In the bedroom, a burl-wood headboard is flanked by Swedish walnut bedside tables and white glass and chrome lamps. A cork-panelled statement wall in the lounge is inset with sculptural details that echo across a nearby bar. Chrome finishes continue in the bathroom with mirrored frames and a polished free-standing tub.

Other suites build out the narrative. The Edwardian space features a leather-topped mahogany desk and walnut armchairs, reflecting the opulence of early 1900s transatlantic voyages. The Mid-century suite introduces sleek wood panelling and chrome accents to echo shipbuilding evolution. Meanwhile, the Dynasty suite playfully embraces 1980s luxury, complete with a reupholstered Maralunga sofa and a lucite coffee table.

Strauss’ collaboration with Vinterior reinforces the potential of vintage design as a tool for immersive storytelling and sustainable practice — one that’s perfectly at home beside the Thames.

Images by James McDonald via Dezeen

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