Blog : LIVING

House in Trees: Well-made Home on a Narrow Lot

House in Trees: Well-made Home on a Narrow Lot

/ Bac Ninh, Vietnam /

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

/ Photographs: Trieu Chien /

Having to build on a narrow piece of land, an architect creates an urban home ingeniously designed to utilize the space in imaginative ways. Relevantly called “House in Trees,” the slim plan makes the best of circumstances by letting nature permeate.

The so-called “House in Trees” sits on a narrow lot measuring 5 by 15 meters in Tu Son, a county town in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam.

The area is fast becoming industrialized as the city grows. Putting it mildly, the impacts of urban growth are already being felt, from noise to traffic fumes and other negative effects that come with industrialization.

On top of that, the location dictates that the house be built facing west.

Be that as it may, the design team at Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects succeeds in creating an uncluttered, incredibly relaxed home for a family with two teenage children.

Where the land is so narrow, the only way to go is up. The slim floor plans afford three bedrooms with baths, living room, kitchen, carport and storage, as well as an entertainment center, worship room, laundry.

The five-story home makes good use of two void spaces, one in front, the other in the center court.

Because the front façade is facing west, the architects fill the front void space with a leafy tree to protect the interior living spaces from hot afternoon sun and traffic fumes.

The second void space at the center is filled with greenery while lush shade keeps the homeowners naturally cool all year round. The idea is to let nature permeate as much as can be.

Tall bamboo and leafy trees diffuse natural light during daytime hours and protect the interior from gusty winds and rain.

The greenery-filled center court not only evokes a walk in the park, but also provides privacy for all the rooms that are set at tree-top levels.
A patch of greenery lines the corridor connecting the living room, kitchen and dining room.

One of the unexpected ways to decorate with plants. Greenery brings good energy, textures, and character into every space.

“The design is done within the context of the home’s unique surroundings,” explained the architects.

“We incorporate nature in the floor plan to promote better living condition for people living in it. Urban growth and industrialization are fast happening and they no doubt have impacts on the environment.”

 


Architect: Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects


A Rectangular Brick Home For a Tropical Climate

A Rectangular Brick Home For a Tropical Climate

/ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

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

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

This rectangular brick home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed for a “hot and humid” climate. It’s open to natural light with cool air currents constantly streaming in and out through the brick walls. The homeowners Mr. Tung Do and Mrs. Lien Dinh are newlyweds who wanted a small house with straightforward design for pleasant living. They have found the home of their dreams.

Brick doesn’t retain heat, but insulates against it, and its porosity helps retain early morning moisture which evaporates to cool at midday.
Work corner next to the food preparation section is screened off for privacy.

The owner had seen Tropical Space’s “Termitary House,” which won, among others, a 2016 Brick Award, and admired its form and design so much that – even with their limited budget – they engaged the Company to design and build their own home.

Ms. Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr. Nguyen Hai Long of Tropical Space said:

“We want to build living spaces that connect people with nature, natural spaces that are easy to understand. The beauty of nature can reach deep into a person’s spirit to improve life in ways they would not have imagined before.”

Mr. Nguyen tells us he grew up in a house of brick and never forgot his childhood vision of sunbeams flowing through open spaces between bricks to throw patterns of light and shadow on the light dust in the air, and how beautiful it was.

Little phenomena such as this connect people with their surroundings, and support the choice of brick as a building material.

The brick wall both gives privacy and provides channels for air and light to pass through.

Stair frame of rebar saves space and adds structural definition.

Most of Tropical Space’s design work makes use of brick, partly because the form has a certain beauty, but deeper than that, brick is an inherently Vietnamese material, indigenous to the area.

The designer pays attention to its true characteristics and searches out new ways of using and arranging it, creating channels for wind and light and taking advantage of its moisture-retaining quality.

Seen from outside, the home is a rectangular block that itself resembles one humongous brick. It faces north because of sun, wind, and rain directions, and without being too hot it gets good light all day long.

The ground floor living room features a wall of bricks alternating with open spaces, lighting and cooling at the same time during the day.

Outside, a little distance from the house to the east and west are walls that keep sunlight from directly hitting it, instead reflecting light through the perforated brick wall and into every inside area.

