Living ASEAN presents 10 modern tropical homes for an inspiration as we celebrate another year ending and a new one beginning. They focus on a beautiful blend of indoor and outdoor spaces that translates into stylish patios, cool verandas and courtyard tropical gardens. Plus, plenty of ideas to make your yard lush!
When the long trip of taking her college-age daughters from the old house in Samphran district of Nakhon Pathom Province for drop-off in the center of Bangkok became too exhausting, the owner decided to find a place to live near the University instead. She needed both convenience and a place close enough to Samphran that she could occasionally go back and forth.
Eventually she found this 350- square-meter condominium and fixed it up as a second home. It took two years of design and decoration, but in the end it filled her every need.
“From our first discussions with the designers we developed a pretty clear concept. Mom used to favor the classic Roman style, but when we bought these rooms, we all agreed to switch to a more contemporary look,” said the eldest daughter.
The space was adapted to fit the family. The original three bedrooms became four, one for each of them. Coming through the front door brings us into a large central room with a dining area and a small corner with a counter and fancy round modern-looking table. Décor includes a classic-style chandelier and a contemporary display case. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, simply with the feeling of being a nice place to live.
The design plan splits rooms into a left and a right wing. To the left, next to the dining room is a parlor dominated by navy blue, with an exotic beauty of rippling velvet drapes giving the wall a dimension of light and shadow. Furthest inside is a trendy entertainment room decorated in dark tones energized by the warmth of a big red leather sofa. Outside, the balcony holds a little garden where you can drink in the fresh atmosphere while enjoying a wide urban view.
Also in the left wing is the eldest daughter’s room, decorated in clean, easy-on-the-eye and relaxing tones of white. Here are contemporary touches: cigarette-smoke-colored velvet drapes, a bedside table with a classic form. The middle daughter’s bedroom is here, too, no less special with bright colors, and the same secret sweetness you’ll find in its occupant’s personality,
The right wing includes kitchen, storage room, and a maid’s room. The youngest sister, who is studying fashion design, has dressed up her bedroom in an avant-garde modern style she’s completely in love with.
The mother designed her own room to be sweet, but still full of contemporary chic with a dark wood floor, modern vintage furniture, and shiny sequined throw cushions on the sofa.
During the design and décor process, the professional designers got to know the individual personalities, tastes, and preferences of family members quite well, and tried their best to pass on some design knowledge to them, which is how each room came to so clearly reflect the taste of the person living there.
The posh condominium room offers a generous 78-square meters space. Obviously, Pavis Simakulthorn, the homeowner’s favorite color is blue and his other passion are ceramic collections. As a result, these are among the first things he requested to Watana Kowatanabhorn, the designer.
“I wanted shelves, lots of them. They had to be in blue or indigo, which are my favorites.”
Pavis bought the room years ago, before meeting Watana and selected him to design the place. Recognizing the preferences of the homeowner, Watana designed an eye-catching European style pantry. The pantry’s function is to show off ceramic and glassware collections. Tray ceiling is enhanced by decorative trim molding.
A reading room next to the pantry is full of bookshelves. Shelves are filled with books in Thai and foreign languages. A priceless antique bead necklace collection is also shown on the shelf. Another interesting feature is a wallpaper, which Pavis discovered from a trip to Paris.
“While visiting a friend. I came across a wallpaper store that design wallpapers for Hermes and other world-class brands. I ordered custom-made one for the room. Three month later, the ocean blue wallpaper arrived. I just love it.”
Outside, the balcony is adorned with a Cupid statue, which Pavis cherished, while the bedroom interior mainly use purple. “I’m very impressed by the designer’s choice. The color is warm and relaxing. Deep shades representscomplexity and is the last color on usually sees before going to sleep at night.”
The bedroom features DM Home wrought iron bed. The headboard is designed by the homeowner to match with the pillows. A wooden built-in cabinet is used to store collectibles and photographs. Wooden strips overhead keeps the air-conditioning machine hidden. The décor scream out eclectic tones with fur, antique pieces and stuffed animals.
Little details go well with the whole design. Built-in accessories storages features trim molding similar to Roman pillars. The bathroom at the far end includes a subtle, luxurious elements. Floor tiles are custom-made to complement the elegant rug.
The bedroom features a wrought iron bed in black by DM Home. The homeowner designs headboard treatments herself by emulating pillow patterns. The bed cover is one of a kind. To the right stands a built-in wood cabinet used for storing collectibles and photographs. Over the head, decorative strips keep the air-conditioning unit hidden in plain sight. The walls are painted a light shade of pastel purple with whit accents. Decorating details speak to the Eclectic style including fur, antique collectibles, and stuffed animals.
