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Phu Yen House: A Single-Story Home Snug in the Warmth of Rural Vietnam

By livingasean
April 23, 2024
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Phu Yen, Viet Nam /

/ Story: Phattaraphon / English version: Bob Pitawkong /

/ Photographs: Minq Bui /

Can’t wait to escape all the noise and pollution? Here’s Phu Yen House a one-story home amid lush landscapes way out in the country. It’s made comfortable by light and breezy inner courtyards with a plunge pool. Plus, ultraclean white walls give peace of mind knowing family privacy is protected.

Phu Yen House Vietnam — Immaculate white exteriors protect the single-story home from high winds, providing a safe and cozy family getaway in Vietnam’s countryside.

The house is in Phu Yen, a south-central province at the midpoint between Ho Chi Minh City and the Da Nang/Hue Region on the South China Sea. It’s the holiday getaway of a family who has lived and worked a long time in the city. Inspired by simple living, they discover the countryside has never lost its allure. And Phu Yen comes in as a handy location to reconnect with the great outdoors.

The ground floor plan illustrates the feel and functionality of different areas in relation to landscapes in the front yard and at the rear. / Courtesy of Story Architecture

Named “Phu Yen House”, it’s a secluded family retreat during summer and public holidays in Vietnam. For the little children, the single-story home is a pleasant and fun place in which to grow, learn and play, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Curved symmetrical openings in the wall give access to a communal room without glass partition doors designed for good ventilation.

The white house among the trees is the brainchild of Story Architecture, a design atelier based in Ho Chi Minh City. Its immaculate white walls are built high for a good reason – provide safety and protection from prying eyes. From a distance, accents of green on the front door prove an interesting complement to the perfectly neat and clean walls.

Step inside. It’s a wow! The inner courtyard enclosed by the walls is spacious. There are no glass partition doors or solid structures dividing the interiors into smaller rooms.

Lush houseplants develop vigorously on one side, while exotics thrive in containers on the other. In the in-between space, a sheltered communal area with distinctive green accents lies, separating the courtyard from a nearby plunge pool made for kids.

Flanked by the patio and the plunge pool, an area behind the altar offers plenty of ample space for a dining room and kitchen.

For peace and quiet, the bedrooms, living room, kitchen and dining room are situated at the farthest ends. Everywhere, curved symmetrical structures span openings in the walls. They form readily distinguishable areas characterized by a plain and uncluttered appearance, making the home safe for children.

A sheltered patio provides access to the quiet, private wing containing bedrooms.

A young tree provides shade to the small courtyard covered in stone pavers.

More than anything else, it’s a home built on a budget, which is evidenced by the use of simple building supplies sourced directly from within the community. Plus, the house plan is uncomplicated, easy to keep clean and tidy. It’s without doubt a dream home safe and snug in the warmth of Vietnam’s countryside.

Architects: Story Architecture (www.facebook.com/storyarchitecture.vn)

Lead Architects: Nguyễn Kava

Designer Team: Huỳnh Cẩm Tú, Vũ Thu Trang, Trịnh Quang Huy, Trần Nguyễn and Thúy Trinh

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Nhà Voi 7 Gardens House: Small Size Not an Obstacle to Decorating with Greenery

By livingasean
October 18, 2023
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Can Tho, Vietnam/

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: MinQBui /

This narrow lot house is located in Can Tho, a modern city in the South of Vietnam. It lies on the south bank of the Hau River, one of several estuaries through which the Mekong River empties into the South China Sea. Like any busy city, it’s no stranger to incessant activity and overcrowded streets. That’s a practical difficulty for the design team at Da Vang Studio, a homegrown architectural practice based in Ho Chi Minh City. And they rise to the challenge by integrating as much green foliage as possible in the house plan. The result is impressive. The gardens house with a narrow frontage to the street transforms into an oasis of calm, one that offers plenty of comfortable living spaces in close touch with nature.

gardens house — The solid external envelope keeps the house interior safe and secure.

The elongated house plan occupies the full extent of the land that measures 4.5 meters wide and a whopping 23 meters long. As may be expected, the external envelope of the house also doubles as the perimeter of the garden.