These outside walls also create channels that guide the wind in and out. Trees are planted there, too, which cool the house with their shade.

The house may look a bit severe, but in this tropical climate its architecture aligns beautifully with nature to provide an amazingly comfortable residence built on a moderate budget.

Openings above and on the sides for natural light to enter during the day.

 


Architect: Tropical Space by Ms.Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr.Nguyen Hai Long


A Clean Crisp White House for the Couple Who Love to Cook

A Clean Crisp White House for the Couple Who Love to Cook

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul, Nantiya Bussabong, and Spaceshift Studio /

This modern cube house design inspires great admiration. It has a crisp elegance of cool-toned whites. From the outside, the building looks like three boxes stacked one on top of the other. Inside, it has everything this chef couple could want.

white box house
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio

On first stepping into this white box house, you don’t see the expected living room complete with a sofa and TV console. Rather, it has a dining table long enough to seat 8-10 people. The owner couple, Nanthaphon Lilainukul and Thirayuth Khongdee, have a Facebook page called The Dish Whisperer for cooking aficionados.

white box house
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio

white box house

They told us that when their daughter was born, at the time condo living didn’t lend itself to cooking, so they started looking around for a new home.

“I’ve lived in this neighborhood since I was three. My mother lives just three doors down, which is why we came back to this area. Outside the village, there’s that confused urban hustle and bustle, but here it’s quiet and peaceful,” said Nanthaphon.

white box house

Thirayuth said that the three-story design made good use of vertical space. It has all the necessary features neatly fitted into a small piece of land.

To prevent flooding, the plinth level that makes the first floor is built one meter above the ground. There is a cellar that’s used for storing preserved organic vegetables that Nanthaphon made herself.

The first floor contains a studio featuring that long table which – besides dining – is used for receiving guests and holding cooking workshops: Nanthaphon is a certified chef with a specialty in French pastries, while Thirayuth is a master of Thai food. Between the kitchen and the studio is a stairway to the second floor and a storage room for Nanthaphon’s ceramic dinnerware.

white box house

Sharing her piece of paradise, Nanthapon said: “Actually I graduated in engineering, but cooking has always been my thing.

“Each time I went to Japan, I got more hooked on its food culture. Eventually I decided to follow my passion and do what I loved — cooking and collecting beautiful dinnerware sets. I’ve found some really beautiful ceramic stuff in second-hand stores, but some I bought from abroad,”

white box house

The second floor holds a multipurpose family room made comfortable by a cool breeze that enters and circulates all day. Meanwhile, rough wood texture on the doors and windows adds rustic charm to the warm and intimate interior.

From the minimalist façade, outswing windows open to reach towards Nanthaphon’s mother’s house, conjuring up the image of social and family life in former times.

For more privacy, the bedroom is tucked away behind the multifunctional area. Their little girl still sleeps in the same room as Mom and Dad at least for now, but a separate room has been set aside for her future use on the third floor.

By design, this white box house is more than a place of residence: Nanthaphon’s cooking workshops are held here, too. Her focus here is less on preparation of dishes than on understanding how raw ingredients can be used in various culinary purposes.

Her food creations are straightforward and easy to follow, and they inspire visitors to try them at home.

white box house
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio

Architect: Sook Architects Co.,Ltd.


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Five Affordable Small Houses

Five Affordable Small Houses

 No one wants to pay more than necessary when it comes to building a home. Living ASEAN presents five affordable small houses that can be built on a budget. They provide insight into effective planning and cost saving strategies. In a few words, a lovely home doesn’t have to come with a massive price tag. Check these out.

 /// Thailand ///

Living ASEAN presents five affordable small houses that can be built on a budget.

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/compact-house-where-the-old-tells-a-new-story/


 

 

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/small-practical-loft-house/


 

 

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/sustainable-living-tropical-house/


 

 

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/classy-studio-home/


 

 

 

Enchanting Country Lodges in Prachin Buri

Enchanting Country Lodges in Prachin Buri

/ Prachin Buri, Thailand /

/ Story: Panalee / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

Here are beautiful country lodges nestled in a verdant oasis perfect for a weekend getaway. M.L. Apichit Vudhijaya sojourned in this part of the country a decade ago. Prior to that he had been searching for a modest, relaxed home with a seaside atmosphere. But as luck would have it, he came across this piece of land on the bank of the Bangpakong River in Prachin Buri Province. Needless to say, the location was peaceful and pristine. And the rest was history.

