LIVING / Living ASEAN - Inspiring Tropical Lifestyle

Homework Fabrics with Style; Warm, Relaxing Tropical Elegance

By livingasean
November 14, 2018
IDEA,LIVING,MATERIAL

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story & Photograph: Courtesy of Homework /

Modern tropical is one of decorating styles that have become popular across the country. It’s a style that takes into account the warm and humid climate characteristic of the Region. This is abundantly clear in the way tropical décor materials sourced directly from the locality are being put to good use in so many ways. They include wood that promotes relaxing and peaceful feelings, floating furniture crafted of natural materials, home décor accessories, and fabrics for furniture upholstery, throw pillows, and curtains in striking colors and textures. Their simple yet elegant appearances bespeak a cool, contemporary style that’s classic in its own special way, a style that’s quite capable of answering many decorating needs.

Polyester fabrics look their best not only in home furnishings and decorative accessories, but also in business establishments from hotels to retail shops, where not seriousness but a friendly, relaxing and pleasant manner is everything and everlasting. For that, there are polyester fabrics to suit every decorating need. Here are some of the qualities worth considering.

TYPES OF FABRIC

The Modern tropical style is well suited to the warm and humid climate typical of the Region’s highlands and seaside environments. Polyester fabrics come in handy as the material of choice for their ability to resist exposure to a range of weather conditions, from moisture to bacterial and fungal contamination. These unfavorable conditions can have negative effects on consumers. To avoid problems, polyester fabrics are recommended because they are made of plastic fibers that do not absorb moisture. Unlike natural fibers, polyester does not accumulate humidity, which reduces the chance of bacterial and fungal contamination in fabrics.

MOOD AND TONE

The tropical decorating style evokes the image of bright sunlight and cool temperatures that accompany every rainfall. That sounds like a first good impression that most people have. To create interior design that will ring the bell, materials that provide a decorative and textured surface are of great significance. That’s not all. Materials for furniture upholstery and curtains in complementing colors and design are important, too. Together, they combine to make the interior living space feel warm and welcoming. There are plenty of ways to match colors. Whether it’s visual harmony or outstanding visual contrast, the choice is yours.

FABRIC PROPERTIES

Humidity in the air is among factors contributing to fungal and bacterial growth. Hence, it makes perfect sense to go for polyester when it comes to interior decorating. Polyester is great for curtains, furniture upholstery, blankets and throw pillows. It’s undergone testing to prove its worth. Thanks to its many outstanding attributes, polyester has remained a popular material of choice in a variety of applications. Its benefits are not limited to just interior décor or furniture. Some polyester fabrics are capable of serving multiple purposes. For information about polyester usage, consult the product catalog and label that comes with the fabrics.

Polyester Material of Choice for Modern Tropical Décor

01 Design No. 9554/05: width 110″ (280 cm)

02 Design No. 8072/03: width 54″ (137 cm)

03 Design No. 3151/07: width 60″ (150 cm)

04 Design No. 10056/103: width 55″ (140 cm)

05 Design No. 10051/105: width 55″ (140 cm)

06 Design No. DANE/104: width 54″ (137 cm)

Note: 100% polyester fabrics are material of choice for curtains, throw pillows, and furniture upholstery.

Information and fabrics courtesy of: HOMEWORK FABRICS

Contact information:
No. 9 Yaek 9 Soi Petchakasem 112, Khwaeng Nong Khang Phloo, Nong Khaem District, Bangkok 10160, Thailand
Tel: +662-119-7888
Fax: +662-810-8091
Email: marketing@goldhousedecor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/homework.th
www.goldhousedecor.com

Wooden House with “Tai Thun”: Comfortable Living, Easy Repair

By livingasean
September 20, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Chaing Mai, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /

This lovingly handcrafted wooden house in Chiang Mai’s San Sai District connects two buildings with a high, wide open “tai thun” (open lower floor) featuring a long dining table and “living room” spot that gets a cool breeze the whole day.

Nuttawut “Ae” and Sutthida “May” Saylahom had scheduled ten months to build their new home, but it took more than a year to finish, until after their second son was born.

Along the way a few alterations were made: a planned swimming pool, for instance, became instead a grass lawn where their young Kiri would be able to run and play with his new little brother.