The exterior walls are built tall and unable to be seen through for privacy reasons. Yet, the design team has found a way to provide physical ease and relaxation. They called their design approach “Fitting”, meaning everything has to be kept in proportion, nothing more or nothing less than what’s necessary.

Albeit small, it’s a light and airy, well-thought-out house plan.

The Floor Plans of Nhà Voi 7 Gardens House courtesy of DA VÀNG Studio.

In cross section, the elongated house plan illustrates linear arrangements of rooms, functionality, and greenery spaces. Correct building orientation paired with solid exterior walls protects the home from the sun’s harmful rays. Picture by Courtesy of DA VÀNG Studio.

Nhà Voi 7 Gardens House — Healthy green foliage lining the walls and the face of the building keeps the front yard light and breezy.

The two-story house on a narrow lot offers plenty of usable spaces arranged in order of priority. Go in the front door, and you come into the hallway that connects to a dining room and kitchen.

The living room is halfway down the passage with a flight of stairs set against the wall leading to the second floor that holds two bedrooms.

The quiet, more secluded master bedroom lies at the very end of the first floor that opens to a small sun-kissed courtyard. It’s protected by a lattice patio cover that lets the sun shine through and drives natural air circulation.

The light and airy master bedroom on the first floor opens to a small backyard garden.

The master bedroom has a view of the bright and breezy backyard that lies protected by a lattice patio cover.

Calming color and texture add a relaxing effect to one of the bedrooms on the second-floor.

The glass-brick wall admits natural daylight into the second-floor bathroom decorated with plants.

What makes this tiny house unique is the fact that all the indoor and outdoor rooms are enclosed behind solid walls. The feeling of being boxed in is nicely compensated by small interior courtyards and patches of greenery designed for comfort and relaxation.

Of the seven green spaces incorporated in the house plan, the front yard and the backyard are the biggest and the greenest. Adding a touch of nature to the interior, low-light and easy houseplants are positioned at intervals along the walls. Even the bathrooms have small patches of greenery that’s easy on the eyes.

Although small in size, this gardens house comes complete with comfortable living spaces and modern conveniences for healthy living.

Architect: DA VÀNG studio (www.davang.com.vn)

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French Cottage Garden

By livingasean
November 28, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

The beautiful cottage garden at the Melt in Your Mouth riverside cafe’ was born out of a warm, semi-formal style of southern France.

/// Thailand ///

Story: Warapsorn /// Photos: Sitthisak Namkahm /// Photographer Assistant: Busakorn Kuankid /// Garden Decorator: Suthathip Phaiboonnunthaphong and Isara Phaengsri

*The pavement leading to the cafe’ is covered in black carpet stones. For a pronounced look, the gaps between stones are filled with fine-grained gravels.*

Two siblings, Somboon and Poonsuk, have always been hard-core coffee lovers. They decided to make use of a plot of land belonging to their father by turning it into a cozy café on the bank of the beautiful Kok River in Chiang Rai.

*Bushes trimmed for a manicured appearance mix well with nearby freeform flower plants. The vine-covered façade of the café enhances the garden’s natural ambience.*

“The original design was a raw, wooden-focused because there were only coffee and few Northern dishes on the menu. Later the architect suggested that the café would be too big for just a small number of dishes. At the time, a senior acquaintance of ours came up with European food and cake recipes. So, we toned down the café design from a raw look to a French vintage style.” Kulnaree Suralertrangsan, Somboon’s wife told us.

“We knew nothing about garden landscaping. Luckily, someone introduced us to Suthathip and Isara. Customers often asked us about the style of our garden. We had to go back to Suthathip and Isara to learn more. They said it was called Southern French style. The design coincided with the café by chance.”