Soon he started building his dream country lodges largely out of reclaimed timber because it wasn’t too difficult to find. The weathered look of old wood paired with the imprints of time adds gorgeous curb appeal to the home.

country lodge
The house is built of old wood recycled from old homes in the vicinity. The first floor holds a common room that doubles as lobby seating area and reading nooks. The homeowner’s residential units are on the second floor.

“I wanted to try living the local way and experience life the way locals see it. No air conditioning, no glass windows. The first building on the property was made of materials recycled from what used to be a schoolhouse.

“Window frames and shutters came from recycling warehouses on Canals 2, 4 and 16. A local master builder named “Oy” undertook to build it from scratch,” said the homeowner.

He moved in after the first building was completed, and loved every minute of it. Impressed by the peaceful environment and unhurried, bucolic lifestyle, he decided to put in a second building two years later.

country lodge

M.L. Apichit said: “I’ve got an antique-style Jacuzzi tub that was bought new from Italy. There was no room for it after our family home in Bangkok had been remodeled, so I had it shipped out here and set it up in the center of the yard.

“I put in a canopy to protect it from dead and dried leaves. After a while, it became a familiar sight, and the weather was nice. So I had a second house put in where the tub was originally.”

“The children came and stayed there, they love it, and the rest is history. Friends dropping in on us said it turned out to be a very romantic place,” he recalled.

country lodge

country lodge

House number 4 named Jakha offers seven rooms for guest lodging on the first floor overlooking a swimming pool. Upstairs holds a spacious suite.

It wasn’t long before the two houses became ill-prepared to meet increasing demands. M.L. Apichit soon decided it was time he put in a third building. The plan was to build a two-story home with a rooftop deck to take in views of the Khao Yai National Park clearly visible from miles around.

One day he came across an old home on the riverbank that was up for sale. He bought it, had it taken apart and shipped out here. The 70-year-old wooden home was given a new lease on life at a new address, this time with new roofing. Old-fashioned corrugated sheet metal made way for new terracotta roof tiles. Where appropriate, the walls were built of solid wood.

country lodge

country lodge

country lodge

The unblemished charm of rustic life represented a turning point in M.L. Apichit’s perspective towards property development. He sought advice from a close friend, Apasiri Devahastin Na Ayudhya. The two friends shared a background in the hospitality industry.

“Now I wanted four houses on the property and they would be given appropriate Buddhist names. Already a team of creative designers have come up with titles from “Kharawasa Dharma 4”, a set of four disciplines for leading a happier life. They are Sajja (truth), Thamma (freedom from greed), Khanti (patience) and Jakha (generosity).

“House number 4 has a swimming pool. I designed it with the knowledge that I had. It was a terraced house design with 8 residential units,” he added. Upon completion, the latest addition named Jakha, became the first building to be visible from the country road in front of it.

                              

The lure of a laid-back home in the countryside can be irresistible. Nature-inspired design is so charming, it’s hard not to fall in love with it. No wonder many come away impressed by the hospitality they have experienced for during their visit. The property contributes to the local economy, as workforce is hired from within the community and local products are used.

But it’s the warmth and homey feelings of these country lodges that have kept many coming back.

country lodge


Owner: M.L. Apichit Vudhijaya


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Good Old Days: A Lovely Wooden House with Panoramic Views

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Good Old Days: A Lovely Wooden House with Panoramic Views

Good Old Days: A Lovely Wooden House with Panoramic Views

/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

Turning left into a side street opposite Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim district bureau, rice fields on both sides of the road have matured and only just begun to bear fruit. In the middle of it, all emerged a two-storey wooden house with vintage Thai-style appeal. It stood hemmed in by tall trees and lush green lawns. This two-storey wooden house showcases a mix of concrete and timber, its wide façade looking out on a fabulous panorama of mountains and paddy fields.

wooden house
Open-back bookshelves contribute to an airy interior made for lounging, reading, and viewing pictures in the gallery.

wooden house

 

Anchan, the housedog, gave a welcome bark, followed by greetings from the mustached host, “TomApichai Wangtragul. He introduced us to his better half, “SaaNarawan Rajchasee Wangtragul, AKA the heart of the house. The Retro look of her Thai-style sarong matched the atmosphere of the home named “Good Old Days.