An architect by profession, Ae had no problem doing manual work himself and loved every minute of it. He combined an old Thai Lanna rice granary with the original wooden house next to it.

Construction began by disassembling the old buildings: original components and materials were removed and set aside for use in new functionality envisioned in the new design.

The granary’s primary structure remains: eight large wooden pillars, with four pillars angled inwards for weight-bearing purposes.

There is a tall main column reaching all the way through to the tie beam – a primary roof component – and another post up to the roof for ridgepole support, all set in a foundation of poured concrete to protect against moisture and ground-nesting termites.

A wooden frame was designed to form a single house from the two buildings, creating a wooden balcony that functions as a connecting walkway.

Leftover wood was used to build a garage in front roofed over with tiles from the old structure and using old porch railings for walls.

Trees were planted all around to block the line of sight, functioning as a natural fence.

Old-style wooden houses in this province of Thailand were often built with the bathroom outside, separate from the house, or sometimes a concrete wall was put up to add a connected bathroom.

Here, though, the bathroom was built directly into the wooden house structure, floored with stainless steel cut with holes for plumbing.

Concrete was then poured in over steel reinforcing rods left over from the old structure, and all overlaid with tile flooring.

Where walls would get wet, fiber cement “smartboard” walls were set on the wood frame, joints sealed with polyurethane glue, and Flex Shield applied before surface painting.

Ae says that this is the first house, and will probably be the last, for him to put such a huge amount of his spirit and labor into.

Lovingly handcrafted, the size and utility of each piece of wood are fitted to its best use. But with this level of detailed knowledge, if a problem comes up, he’ll see the cause and be able to jump in and immediately fix it.

Designer: Nuttawut Saylahom

Visit the original Thai content…

บ้านไม้ใต้ถุนสูง เสน่ห์แบบบ้านไทยสร้างด้วยมือทุกขั้นตอน

You may also like…

A Tropical Waterside Home Made for The Thai Climate

Treehouse C: Stunning Treehouse Design Unveiled

Huean Tham House: Local Thai House in a Japanese Tradition

By livingasean
September 6, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / Englosh version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

The Huean Tham house (House of Dharma) has a depth that makes it much more than just a place to live. It’s actually a group of buildings and rooms, each with its own particular use. The Thai word “tham” (dharma) is integral to the words “thammachat” (nature) and “thammada” (natural), and suggests tranquility in life living in this local Thai house.

Huean Tham is a residence, a design workshop for naturally dyed fabrics, and a storehouse for Usaato brand fabrics, all in 6 buildings.

First is “ruean yai” (the large house), residence of owners Somyot Suparpornhemin and Usaburo Sato.

Just to the north is ruean lek (small house), where the children and visiting friends stay.

More or less in the center of the complex is sala tham (dharma hall), a place to socialize, with a shady multipurpose yard for activities such as dharma seminars and trainings in woven fabric design, for a local village weaving group, and in natural soap production.

There is also a shrine with a wooden Buddha in this local Thai house. Both wings of the second floor hold guest rooms for close friends.

On the southwest side is ruean luang pho (holy man house), a retreat for family members which serves as a monk’s hut when a revered spiritual teacher is invited to the home.

Finally, to the south are akhan kep pha (fabric storehouse) and ruean ngan (workshop) for design work, with different rooms for specialists in different crafts.

Huean Tham’s outstanding attributes were conceived by Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architects with the aim of combining good features of the traditional Thai house with functional Japanese concepts.

Entering ruean yai we see the floor is raised a bit: this is to protect against ground moisture. Thai and Japanese homes share a characteristic utilization of the area beneath the main house for guest reception and dining, a multipurpose space called “tai thun” in Thai.

Construction materials were selected for their good points and their suitability: the house is constructed primarily of wood, the house frame primarily of concrete and steel.

The architecture of Huean Tham isn’t flashy or showy. The true beauty of this home is in its fusion of architecture with life toward oneness with nature and the ways of tranquility, raising the level of excellence for both the architectural team and for Eung and Ussa’s lifestyle.

This excellence will continuously reinforce the beauty of this local Thai house as time goes on.

