The end of 2020 and 2021 marked two of onestop’s many firsts – the first two ventures with Alila, a brand that is part of the prestigious World of Hyatt. onestop worked with Alila on two sublime projects: Kothaifaru Maldives and Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives. During the project duration, onestop faced common problems involving budget and timeframe.

THE ALILA IDENTITY

An overall muted yet pleasing and sleek style, Alila possesses a distinctive charm like no other. The project featured clean and subtle grid lines with soothing natural colours and textures, and just enough accent pieces.

PROJECT: ALILA KOTHAIFARU MALDIVES

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives is a 11.2-hectare private island retreat on the northern edge of Maldives in Raa Atoll, surrounded by a stunning house reef. onestop was tasked with a scope of work ranging from mock-ups to production, then shipment and subsequently overseeing the furniture in rooms and public areas. This project required no installations but needed the team to undergo productions concurrently. 

CHALLENGE #1: THE UNPRECEDENTED DELAY

The 2-year project started with one of the biggest challenges of 2020 – the same year the COVID-19 pandemic started and threw the whole world into turmoil. With the pandemic hindering the overall process, onestop faced its first challenge: managing client expectations. Material supplies and exports resulted in multiple limitations and time delays, which meant that onestop had to not only be patient but also inform the clients about delays in a way that would allow them to understand and empathise with the situation.

CHALLENGE #2: WORKING WITHIN THE BUDGET

With the Interior Designer’s complex designs, onestop had to figure out how to deliver the designs while working within the budget. The key was to work with cost-effective options without compromising the overall quality, whilst maintaining the designer’s vision. For instance, one of the designs specified solid timber, a more costly material. In response, the team swapped it for veneer, a more inexpensive material replacement. All materials are sourced from onestop’s factory based in China, ensuring the best quality of materials.

PROJECT FINOLHU BAA ATOLL MALDIVES

Moving on to the second project with Alila – Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives. Consisting of a similar scope of work, onestop oversaw the furniture in rooms and public areas, which required them to undergo production and installation concurrently. Fortunately, the guest rooms featured loose furniture, making the process relatively straightforward. 

CHALLENGE #1: WORKING AROUND THE PANDEMIC

Similar to Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, the Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives project ran during the COVID-19 turmoil, from June 2020 to December 2020. Despite the pandemic putting a halt on many projects, this was one of the few projects that kept running. onestop persevered and ultimately completed the project by the end of 2020. As this was the first big project occuring during the pandemic, the team had to adapt to new working methods to ensure that production continued smoothly. For instance, with the travel restrictions in place, onestop had to communicate through Zoom meetings and engage a Quality Checker from Indonesia to conduct the onsite inspection.

CHALLENGE #2: WORKING WITH NEW MATERIALS

As exciting as it was to work with new materials, these experiences brought different challenges too. Working with new materials meant that onestop had to get creative. An example of this would be the pool bar that required a unique finish – melted casted glass. To achieve this look, layers of glass were compressed and melted down together, finished off with a slight colour addition to create a marble effect. Another unique material is the use of oyster shells for pendant lights.

onestop also had to work with intricate specifications given by the designer, amongst other challenges. Design specifications were entrusted to onestop, and even though materials were supplied, onestop had to fabricate and install them onsite. 

7 December 2022