The homeowner’s personal eclectic style is clearly expressed in the place. Just as Pavis’s conclusion. “I believe the room was left in a good hand. The designer’s understanding and ideas are as expected. The chemistry is right, I guess.”
What is the real function of a garden in the house? The owners need the garden for their family and talked to a landscape designer to build a pavilion and a small waterfall wall for outdoor living and garden for family activities.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Apasri Meemana /// Photos : Sitthisak Namkham and Siramath Jirapotisit /// Landscape : Suansabuy Design Studio
When buying a house one needs to consider the surrounding environment, size and placement of the building, style, and usable outdoor space. The form and layout of the pre-existing garden are less important. This is how it was for Chana and Nopphawan Najaroenkun, who own this beautiful family activities’ garden in Bang Phli District of Samut Prakan. Chana beams as he talks about it.
“I love this house, but outside we have 280 square meters. Shortly after moving in I felt the garden wasn’t really right, so we gave it a makeover. We found Siramath Jirapotisit from Suansabuy Design Studio with a contemporary style we liked. I told him we wanted an open garden for family with a pavilion and a small waterfall wall. His design was spot on, a perfect fit.”
Siramath went on: “The owners went with pretty much what I had on my website. I assessed the whole house to see how to connect various rooms to the garden.The pavilion is large and modern located on the left-hand side by the grass lawn. Connecting to it is a hardscape waterfall wall that’s visible from inside for a beautiful garden view. Next to that, a moderately sized gazebo with wicker furniture, connected to the living room by a wooden deck pathway, and then in the back is another rest area by the Thai kitchen and utility room.”
“We used some plants from the old garden, the palm and dragon tree in front, adding patana oak, millettia brandisiana, a beautiful calabash tree, and shrubs along the English banyan by the fence: monkey grass, iris, ruellia, and so on, all easy to maintain. This is a modern garden for family with some tropical elements mixed in.”
Nopphawan says she loves the renovated garden:
“We make great use of it. I like the spaces all around the house to sit and relax. Our kids sit and do homework, read books, feel the fresh air. Sometimes we have fun family parties in the pavilion and on the lawn. It’s especially pretty in the evening with our nice lighting system: it adds a sense of liveliness. I told Siramath I’d like easy maintenance, cutting the grass only once in awhile. In a couple of areas, we have staff from Suansabuy Design Studio come help care for the plants and water once a day.”
“When we come back and are tired from work, the garden makes us feel refreshed. Looking around it feels like we’re tourists at a resort outside of the city. It puts some pizzazz into our lives, energizes both body and mind. When we have free time, we sometimes sit outside in the garden as a whole family.”
/ Story: Supachart Boontang / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul and Arsom Arch Community and Environment Co., Ltd. A division of the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts /
This urban home named “Baan Gongsi” is beautifully crafted in keeping with Chinese heritage in architecture mixed with defining features that are characteristic of the traditional Thai-style home. The perfect visual blend is the brainchild of Pongsakorn Tumprueksa and Nattanan Pokinpitak of the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts.
Architecturally, it’s a well-thought-out design that seeks reconnections with nature at home and, at the same time, keeps family heritage alive. Homeowners Thianchai and Noree Niyom, both of them of Chinese descent, want to live simply and traditionally, embracing a lifestyle that values a culture of sharing and caring.
Thianchai’s sister also lives nearby in the same compound, which explains the concept of Baan Gongsi, a colloquialism for extended family living arrangements.
At the same time, it’s a design that embraces elegance in architectural aesthetics. There’s a courtyard with swimming pool at the center of the house topped by tiled roofs with curved sides. A striking feature of Chinese style, the unroofed area enclosed by the buildings doubles as engine that drives natural air circulation keeping the home cool and comfortable round the clock.
The well-conceived design also ensures the building fits in well with the hot and humid climate prevailing in this region. Speaking of a fusion between two cultures, there’s a large open-air platform that provides easy access to all the rooms, a layout quintessential of Thai-style cluster homes in the past. The Thais call it a “chaan” meaning a gallery or semi-outdoor room overlooking the garden.
The main villa and nearby annexes are disposed around the center courtyard. The sprawling design allows a healthy dose of morning sun to pour into the interior living spaces. In the nighttime the courtyard is aglow under the moonlight.
The center courtyard has been the heart of family life and one of the most important elements of cluster home design since time immemorial. It brings joy to the family and supplies every part of the home with fresh air.