Owner: Somyot Suparpornhemin and Usaburo Sato

Architect: Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect

Project Consultant: Teerapon Niyom

Contractor: Pratiew Yasai

Visit the original Thai version of the article…

เฮือนธรรม บ้านใต้ถุนสูง พื้นถิ่นไทย ในขนบแบบญี่ปุ่น

You may also like…

From An Old Home to A Stunning House on Stilts

Peaceful, Shady Northeastern Thai House

A House Under the Pines in Vietnam

By livingasean
August 29, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Hanoi, Vietnam /
/ Story: Sara’ / English version: Peter Montalbano / Photographs: Triệu Chiến /

This modern house under the pines is nestled in forested hills, surrounded by green grass and tree-studded scenery that provides privacy and accents its harmony with the natural setting.

This house was designed by a Vietnamese team from Idee Architects, whose priorities involved respecting the former environment instead of leveling the hill and responding to the simplicity of the owner’s lifestyle.

This they managed with an “open space” concept in a home full of modern conveniences that still stays close to nature, washed in the sunlight that streams in through the pine woods.

The house is built on two levels, the lower section holding a carport/garage and multipurpose room, and the upper level with a living room, kitchen, and four bedrooms set atop a piney hill with a magnificent view on three sides.

Interior colors are dominated by natural-looking mid-tone colors: whites, blacks, greys, and browns, conveying natural warmth and tranquility.

The “focus and flow” design creates points of interest with a play of straight, horizontal, and vertical lines laid against the curves of the drive.

Three-meter eaves project out from the house to offer increased protection from Vietnam’s heavy rain and bright sunlight.

The house is designed in the shape of a slightly unbalanced “T” with a “semi-outdoor” pathway reaching all around. Except for the outdoor shower belonging to the master bedroom, on good-weather days doors and windows on every side of the house can be opened to let the air flow through.

A corridor on the west side acts as heat insulation for the bedroom, an elegant simplicity in design that creates balance between static and dynamic elements in the house.

The bedroom’s spaciousness shows dynamism, with the static element expressed through its privacy and sense of peace and quiet.

The house is securely tucked away in greenery, as the building was actually designed to blend in with the trees that were already present.

The big grass lawn out in front of the living room and bedrooms provides a great playground for the kids without blocking the idyllic view from inside.

The house structure is made primarily of authentic materials like steel, brick, and glass, whose lightness makes for easier adjustments when encountering problems combining them in construction while helping reduce living expenses and minimize negative effects on the original land.

Future energy use is optimized with the wide roof’s facilitation of solar energy storage as well as through clean water and the cultivation of vegetables, all of which truly support a comfortable and relaxing lifestyle.

Architect: Idee Architects

A Modern Steel Framed Home at the Water’s Edge

By livingasean
July 18, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ayutthaya, Thailand /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

This steel framed waterfront home rises above a tall “tai thun”, an open underfloor space perfect for socializing, especially for large family gatherings. Thoughtfully crafted to give a sense of peace, it blends modernity with the surrounding natural landscape. And it has some surprises inside, too. There was already a residence built here, but it wasn’t designed with the evolving needs of such a big family in mind. So, a new space was created: a new home at the water’s edge where everyone could come together and guests could spend the night.

The steel used for columns, beams, stairs, and balconies is surplus material left over from a large construction business belonging to the owner himself.

“I had to scale the entire house to fit all that material,” said architect Kasin Sonsri of Volume Matrix Studio commenting on the design challenges.

The new home is put together to give a feel of the traditional house of former times. Its high “tai thun” underfloor space serves as a multifunctional courtyard. Broad eaves that overhang the walls reach out to protect the home from inclement weather, while living spaces are open and inviting to the outside breeze. The building is raised up to catch views of the river and the garden below.

There’s a wide porch, an add-on projecting in front of the building facade. Massive posts and beams are designed to showcase their structural utility as a part of the house, as do the steps up into the dining room, the walkways, the porch, and the rain gutters spilling water through a steel grate.

All these elements combine to give a unique contemporary look to this house of steel and wood. The interior décor is simple. The second floor features an “open plan” separation of usable space: walls open up, connecting the kitchen to a large dining nook and from there into the living room area.