*The cafe’ is an elegant glasshouse, parts of which are covered in Cat’s Claws (Macfadyena Unguis-Cati (L.) A.H. Gentry) giving the space a vintage look.*

The garden is semi-formal in style with a black water fountain at the center. It’s an outstanding feature there. The garden floor is covered in black carpet stones with fine-grained gravels filling the gaps in between. Neat, well-trimmed shrubs, notably Fukian tea trees (Carmona Retusa), thrive along the edges. Nearby colorful flowering plants abound. They include Chinese violets (Asystasia gangetica), cat’s whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus), snow roses (Serissa) and shrubby bush clovers (Lespedeza bicolor). Their vibrant colors provide a welcome contrast with the surrounding hardscape.

Clever outdoors hacks: A lone park bench is thrown in to break a long line of violet wild petunias (Ruellia squarrosa (Fenzi) Cufod) along the stone paver walkway. /// Little African violet pots are put on the edge of the walls.

Different types of pine trees are also grown here, for example, creeping junipers (Juniperus procumbens), Italian cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens L. ‘Stricta’), Khasi pines (Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon) and Orientali arborvitae (Thuja orientalis Endl), which go together well with a European-style garden and thrive in cool weather in the northern part of Thailand.

*The cafe’s glass walls provide opportunity for customers to connect with the outdoors.*

*A fair amount of space is left between shrubs for easy access and care. Fine-grained gravels provide a welcome contrast to nearby lush foliage and flowering plant species.*

*Flowers and grasses make for beautiful table decorations and fit in amazingly well with a relaxing ambience.*

There is a seating area next to the front courtyard, which serves as a reception area and a popular photo spot. Table sets await customers who prefer dining alfresco on a nearby stone-on-grass lawn. Meantime, cool breezes keep the spacious river-view terrace comfortable all day long. It’s a lifestyle in close touch with nature. Herbs, such as rosemary and mint that thrive on the premises, are picked fresh everyday for use as ingredients in food and drinks on the menu.

The semi-formal courtyard showcases a gorgeous mix of beautiful shrubs trimmed for a manicured garden appearance. Fukian tea trees and Elfin herbs thrive alongside lively colors of flowery bush plants. Freeform shapes prevent the garden from looking too formal.

*A large table set in the middle of the garden is perfect those who love dining alfresco.*

Besides the relaxing atmosphere, the Northern cuisine is the main attraction here. Those mouthwatering dishes made the traditional way combine to make this café an enchanting place to be. Its first-class recipe is a heritage from Somboon’s great grandmother, who was a housekeeper for Princess Dara Rasmi in times past. For visitors to Chiang Rai, spending an afternoon here is obviously an unforgettable experience.

The beautiful allure of a fountain garden makes it ideal for family activities and social gathering. Ground cover filling the gap between stone pavers strikes the right balance between hard objects and lush greenery. /// A small table set under an old Indian almond tree gives a hint of a tea corner in France.

link: http://www.baanlaesuan.com/category/gardens/

Garden of Enchanted Mist / Baanlaesuan Fair 2016

By livingasean
November 3, 2016
HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

There is an inspiring garden covered in enchanted mist. It is on display right now at the Baanlaesuan Fair 2016 Garden Zone. Come by and be amazed by a plethora of ideas for using plants in everything you do, be it nurseries, gardening, or landscape design. Now is the best time to pay us a visit if you are looking for gorgeous selections of plants, gardening tools, outdoor furniture, landscape supplies, and much more.

/// Thailand ///

Story: Bundaree Deewong /// Photo: Sitthisak Namkham

The marquee event is set under the theme “Enchanted Mist / Stories in the Fog.” Inspired by His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy, the green space features new tricks in growing vegetables, from traditional raised beds to vertical gardening. So, step in to the world of imagination, explore plenty of green ideas, and take home complimentary vegetable seeds. Here are some of the highlights.

Living Zone

The welcome area showcases a beautiful water garden adorned with a lion head sculpture. Tired of walking? Then drop into the counter bar corner to rejuvenate your body and mind.

Shelter Terrace

In the story garden, there is a big moving cage for those who love adventures. Constructed of raw materials, it is there to provide protection during a journey through the woods.

Exciting Catwalk

Take a walk through a forest of cacti and succulents that make great landscaping plants.

