In Rio, there are many good views. Take the cable car up to Sugarloaf or the funicular up to Corcovado and you’ll see this dramatically beautiful city in all its glory: a series of lush, green hills, dipping down to one of the world’s most spectacular coastlines. No less ravishing is the view that awaits behind the door of Villa No 174 – an art-crammed B&B, at the top of Rio’s bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood. It’s just one of many treats that awaits guests – the others being a private pool and a pet macaw named Nino, who even has his own Instagram account.

About the interiors…

The minute you walk through the green, ivy-clad gate of Villa No 174 into the plush marble lounge, you feel rooted in Rio. Tropical plants and vibrant fabrics fill the space; antique armchairs and unusual pieces of furniture abound. Many items were found in flea markets across the city and re-upholstered using fabrics from Italian design house Dedar. Custom-made artworks by Bosnian painter Radmila Djapic Jovandic also distract the eye.

Everything feels palatial, especially on the balcony. Day or night, the views from here – of Guanabara Bay and the rising bluff of Sugarloaf mountain – are exceptional. Peer down and you’ll spy the pool, encircled by terracotta tiles and wrapped in tropical foliage amid which exotic birds fly.

On the next floor down, there are three rooms, all with a long, bougainvillea-draped balcony and hammocks. The style inside the suites is similarly chic and individual, with hotel-standard bathrooms and a small minibar.

The project was conceived by the owner and interior designer Srdjan Prodanovic. He spent much of his childhood living in Morocco, whose intimate riads influenced the design of Villa No 174 – homely, but exotic. He now divides his time between Rio, Ibiza, Paris and Luxembourg. As well as Villa No 174, he’s also created the interiors for the newly-opened Casa la Concha, in Marbella.