Step up onto the third floor, and surprise! The décor completely changes and it’s as if you’ve suddenly dropped into a Japanese home, where the style of mats, windows, and doors all tell you why the owner named the house “Sala Zen.”

In this room is a built-in cabinet where bedding is stored so that guests can easily come spend the night. Outside is a roof deck garden highlighted by an Onsen hot tub in an outdoor private spot that can’t be seen from the garden below.

The house is composed of many elements, but they all blend to make it a true home for Thai residents.

Taken as a whole, the steel-framed waterfront house is warm and familial. It fits perfectly into its context and offers the experience of comfortable living with natural light, cool breezes and great views all around. It’s situated in Ko Rian Sub-district, Ayutthaya Province.

Architect: Volume Matrix Studio (www.facebook.com/volumematrixstudio)

Visit Thai original content…

ชีวิตริมน้ำใน บ้านใต้ถุนสูง

You may also like…

A Modern Home That is Quintessentially Thai

RUPU HOUSE: White Geometric Design Bespeaks a Close Family Bond and Privacy at Home

The Beauty of Simplicity in a Single-Story Home

By livingasean
July 11, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ang Thong, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul / Styling: Somboon Kringkrai /

Right in the middle of a field in Ang Thong Province stands a single-story house that has become a community point of interest.

Owner Chamnan Chatchawalyangkul says, “At my age, I really needed to make this happen while I was still strong enough to get around.

“I don’t want to be a burden on my kids when I’m not so capable anymore, living in a cramped room with them worrying about me all the time.

“I needed to plan in advance to have a house where I can take care of myself. And the house will eventually belong to the kids anyhow.”

Chamnan’s design is spare and open, with excellent ventilation. With everything on the same level, each room is accessible by wheelchair.

One special place is a karaoke room for him and his friends. Architect Jim (Teerachai) Leesuraplanon tells us:

“Chamnan said he’d always lived in a rowhouse, a limited, safe space. Some people might want a house in the middle of an open lot to be open all around, but I think about safety, too.

“This is why we put the brick wall in front, and the iron bars, barriers that still allow light and air to pass through. I’d summarize the design I had in mind with the three words ‘balance,’ ‘blend,’ and ‘believe,’ expressing a balanced life, cause and effect, and faith.”

Standing in a rural field with a road in front, the house opens out on a rubber tree orchard in the rear.

Simplicity is the foundation of the design: a balance between vertical and horizontal lines and surfaces, no nooks or ridges to collect dust, and elemental materials such as concrete, wood, metal, brick, and gravel.

A metal frame lifts the roof at an angle to break the force of the wind. The floor is raised above the ground, facilitating maintenance work on utility systems beneath.

The front wall is a striking display of BPK brick, a local Ang Thong material, laid in a unique arrangement to create beautiful patterns of light and shade, with an additional layer of sliding glass windows for safety.

Around the house is laid a path of river gravel, so someone in the house can easily hear a person walking outside.

The big central living room is a great place to relax, but the real heart of this single-story house is the big porch.

When the folding doors are opened, the room opens up, and it’s much like an old-time Thai house, with the added benefit of a great view of the gorgeous rubber forest, just as the original design envisioned.

Owner: Chamnan Chatchawalyangkul

Architect: Teerachai Leesuraplanon

Visit the original Thai version of the article…

บ้านชั้นเดียวบนพื้นฐานความเรียบง่าย

You may also like…

Country Villa Breathes in the Energy of Nature

A Naturally Peaceful Single-Story Home

Renovating an Old Bedroom to be a Bridal Home

By livingasean
June 18, 2018
HOUSE

These rooms are like a house within a house: they were once just a 90-square-meter bedroom on the second floor.

/// THAILAND ///
Story: Nawapat Dusdul /// Photography: Nantiya Busabong /// Design: Fatt! Studio

Starting life as a married couple, lovebirds Sitthidej Chirapanda and Nicha Pongstaporn took on the challenge of renovating Sitthidej’s sister’s old bedroom. After dividing a second-floor usable space of 70 square meters into living room and bedroom, they added in the 20-square-meter octagonal loft to create an art gallery.