Herbal Beds

The backyard garden is there to impress you with many herbs and vegetables.

Swing Patio

There is a big swing on the wooden terrace. From here a big lion cage can be seen through a hole in the rock cliff face.

Mark your calendar. The annual BaanLaeSuan Fair is going on until November 9, 2016. Follow us on Living ASEAN, where we keep you posted on latest developments at the exhibition. As always, we hope that you find your visit an enchanting one. Be there.

link: http://www.baanlaesuan.com/

Big Gardening Ideas for Small Urban Areas

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

The gardening ideas of colorful flowers welcome guests to the garden of Thanawat Suwinai Phreusabenja of Inmindhamlet community on Soi Ari 3. Located inside is the gardening shop Mc&Ami, where people love to look into the glass-partitioned display area at where butterflies are attracted to the scents of flowers. The Living ASEAN team itself became interested and came to investigate.

/// Thailand ///

Story :Panchat Changchan /// Photos : Chaiyapruk Podang /// Landscape :Thanawat Suwinai Phreusabenja

*The table décor creates a bright, lively party atmosphere.*

*The dining table creates an intimate and uniquely festive atmosphere as surrounding garden ornaments and “showroom” shelves serve as a backdrop.*

We arrived at twilight, as Thanawat was setting up the dining table in the garden to welcome us, amid vibrant colors of flowers in the garden and on the table. Asked about the decor, he said,

*Combination flower planters beautify the entrance. Thanawat got the inspiration from seeing flower vases set at different levels, tall leafy plants at the top descending down to small flowers.*

“I got the idea from a respected teacher;she gave me a book about Claude Monet’s garden. She expressed her wish that I could find that sort of happiness in the rest of my own life. Thinking about that made me try to set my garden in Monet’s natural and beautiful style, and what you see here comes from that.”

*Thanawat Suwinai Phreusabenja, gardener and distributor of Mc & Ami gardening equipment, also the owner of Inmindhamlet Community Mall.*

After dinner, we walked around the garden, which is overflowing with decorative ideas. Thanawat himself designed the creative little cement doll family of pigs,lion statues using Spanish moss for a mane and ducks carrying egg sacks in their mouths. With unique choices and placement both flowers and decorative plants are mixed in with tropical rainforest varieties. Inclusions exotics and unusual kitchen vegetables which are all in vigorous growth.

*A pair of decorative lion sculptures: one displays an imaginative use of Spanish moss as the lion’s mane.*

“My concept is to just sow seeds and let the plants grow by themselves as best they can. The beauty is in non-native plants trying to make their way and naturally adapt in a strange place, with a different kind of beauty than before, in leaves, branches, and colors. But when planting we do have to consider whether a plant can coexist with the others. Is it shade-tolerant? Can it survive with a vine growing over it?”

*Entryway post with a faucet for watering flowers. Functional and attractive, too.*

Another minor miracle is that all this grows in what used to be a parking lot, which Thanawat covered in topsoil and gradually planted over.

*Small shrubs with flowering plants below. Rising above is a mix of leafy plants, broad and point-formed, creating a filled-out appearance.*

“The fun is in the challenge. We have a hard concrete yard. You would think that we cannot plant. Think again. Just have a concept and a passion, and a garden is created from Shallow root systems, a single level of soil, good for bamboo, ferns, flowering plants, bushes, and kitchen vegetables. We found added benefits from things we can plant and grow slowly, and that will flower for a long time, so we aren’t constantly cutting things back.”

*A gate through the iron fence into the garden, where a white gravel path contrasts nicely with greenery and ornamentation.*

We also have odd blossoming schedules and odd shapes that grow and nourish beauty. Adapt and don’t accept failure because the hard cement doesn’t fight back, but this is still a formula for success.

*Besides flowers, there are kitchen spices like basil and pandanus palm that add color and beauty.*

*Small steel planter boxes trap rainwater. Semanggi and star grass add a chic look.*

link: https://www.facebook.com/Inmindhamlet-soi-aree-1458360097813741/?fref=ts

Little Joys in the Small Garden

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

Little joy with a cool lush green small garden in front of a pretty white house protected in front by a hedge of English banyan. Sukanda and Chaiyanon Mimarayat were inspired to create this beautiful place by the book cover of Small Garden from Baanlaesuan Publishing.