“Back in Lampang we had a small coffee shop offering snacks and selling guitars. It was very warm there, so we started looking for a new home in good weather. We found one on Google, not far from where we wanted to build our first home in Chiang Mai. One day that piece of land was up for sale, and we were lucky to have bought it,” Saa said.

Tom was teaching draftsmanship courses in Lampang, when they met, and the rest is history.

In Chiangmai, he designed the new wooden house after first setting up a model to determine effects of different building orientations at various times of day. He kept track of amounts of sun and natural air circulation and used the information to aid in the design.

The result was a home that fit in well with its natural surroundings and weather conditions.

As he puts it, “The home facing west gets a full dose of afternoon sun. The glare can be felt, no doubt, but the trade-off is worth it.

Panoramic sunsets can be seen every day.” To solve the problem, he has put in moveable latticework, which reduces the sun’s harsh glare.

wooden house
The kitchen counter boasts naked concrete finishes similar to those found in coffee shops.

wooden house
A draftsman’s desk sits by the window that opens to take in cool breezes and views of the surrounding landscape.

“I grew up in a wooden house on the water’s edge. I told him I wanted one with a shed roof made of corrugated sheets just like old times,” Saa recalled.

“Tom said that could not be done. So we built our new home using metal sheet roofing instead. I wanted doors with plantation shutters and places to showcase collectibles that we have cherished for a long time.”

Tom made sure his loved one got what she wanted. He searched and found reclaimed timber in Sanpatong and paired them with old wood imported from Lampang.

The timber supplies included Burma padauk wood, ironwood, and teak. The couple sought blessings for peace and prosperity before every piece was put to good use.

Apart from carpentry details, Tom is passionate about modern style with an emphasis on naked concrete finishes. Together they make the building feel light.

The interior living spaces are light and naturally ventilated, thanks to plenty of openings on all sides. Each function area is clearly defined with floating furniture for easy updates.

This design concept applies to the sofa in the living room and the dining table by the rear windows. The kitchen comes fully equipped, as their house becomes a home-stay destination.

The couple does everything in-house from selecting natural ingredients to preparing indigenous meals. It is attention to details and good health practice that keep customers coming back.

wooden house

wooden house

Tom’s hobby projects have been the source of many décor items.
Triple-shutter design : In the Northern region, the window with three shutters in a row is generally preferred for cost effectiveness. The ingenious design needs only one latch to lock all three windows.

Tom keeps a collection of vinyl records for sentimental reasons. He likes listening to relaxing music on the old-fashioned phonograph while Saa cooks. Some of it is rare on this day and age. Here time goes by so slowly that it seems stuck in history.

The floor plan features a flight of stairs made of concrete and wooden steps. Located in the center, it keeps the two bedrooms on the first floor a good distance apart for added privacy. There are cabinets where old books and other collectibles are neatly kept. Nearby stands a gallery made for lounging, reading, and viewing pictures on the wall.

The second floor offers two good-sized bedrooms : one for guest accommodations, and the other for the couple’s exclusive use. There are antique beds in all of the bedrooms. Saa said she felt good about them knowing they came from good homes. She bought them direct from their previous owners. Between the two rooms stands an office space, where Tom spends time working at his draftsman desk. The workspace is bedecked with collectibles including old cameras and vinyl records.

As Saa puts it, “This is the wooden house that strikes the right balance for the two of us. It effectively chronicles our love story and journey through time. I am just happy being here.

“Chiangmai is such a delightful place, with canals, plenty of water, trees, and beautiful culture. During the period from November to February, our house becomes a home-stay destination.

Known as “Good Old Days,” the house has become a wholesome getaway for like-minded people. The service is not available during summer months, because we don’t use air conditioning. Time is well spent in the great outdoors.


