8 blessings inn

Eight Blessings Inn is a Bed & Breakfast guest house that opened its doors in 2021, repurposing a Hui-style courtyard home in rural Zhejiang originally constructed in 1785. The building conversion and management are guided by the virtues of Gladys Aylward’s The Inn of Eight Happiness, from which the guest house derives its name.

The design explores the concept of “simple living” through practical alterations to existing building features that meet hospitality standards. The original structural timber is retained in its entirety and finished with lacquer to highlight its presence in the new spaces. This timber is often exposed, as the design challenges the traditional structural grid hto create more generous volumes for the guest rooms upstairs and introduce diversity to the gathering spaces downstairs. The courtyard retains its original volume, serving as a legacy of the home and providing continuity between the old and the new.

Fluted windows and handmade curtains along the building perimeter diffuse incoming light, inviting an inward-looking experience. The walls are finished with earth plasters from a nearby province, leading to a central courtyard partitioned with clear glass that opens to the sky. Plywood partitions are stained and lacquered, enhancing the natural light that flows from the courtyard and blending seamlessly with the existing timber structure.