/// Thailand ///

Story : Warapsorn Akkhaneeyut /// Photos : Sitthisak Namkham /// Landscape : Little Tree

Seeking out the garden designer, Siriwit Riubamrung of Little Tree, they had to wait two and a half years to enlist his help. “When we first went to Little Tree the Designer needed to see the actual site, but the big floods came and we couldn’t continue for another year. Then prices were higher, so we had to wait even longer.”

In the meantime Sukanda redecorated, the space adding on a small cottage in a mixed French country and vintage style and a relaxation room with a porch, walkway, and lawn, all while waiting for the garden to arrive.

*English banyan line two sides of the walkway entering the house*

*Inside the little gate is a comfortable space to sit, but the tall hedge keeps it private.*

“Our old place was a townhouse with retro façade, not like this at all. Then we started getting out more, and thought about copying the look of restaurants and coffee shops we liked, such as Agalico, which Little Tree designed. We gave Siriwit a free hand because we liked his concepts, but of course he discussed everything with us in advance. He made adaptations from the original work plan such as increasing the height of the hedge barrier in front for more privacy.”

*A checkerboard tile pattern fronts the house, and cobblestones set diagonally on the washed sand walkway*

Inside the garden is a very private enclosed space, with a chic black lawn table on top of cobblestones set in diagonal lines, fragrant yellow gardenias, and bright flowers scattered here and there for a relaxing, casual mood.

*These gorgeous rectangular English banyan hedges took 2 years to reach their 2-meter height*

*Near the pond, detail-textured cape plumbago encroaches on the walkway, with knot root foxtail adding a striking look.*

Siriwit helps with color coordination as well as prices and brands. In the mix of plants he inserted Fukien tea and English banyan hedges trimmed into geometric shapes to relieve harshness so the garden looks orderly, but not too formal. He adds, “I played with shapes and forms, the diamond-shaped walkway and yard with checkerboard lines of tile in the front. The central court is trapezoidal, so I took away the unevenness with two lines of banyan plants.

*Hedge plants mixed in with free-form: semi-formal, easy maintenance; trim hedges every 2-3 weeks, or once a month if strapped for time.*

“We used medium-sized plants with beautiful forms placed symmetrically. Golden gardenias. Leafy plants with different shades: neons, silvers, spotted coralberry, evergreen spindle, lime. Put in a pond with a cute rabbit-head fountain.”

*View from the lawn table into the house takes in a precise organization of plants and decorative components*

A beautiful verdant garden with a vintage feel. A place to walk in and relax with a cup of your favorite coffee. Peaceful, relaxing.Once you’re here, where else would you want to go?

*By the owners’ design, attractive flowerpots adorn a shoe-placement shelf.*

*Between the house and relaxation room the indirect light calls for shade-tolerant plants like the dwarf neon hydrangea along the path.*

*Pink-flowered hydrangea contrasts with vines of spotted jasmine climbing the house.*

link: http://www.littletreegarden.com/

Secret Garden in Western Style

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN

As we stand in front of this secret garden, the fragrance of jasmine trees reach out. The gate opens, revealing dazzling white flower clusters, petals spread across the driveway. Surrounding the house is a tall banyan hedge. Is a secret garden hidden inside? Owners, Aphiwat Wiriyawetchakhun and Phanison Anansuchatikun assigned Suphakit Milap of Sukyen Garden to design a garden to suit their beautiful house, and this is the result.

/// Thailand ///

Story: Woraphason /// Photography: Sitthisak Namkham

*Creating a string of small circles of plants of differing heights for a remarkable effect.*

*Though a lot of hardscape is used, the choice of plants and their placement make the garden look quite natural.*

At first, I thought of doing Chinese style, flowerpots and planters because we like the Chino-Portuguese look, but we’d bought a lot of Western garden ornamentation from the GEO store before we were married. Suphakit saw it and said we should use this.” Plants were found to match, and the garden took on a vintage atmosphere resulting in a pleasant English garden flavor: a two-tier bird bath, concrete benches, and so on. The garden follows the L-shaped form of the house and is organized into two parts.