Owner/Designer: Apichai Wangtragul


 

An Open, Airy Home with Privacy in Nakhon Pathom

An Open, Airy Home with Privacy in Nakhon Pathom

/ Nakhon Pathom, Thailand /

/ Story: Ajchara Jeenkram / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

Comfort, safety, and privacy were the primary considerations in designing this house. Spacious, cool and airy, it fits right into its Nakhon Pathom city neighborhood.

home nakhon pathom

“Coming back exhausted from work, the owner feels he’s escaped to the other side of a wall where he can finally relax with family in an inner sanctum hardly at all visible from outside.” Meechai Jaroenphon, architect from the Backyard Architect Co., Ltd., says the family wanted a lot of privacy for their home, which accounts for the dense concrete fence, broken only by a few narrow slots.

home nakhon pathom
The house entry area next to the carport.

The property holds three houses with a connecting court in between. There’s the main house where the owner lives, a second house for his siblings, and at the very rear is the parents’ house.

The idea was to live together as a big family while still having privacy. At the architect’s suggestion the homes are compact, leaving a large common space for a garden they work together, which adds a warmer, more intimate atmosphere.

Meechai goes on to say, “The owner wanted the different homes to be set at different levels, with stairs of different heights. I took this a step further and designed stairways as connecting elements, primarily using wood for its simplicity and warmth.”

The owner’s outside staircase.

home nakhon pathom

home nakhon pathom

Stairways connect the three buildings, and going up or down each time brings us into the private space of a different family unit. Sometimes there’s more functionality involved: the stairway in front of the first house, for instance, has a frame of steel and wood railing which screens the view from outside.

Although privacy is important, there are also openings to facilitate sun and wind coming in. “I had in mind the concept of a “safe house,” says Meechai.

“So I designed the carport to block a house view, but the buildings are open to the breezes. When the owner comes home exhausted from work he enters a cool, comfortable atmosphere, escaping into his very own world.”

home nakhon pathom

home nakhon pathom

The altar room is a common area where the parents come to pray and make merit every day. Set at the highest point, it’s larger than other rooms, and divides into two sections: a meditation room and a sitting room. The walls here are open on three sides for an open, airy ambience.

As you can imagine, it’s quite a challenge to create a home for people of different ages to live close to each other. Good design has to anticipate actual usage and find solutions for each person. This house in Nakhon Pathom is a real success story in that way: the big family really enjoys living together.

The house fence and carport wall have 10 cm. slits allowing a view outside.

Materials used in the house: teak, Makha wood, brick, marble, mosaic tiles.

Architect: Meechai Jaroenphon of Backyard Architect Co., Ltd.


Visit the original Thai article…

บ้านซ่อนตัว


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TATHATA: A Lanna Wooden Home Oozes Old World Charm

TATHATA: A Lanna Wooden Home Oozes Old World Charm

/ Nan, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /

Looking back on former times for inspiration? Here’s a laid-back wooden home reminiscent of what life was like in Lanna, an ancient kingdom that’s present-day northern Thailand and vast swaths of countryside now part of Myanmar and Laos. As an expression of love for simple rural life, the homeowners named it “Tathata” in the vernacular of the region meaning “just the way it is”.

Lanna wooden house

The house was built based on local traditions of the distant past. It has a pleasant, relaxed and chic open-concept space with a nice cool breeze blowing all day long through its exquisite form. Plus, harmonious lines and distinct finishes boast the charm of eco-friendly Lanna craftsmanship.

“We’re Bangkok people, but love the atmosphere and way of life here in Nan. After coming to work at Nan Hospital, we decided to live here and looked around for where to build until we finally found this property,” says Natthathon Kharaphongsathaphon, who owns the house with Jittraphon Khwamkhnueng.

Lanna wooden house
Double walls with alternating slats sliding open and closed to control airflow.

The house sits on a road convenient to Nan Hospital, in a quiet natural setting by the water’s edge. For design, the owners hired Nanthaphong Lertmaneethawisap, of Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect Co., Ltd. as the project’s architect.

Lanna wooden house

Lanna wooden house
The “tai thun” (open underfloor space at ground level) acts as the guest reception area connected to the kitchen.
Lanna wooden house
A wooden porch connecting the father’s bedroom to the carport is designed to be wheelchair accessible when needed in the future.