Architects from Fatt! Studio took on the job, and kept the original structure almost intact, but did save space by changing the floating staircase from its original design to a helical (spiral) one, adding an implicit eye-catching point of interest to the space. This required careful measurement to get the proportions right, so tall people wouldn’t hit the ceiling going up. Here, too, the meticulous, painstaking work of master craftsmen was employed in creating a finely detailed brick wall. After a first coat of plain white paint they daubed, trimmed, and polished the bricks in different spots piece by piece to create the sort of unique patterning the residents were looking for.

The architects retained the original makha wood floor, carefully abrading the wood to soften it, then surfacing it with a round of oil-based finisher. It was decided to completely remove the original living room ceiling so as to open the space up much more. A ceiling-specific demolition method was used, enabling display of the bare surface of the red wood above, which was polished, softening colors until the unique grains of each panel showed clearly.

In the octagonal gallery the original window was replaced with a one set with square panes painted white, offsetting the black-paned sliding steel door between living room and bedroom. The division of the main floor is quite noticeable, as the colors split it off into two sections: the living room is mainly white, while the bedroom is defined by darker, more austere tones, giving it a quieter, more restful mood.

Even on a day when the weather is not all that favorable, the overcast, sunless firmament shading the wall surfaces, the room we’re standing in exudes warmth of other kinds: it’s warm in color and style, and warmed by the smiles of this lovable couple who get to live on and on within this private space they themselves once called the stuff of dreams.

Link : www.facebook.com/fattstudioarchitect/

A Fabric Guide to Home Decoration

By livingasean
June 11, 2018
IDEA,LIVING,MATERIAL

/ Bangkok, Thailand /
/ Story: Ektida N. / Photograph: Supawan S. / Styling: Worawat T. / Graphic Design: Pornpailin Nateetip /

“Fabric” is one of the most popular materials used in home decoration. It’s preferred for an enormous richness of sizes, colors, and types of textiles as well as design patterns to suit every need. There’s a variety of fabrics that are developed for the purpose of interior decoration. We call them HOME TEXTILES.

Home Textiles come in 2 categories: One for the curtains, the other for furniture upholstery.

CURTAIN FABRICS

In general, three types of materials are used in curtain making. They include: Nontransparent fabric (the innermost layer), Shade fabric (the one in the middle), and Sheer fabric (the outer layer adjoining the windowpane). Of the three layers, it’s the dark curtain that has the most influential visual effects that set the mood of the room. Factors that affect how you feel range from a palette of colors, to design patterns, to the thickness of the textile.

3 Things to consider in choosing the right textile for your curtains

Beauty

Curtains are a decorating material that is replaced the least often of all types of home furnishings. Some may never get changed at all. That being said, it’s extremely important to get it right the first time – especially the nontransparent layer. Besides the beauty of the fabric, style matters. It makes your heart sing to have beautifully hung curtains that answer your lifestyle needs and fit in perfectly with the furniture. Together, they set the atmosphere and style options in the same direction.

Fabric Types

The material most appropriate for making curtains is polyester fabric. Made from plastics, it’s easy to blend with other fibers and less likely to allow moisture to build up. This in turn makes it fungal and bacterial resistant. Apart from that, it stays beautiful for a long time because the color doesn’t fade easily. It’s machine-washable, and can withstand steam-press iron up to 165° Celsius.

Safety

For safety, choose materials that are covered by Ministry of Industry quality standards, which ascertain that the chemical process used in dyeing textiles are formaldehyde-free and lead-free. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of the chemicals is known to cause cancer. Start your search with countries of manufacturing, for example Thailand, or Australia, where safety regulations on toxic chemicals are strictly enforced.

UPHOLSTERY FABRICS

Durability takes the highest priority over other matters when selecting fabrics for furniture upholstery. The fabrics chosen for this specific task must be highly capable of withstanding friction and enduring heavier weight than can the materials made for curtains. While curtains are meant to be beautiful, upholstery fabrics are made to last. They have pride of place as soft, padded coverings on the furniture, the headboard, even the wall. Like the curtains, upholstery fabrics should be polyester, which is easy on the eye, and easy to keep clean. And the choice isn’t limited to just upholstery. There is polyester to meet every specific need, be it water-resistant, mold-and-mildew resistant, or fire-retardant, even the kind that suppresses noise.