Here, everything exists for a good reason. Among others, a stone paver patio adjacent to the family’s ancestral home serves as a venue for morning tea. Nearby, the swimming pool brings the health benefits of good exercise. They’re there for the taking. Overall, it is a piece of architecture designed for the salubrious lifestyle of an extended family.
Baan Gongsi is a well-crafted home, one made with attention to detail and quality to provide safety and protection against external disturbances. The floor plan offers smooth transition from one area to another. There’s a welcome room with patches of greenery connected to a stone paver patio leading to the Moon Door that’s the house’s main entrance.
From there, a stone paver garden pathway provides access to the main villa and nearby annexes. The center courtyard itself lies protected by a lacy canopy of mature trees making every day an enchanting experience. Because it’s situated amid the bustle of the city center, the home relies on plenty of lush vegetation to protect against noises and air pollution.
As for build quality, real wood is the material of choice and one of the most outstanding features of the house. What makes it aesthetically pleasing is the slightly curved eaves characteristic of Chinese architecture. Needless to say, it’s a wholesome place where nature and culture coexist in peaceful harmony, a home beaming with pride.
/ Story: Ajchara Jeenkram / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
This house among the trees is part of a suburban residential development nestled in a wooded area where calming fruit orchards once grew. It is comforting to know the developers have made every effort at preserving as many trees as they possibly could. Like so, the houses are built around mature trees that have long been there. Here’s one of them.
The cube-shaped façade looks out over the front yard. Large glass windows in wood casings stretch across the entire face of the building. To reconnect with nature, patches of greenery occupy every open space including the rooftop deck. Meanwhile, open concept floor plans allow abundant natural light. The positioning of windows and other features ensures minimum consumption of electricity, which translates into big savings. More than anything else, it’s about building a relationship with the natural world.
“Tanah Teduh” is the name of the housing development. It’s a reminder of the residential projects where a large number of houses of similar design are built closer together, creating a friendly neighborhood in which everybody knows everybody.
Here, all the residential units have access to common areas via both front and back doors. Well-thought out design ensures security is achievable without sacrificing privacy. Taken as a whole, the housing development is situated on 21 Rai of land (roughly 8.3 acres) that once upon a time was a thriving fruit orchard.
Inspired by the need for nature conservation, the project developer offers only 20 modern houses with a view of the lush garden landscape. The privacy of its residents takes priority over any other matter. But the beauty of the landscape is important, too. So, instead of building boundary walls that can be unpleasant to look at, the homes are kept separate from each other by green hedges and other smart architectural hacks.
It takes a team of top ten Indonesian designers to make this housing development exceptionally good. To avoid repetition, the front façade varies from one unit to the next, and each unit is a signature of an individual designer.
Oranat Pernquist is the owner of the house that we visited on this housing development. A Thai lady who has come to call Jakarta home, she welcomed our editorial team to take a look around. Overall, the home was beautiful, well-designed, and nicely decorated.
Andra Matin, the designer and project director, sure did a good job at it. He put in a small center courtyard to let nature pervade throughout the home. Natural light and correct building orientation were taken into account, resulting in well-connected, warm, and inviting interior living spaces.
Meanwhile, the external envelope showcased the charm of modern design, something akin to the works made famous by world-renowned architect Le Corbusier, but with an Asian outlook.
The house has two wings. The ground floor of the first building offers a good-sized sitting room, dining area and kitchen. Glass siding fills the entire exterior wall on one side, making the center court clearly visible from within. The second floor holds a home office, while the third is a sundeck converted into a sky garden.
The second building also has two levels with multi-use spaces on the first floor. The second floor contains a sitting room with access to the garden. It’s decorated with a sofa in soft hues and a set of table and chairs. There is a park bench made of concrete for relaxation in the outdoors.
The designer is passionate about Thai-modern design that’s evident in the interior decorated with simple materials. They include real wood, bare concrete walls in lighter shades and a perforate shell. Every living space is designed for specific use. It looks uncluttered and opens to let nature permeate.
Oranat said that her other half, Anders Pernquist, traveled abroad for business often and brought home beautiful objects from Italy, Taiwan, and India. She wrapped it up nicely: “Anders is responsible for purchasing,” and she for installation. No wonder home interior design is so full of life.
“Anders likes Asian style handicrafts. Works produced in this region are beautifully crafted. We have glass-front armoires with superb wood carving imported from Thailand, area rugs from India, and other pieces that are made to order in Jakarta,” said Oranat.
“Our collections come from various parts of the world. They remind us of our long journey.”
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