Huvafen Fushi has long set the standard for luxury in the Maldives – a private island where turquoise waters and white sands frame an experience of pure escapism. Last year, this beloved retreat was thoughtfully reimagined, with a bold design refresh that honours its legacy while bringing a modern, quietly confident elegance to every corner.
Enter BLINK Design Group. Its mission: to redesign 44 overwater and beach bungalows without losing the soul of the resort. The result is a masterclass in modern tropical design – fresh, reflective and deeply respectful of its location.
Huvafen Fushi is really about subtleties. Think sculpted minimalism, drawn from the Maldivian environment. Colours lifted from sea and sky, textures born of the earth and craftsmanship that whispers rather than shouts. “Naturally enchanting was our mantra,” said Clint Nagata, Co-founder and Creative Partner, BLINK. “Wherever possible we used handmade materials from nature and colour palettes inspired by nature, designed to deliver a crafted sense of sophistication.”
Image credit: Ben Richards
Each villa is a study in balance, which Nagata describes as, “key in a delicate refresh like this.” The interiors pulse with natural materials: timber ceilings, abaca fibre walls and woven ROA wallpapers from Java. Rattan reappears with quiet insistence – at the bedhead, in handwoven furniture – grounding spaces with artisanal flair. Jim Thompson silks in green add just enough polish, a nod to refined comfort without indulgent excess. “For each villa,” the designer continued, “it was about establishing a natural focal point and the interplay of subtle elements.”
Meanwhile, bathrooms feature oversized stone plunge tubs, tactile surfaces, clean lines and clever contrasts that invite long, languid rituals. Every surface – every shadow – has been considered.
Image credit: Ben Richards
Huvafen Fushi’s refreshed aesthetic is rooted in placemaking. BLINK delved into local traditions – weaving, woodcraft, textiles – and let these inform its design direction. This, unlike other hotels in the region, isn’t a resort draped in trend; it’s one shaped by heritage, built for the present and carefully calibrated for the future.
Outside, the architecture also knows when to step back. Jetty walkways stretch toward solitude, overwater pavilions melt into horizon lines, and interiors let the island do the talking: cerulean waters, bone-white sands and rustling palms. It’s a reminder that the greatest luxury is still nature, simply framed.
This redesign is not so much a reinvention as it is a return – a refined revival of the magic that made Huvafen Fushi iconic. With a deft touch and deep respect for place, BLINK has crafted a new chapter for the resort: one of quiet glamour, grounded luxury and timeless island allure.
> Since you’re here, why not read our review of Gili Lankanfushi, a hotel designed to leave you feeling shipwrecked?
Main image credit: Ben Richards