The architect said, “The owners liked the cultural and artistic dimensions of life in Nan, as well as its traditional wooden architecture. This house is only a few kilometers from the city, but in a perfect natural setting, easy breezes blowing around the clock.

“From the beginning, the words “Little House in the Big Woods” popped into my head. The doctors and I agreed we should take special care of the plants on the property, and we managed to preserve all the trees.”

The homeowners wanted the new design to use carefully selected old wood in ways that would preserve traditional Lanna craftsmanship. So all materials were taken from five traditional houses around Nan Province. They had the imprints of time and a lot of colorful history among them.

The traditional open space beneath the house, or “tai thun,” was designed for receiving guests with a deck connecting it to the kitchen and other sections of the house. The area around the stairwell is open, so light comes in from above. Walking up, you first come to the altar room, then a living area, and furthest in, the bedrooms.

Lanna wooden house
The stairwell connects all sections of the house.
Compact bedroom ideas for father and mother.

Lanna wooden house

“We tried to make the house airy and open while providing for privacy, safety, and a clear division of space according to use,” said Natthathon.

“Towards the end while supervising the work, I started to learn the craft techniques. I sawed wood, used a chisel, and sharpened bars myself. I even did some of the kind of self-reliant agriculture everyone used to do, raising ducks, geese, and chickens, even growing a vegetable garden.

“Doing this was a revelation: it was entertaining! And it all takes physical effort, so there’s no need to go to the gym.”

Lanna wooden house

All told, it’s a home that successfully applies traditional Lanna themes to present-day life. It’s a dream home that has become a reality in the natural environment of Nan, somehow seeming ordinary while being as beautiful a home as we’ve seen.

Lanna wooden house
Natthathon Kharaphongsathaphon and Jittraphon Khwamkhnueng with their dream Lanna wooden home.

Owner: Natthathon Kharaphongsathaphon, Jittraphon Khwamkhnueng

Architect: Nanthaphong Lertmaneethawisap of Arsomsilp Community and Environment Architect (arsomsilp.ac.th)

Interior Designer: Preeyachanun Saisakaret


Visit the original Thai article…

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Small House Renovation : a Family Solution

Small House Renovation : a Family Solution

Living ASEAN takes you to a house that looks small, but was remodeled to answer the needs of all family members. From the front it has a straightforward, contemporary look. Inside it has great ventilation.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Ajchara Jeenkram, Wuthikorn Suthiapa /// Photography: Sitthisak Namkham /// Owner & Designer: Mr.David Chan

Here we are in Selangor State, Malaysia, where a sign in front proclaiming “Dday Haus” informs us we’ve arrived at Mr. David Chan’s residence. The unusual name comes from the first initials of his and his sons Daniel  and Delan’s first names, even though the architect responsible for the house design, though, is actually more his wife, June Lim Sue May. You could say this is a continuation of David’s old house, which he uses as a home office and is tucked away right across a tiny village street.

This town house from the 90s retains its original façade but has been redone with better materials, giving it a contemporary flavor so that it stands out from its neighbors. Though the outward appearance hasn’t changed much, the interior is another story, featuring a full complement of conveniences, everything needed for comfortable modern living.

Perforated metal ceiling looks down from the balcony above – this is also a popular material for fences in Malaysia.
Next to the parlor is the kids’ homework room, and their work adorns the brick wall.

Downstairs, the children’s homework room adjoins the parlor, with the . kitchen and dining nook behind. Second floor splits left into a family room and children’s bedrooms, and to the right is the master bedroom with a mezzanine. David tells that the other house is used for an office and receiving guests, while this one is just for family life.

“We started out thinking this would be an office, but after more research we leaned more towards what we needed in this stage of our lives.” As a result, there are now more rooms, and more opportunity for family togetherness and comfortable living.

David spent many of his earlier years living in apartments, and enjoyed it, and the house is designed to reflect that. For instance there’s a section reaching up the entire four storeys which he calls “the tower.” A staircase winds upstairs from the kitchen on the first floor to a laundry/drying room on the second, and at the very top, a private living room with a mini swimming pool for the kids.

The family room has perforated metal floor panels, allowing a view of the children in the homework room below.