Why100% Polyester?

// Made from plastics, polyester fabric has certain qualities which prevents moisture from accumulating, resulting in exceptional ability to resist to fungus, molds, and mildew. It’s easy to keep clean and retains colors much longer than other material. That’s what makes it ideal for furniture upholstery, throw pillows, and curtains. //

USEFUL TIPS

// Choose fabric that’s appropriate for the work to be done. Refer to information on the label accompanying the material for certain. //

NOTE: Check the product code for dimensions, type of fabric, and usage guidelines by referring to information underneath this picture.

01
Design No. ES044
Width: 300 cm.
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains

02
Design No. 10023/102
Width: 55 “ (140 cm.)
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains, Throw pillows, Furniture upholstery

03
Design No. 10016/102
Width: 60 “ (150 cm.)
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains, Throw pillows, Furniture upholstery

04
Design No. 10041/114
Width: 55 “ (140 cm.)
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains, Throw pillows, Furniture upholstery

05
Design No. : 1692/01
Width: 60 “ (150 cm.)
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains, Throw pillows, Furniture upholstery

06
Design No. 10063/116
Width: 55 “ (140 cm.)
Composition: 100% Polyester
Usage: Curtains, Throw pillows, Furniture upholstery

Information and fabric details courtesy of HOMEWORK FABRICS

Contact information
9 Yaek 9 Soi Petchkasem 112,
Khwaeng Nong Khang Phlu, District of Nong Khaem,
Bangkok 10160, Thailand
Tel: +662-119-7888 Fax: +662-810-8091
Email: marketing@goldhousedecor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/homework.th

Peaceful, Shady Northeastern Thai House

By livingasean
June 7, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul / Styling: Wanas Thira /

Out of the edge of a sun hemp field rises what looks to be a traditional huean isaan (Northeastern Thai house). But this home, set in a shady, woodsy atmosphere, fragrant with the aromas of a Thai house and the fun-filled rhythms of Thai family ways, is fully adapted to contemporary ways of life.

After Sakda and Orapin Sreesangkom had lived 20 years in a condo, they designed this eco-friendly house to find an adaptation of Thai family life that could suit the modern age, and to build environmental awareness in themselves and their children.

The ground floor design echoes the traditional “tai thun” lower space found beneath Thai stilt houses. A porch reaches outwards to fill the usual roles: entertaining guests, and socializing.

Up close you’ll see it’s more like 3 houses connected by one deck, each one with wide eaves blocking sun and rain, but with a twist: the underside insulation is “rammed earth,” La Terre’s innovative cooling solution that rapidly absorbs and diffuses heat and is made from organic, renewable materials.

Sakda and designers Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architects shared the same vision.

The huean isaan takes over in spirit, though, with its outward image evoking a cultural memory reflected in the playfulness of the three boys, Chris, Gav, and Guy, bringing cheer to every corner of the house.

They like to play in the attic, slide down polished planks beside the stairway, and everyone’s favorite: the sky deck, accessible from anywhere in the house.

The heart of the home is the living room: it’s spacious, with a bar counter, dining area, and sofas for relaxing, sized 7 x 11 meters, and with no support pillars blocking the view within.

It was designed to mirror the look and function of the “tai thun,” a space that brings everyone together to do whatever they like to do best, as individuals or a group.

The building foundation supports a raised deck all around the house. This keeps slithering things and garden creepy-crawlies from coming into the house, at the same time creating good ventilation below.

The extra area for sitting, stretching the legs, or walking out into the garden is one more bonus.

Sakda’s deep attachment to the traditional huean isaan is what brought this all about.

That, and the family’s courage in leaving the convenience of condo life behind them to design, build, and live in a completely different way, growing their own garden, and creating a new home that could be passed down to the next generations.

