Stepping through the portal
Stepping through the portal
By PORTALTO Editor
27 October 2026
Maison Mystique Khao Yai sits within a destination that has long offered a different side of Thailand. On the drive from Bangkok, the landscape gradually opens into mountain views, vineyards, and countryside retreats, while the area's eclectic establishments bring their own interpretations of an escape from the city. Khao Yai left us curious about the places taking shape beyond its natural appeal. Maison Mystique, in particular, caught our attention.
With its storybook atmosphere, old-world references, and an undercurrent of mystery, Maison Mystique feels conceived around a world of its own. Its visual language raises an intriguing question: what happens when a designer builds a hospitality experience around imagination, rather than following a familiar idea of what a hotel should be?
That question led us to Fearn Kate, the creative mind behind Maison Mystique. Her earlier projects, including Featherstone Café, known for its whimsical, bohemian-inspired interiors, and The Apothecary Venue, with its theatrical, garden-like setting, reveal a recurring interest in spaces that feel distinct from the everyday. We spoke with Fearn about the ideas and personal influences behind Maison Mystique, how she translates a feeling into a physical space, and the next chapter of her vision for the property.
“Maison Mystique is a house of imagination disguised as a hotel.” — Fearn Kate on the vision behind Maison Mystique
Maison Mystique began with an inner world Fearn Kate wanted to translate into something tangible. Drawn to hidden gardens, old houses filled with memory, and stories where curiosity leads to something mysterious yet tender, she set out to create a place that exists beyond the conventions of a hotel.
She describes Maison Mystique as “a house of imagination disguised as a hotel” — a living artwork suspended between reality and dream. Each room carries its own mood, while the house reveals itself gradually. Its old-world sensibility and time-worn details evoke spaces that feel as though they have existed long before their present form, leaving room for discovery and interpretation.
Design Begins with Feeling
For Fearn, design begins with a feeling, almost like a memory that has not yet happened. The story follows, then the people, materials, light, colours, and proportions that give the initial impression a physical form.
Her references extend beyond interiors. Children's stories, antiques, old illustrations, books, stones, and butterflies all inform her creative world. She collects not only objects, but also atmospheres, emotions, and unresolved questions. Over time, these become an inner archive that shapes how she sees and creates.
Writers such as Kahlil Gibran and Henry David Thoreau influence her perspective: Gibran through his emotional clarity and understanding of the human experience, and Thoreau through his attentiveness to nature, stillness, and intentional living. Both encourage a slower way of seeing, one that notices what might otherwise be overlooked.
Khao Yai offered Fearn the balance she was looking for: accessibility without losing the feeling of escape. Its surrounding mountains, open horizons, and cooler air create a natural sense of calm.
Maison Mystique needed a setting where nature and stillness could become part of the experience, rather than simply its backdrop. Here, the landscape contributes to the atmosphere as much as the architecture and interiors do.
Fearn is developing a wellness experience as a continuation of Maison Mystique's creative language. Conceived not as a conventional spa but as a more meditative journey, it will bring together water, light, restorative rituals, and the surrounding gardens.
The direction extends her ongoing exploration of perception, memory, and atmosphere. Rather than a departure from Maison Mystique's original vision, it represents a deeper exploration of how spaces can shape the way people feel.
Maison Mystique
Khao Yai, Thailand
Phone: +66 44 000 117
Website | Google Maps