Twist and turn up the stairs to a compact bedroom.

The house is designed to meet the challenge of balancing close family connections with the need for privacy. A unique solution here is in the see-through metal gratings found here and there in walls and floor, which build a feeling of lightness into the house and give it personality.

David places high value on interior ventilation as needed for comfort: wind direction and flow were important design considerations. The air flow comes straight in through the long front balcony out to the back, then up through a service opening placed above to allow the release of hot air as the cooler breeze blowing in below keeps the house cool all day.

Link : https://www.dca.com.my/

An Elegantly Eclectic Home: The Beauty of Diverse Styles

An Elegantly Eclectic Home: The Beauty of Diverse Styles

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Wannch / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nuntiya Bussabong /

It’s arguably the variety that makes living so enjoyable. Here’s the ‘Eclectic House’, a mix-and-match interior design integrating pieces of furniture and accessories from a broad range of styles and sources. Together they give the home color, freshness and charm and, at the same time, reflect well on the homeowner’s bright and sunny personality.

Eclectic House

Architecturally speaking, the small, well-proportioned home is positioned to reap the benefits of favorable prevailing wind and light conditions, which already makes it a great place to live.

Add a gorgeous collection of furniture, and it’s hard to find a place that’s more lively and full of energy than this so-called “eclectic house” of ideas belonging to Sapsit Fungfueangchaweng, director of corporate marketing at AP Thailand.

Sapsit selected all the furniture and decorating items himself. Each of them has a story to tell that conveys a great deal about the home rich in collectibles from across the globe.

Eclectic House

Eclectic House

Upon his return from further studies abroad, Sapsit’s father decided to renovate an existing 200-square-meter guest house adjoining the family residence as a new home for his son. The two houses have a relaxed and intimate view of each other across the swimming pool.

“My home relies not so much on design as on interior décor, the arrangement of items from my collections,” Sapsit tells us.

Inside, it feels spacious and dominated by shades of white. Interior spaces – living room, workspace, dining area and a kitchen counter – are connected, but visually separated with the use of different dimensions. There’s a raised floor here, and an open ceiling over there with the gabled roof structure painted white, creating a spacious yet uniquely bounded feeling.

Standing front and center in the room is a collection of chairs in different styles matching harmoniously. Eclectic, yes, but beautiful. They fit in very well with tasteful ornamentation and the pictures that Sapsit has picked up during business and pleasure travels in recent years.

There’s a standout white sofa placed in front of one of Sapsit’s own works, a painting in blue and white. This is a spot where he likes to sit, maybe dreaming up new work, maybe just relaxing with friends.

Eclectic House
A raised floor sets the living room apart from the kitchen.
Eclectic House
Natural light shines all day long through the glass window by the studio entrance.

Sapsit used all sorts of arranging techniques to achieve a practical house plan and, at the same time, blend comfort and style. He offers a piece of advice, “In selecting what items to use, think first about function, not just decoration. Then, pick the things that have meaning, or spiritual value: they won’t become boring over time.

“Whatever selection a person makes should reflect well on his or her character, while never overlooking their function. This will result in great practical benefits and a beautiful home.”

Graphics large and small add lively highlights to this wall.

Besides his corporate marketing work, Sapsit owns the swimwear brand “Timo Trunks,” known for striking graphics with a uniquely fun and entertaining look. The brand’s products come from collaboration of Thai and foreign designers, and have developed to the point where they are distributed in more than 9 countries worldwide.

The original designs started at Sapsit’s Timo Trunks Studio, built right near his house for a super-easy work commute.

Eclectic House

Eclectic House

The outward appearance of the studio building is deceptively simple, but the space within reflects the brand’s fun-loving identity through graphics and furniture highlights amid white walls and a wood-grain floor with a bright, relaxing color scheme bringing to mind a colorfully painted canvas.

The full plate glass windows in front look outwards on a refreshing garden view, so the environment is inspiration for new ideas and the creation of great new designs.


Owner/Designer: Sapsit Fungfueangchaweng


Visit the original Thai article…

LIVING WITH COLLECTIBLE- เติมสีสันใส่ความเป็นตัวตน ในบ้านสไตล์อิเคล็กทิก


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