Owner: Sakda and Orapin Sreesangkom

Architect: Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect (arsomsilparchitect.co.th)

You may also like…

Tita House: Redefining Vernacular Architecture in a Tropical Paradise Beautiful Wooden House on Stilts in a Coconut Grove

Baan Home Boon: A Modern House in Khon Kaen’s Tranquil Surroundings

By livingasean
May 12, 2018
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Khon Kaen, Thailand /

/ Story: Ektida N. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

This one-story wood house in Khon Kaen brings the best of the old Northeastern lifestyle into the contemporary world. Strikingly modern with its steep gable roof, it features a spacious adaptation of the Traditional Thai house verandah where relatives and neighbors come together, hang out and shoot the breeze.

The house is located in the peaceful countryside of Si Chompu District, Khon Kaen Province. Wathinee Sudta calls her dwelling place “Baan Home Boon,” a portmanteau coined by combining “Baan” meaning a place of abode, “Home” a verb in the Northeastern dialect meaning to come together, and “Boon” which is Thai for good deeds or merits.

Put them together, and you get something like a home of good fortune.

Originally, Wathinee wanted the designers at S Pace Studio simply to renovate her two-story house making it more livable. The old family home had cement flooring at ground level and the upstairs built entirely of wood.

After a full assessment of materials and building frame, though, it became clear that a completely new house was the way to go.

The first step was to raise the foundation above road level with landfill to reduce the risk of flooding.

Eventually, they took advantage of the large property size to bring all the functionality of the former two stories into a thoroughly modern single level house with the added bonus of not requiring an aging grandma to climb stairs anymore.

The new Baan Home Boon has 190 square meters of floor space with enough functionality to completely meet the needs of five family members.

The rear section of the house has a high gable roof, which overlaps the lower gabled front that’s covered with translucent corrugated roofing. This allows natural daylight to shine in, an effective way to keep the 9-meter-deep verandah light and cheerful.

Another unique feature is the placement of the kitchen at the front of the house, with the thought that family members will tend to enjoy most sit-down meals together on the verandah.

The kitchen is fully enclosed, and the walls have grooves etched and painted to resemble wood grain, all giving a clean, proportionate look to a highly practical design.

The wood used to build the house is mostly – 90% or more – real wood taken from the old house.

This saved on the budget, and only the high-quality, strong wood was used, but the marks on its surface speak of character, faithful service over time, and add charm, keeping lifetimes of family memories alive and shining into modern times.

Owner: Wathinee Sudta

Architect: S Pace Studio (www.facebook.com/spacestudiodesign)

Visit the original Thai version of the article…

บ้านบุญโฮม บ้านไม้ชั้นเดียวท่ามกลางความเงียบสงบของชนบทแท้

You may also like…

Blog : LIVING

Homework Fabrics with Style; Warm, Relaxing Tropical Elegance

Wooden House with “Tai Thun”: Comfortable Living, Easy Repair

This lovingly handcrafted wooden house in Chiang Mai’s San Sai District connects two buildings with a high, wide open “tai thun” (open lower floor) featuring a long dining table and “living room” spot that gets a cool breeze the whole day.

Huean Tham House: Local Thai House in a Japanese Tradition

A House Under the Pines in Vietnam

This modern house under the pines is nestled in forested hills, surrounded by green grass and tree-studded scenery that provides privacy and accents its harmony with the natural setting.

A Modern Steel Framed Home at the Water’s Edge

The Beauty of Simplicity in a Single-Story Home

Right in the middle of a field in Ang Thong Province stands a single-story house that has become a community point of interest.

Renovating an Old Bedroom to be a Bridal Home

These rooms are like a house within a house: they were once just a 90-square-meter bedroom on the second floor.

A Fabric Guide to Home Decoration

Why100% Polyester?

USEFUL TIPS

// Choose fabric that’s appropriate for the work to be done. Refer to information on the label accompanying the material for certain. //

Peaceful, Shady Northeastern Thai House

Out of the edge of a sun hemp field rises what looks to be a traditional huean isaan (Northeastern Thai house). But this home, set in a shady, woodsy atmosphere, fragrant with the aromas of a Thai house and the fun-filled rhythms of Thai family ways, is fully adapted to contemporary ways of life.

Baan Home Boon: A Modern House in Khon Kaen’s Tranquil Surroundings

Visit the original Thai version of the article…

Modern House with a Thai Flavor

SITE MAP

CONTACT US

Address

Email

Phone / Fax

Contact us to report issues or complaints.