*Placing the pond by the tall windows creates a great garden view for people looking out.*

“From this room both sections are visible. The owners wanted a kind of “secret garden” with a lot of privacy, hence the banyan hedge. They also wanted an orderly looking garden, not busy, so I used a formal design. In front and back, you’ll see a lot of connecting rectangles, with focus points in the center, using conservative colors and materials such as cobblestone, natural rock, and washed gravel divide areas of use.

*Cute figurines from the owner’s collection welcome the visitor coming up to the house. /// Medium-sized carp pond adds a pleasant feeling.*

*Little courtyard tucked away with plants grown behind a little stone wall just high enough to sit on, for an English flavor.*

*Leaves of red mixed with shades of green give dimension to the garden.*

“Phanison is here on weekends, and Aphiwat is here every evening. So I used fragrant evening plants like night-blooming jasmine, golden gardenia, satinwood, and a heady mix of flowering plants to give a ‘cottage garden’ feeling, softening the hardscape with plants like Malabar chestnut, wild petunia, oleander, and leafy plants with contrasting colors like Chinese witch hazel and willow-leaf acacia.”

*The garden with its many fresh shades of green is enclosed by banyans, very private.*

*Stone planters create borders for an orderly beauty that remains natural.*

Each section has a circular focus point. The area by the street is a more simple yard and includes growing kitchen vegetables for home use. The back garden is much more elaborate, with a little waterfall, seating, and an elaborate hardscape.

*This spot is accessible from the living room; placed the table here for easy use.*

Maintenance is fairly simple, with an automatic watering system. The owner’s mother also comes to help. “This garden has made the house so much more pleasant and comfortable – who would have thought? It feels like the fulfillment of a heart’s desire,” Phanison tosses off at the end.

*Concrete bench in among the plants for a pleasant hideaway.*

link: https://www.facebook.com/sukyengarden/

Jungle Garden with a Waterfall

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

At Sakon Tanchotakul, the designer of Scenery Concept Landscape Design & Contractors’s house in Nonthaburi, one is able to feel fresh and cool air in the jungle garden. Mist from the automatic sprinklers glistens on the leaves, and birdsong mingles with the sound of a waterfall. It’s a little heaven owned by one who loves nature.

/// Thailand ///

Story: Isara Sonsat /// Photography: Ritthirong Janthongsuk /// Landscape Designer: Scenery Concept Landscape Design & Contractor

“I wanted a jungle garden, lush greens relaxing to the eye, says owner Sakon Tanchotakul. “We tried grass first but Suraphong Owararin, the designer had said from the start that there was too much shade that made grass died. On the second try we told him where to place the things we liked, including the fish pond. He matched our concept perfectly, and now we have a two-stage waterfall with a stream flowing down to the gazebo.”

“We tore down and rebuilt the original gazebo and waterfall wall, but kept 2 big trees: golden shower and bauhinia,” adds Suraphong. “The owner gave me a free hand with the design. The owners went with me to pick trees with beautiful shapes, like tasselberry and Indian Oak. We put cat’s claw vine on the left wall to add some green, and below, for its fragrant leaves, jasmine. Jaemjan Nikhomrat said she really loved that white rainbow shower tree that’s now in full bloom and shading the car parking spot.

“The owner and I worked closely together on the design. At his request, we put in a bird cage, planted kitchen vegetables, a yard paved with freeform flagstone, and a relaxing gazebo.”

Suraphong and I go upstairs in the house to The owner’s home office.

“The owner wanted a view of the ‘jungle’ behind the house from this room. We picked shade-tolerant plants such as spike moss, tree ferns, begonia, and sword fern to line a walkway of artificial railroad ties. Here kitchen vegetables grow in ready-made planter boxes set on artificial grass.”

We spent only a little time here, but it was enough to see how deeply Sakon and Jaemjan loved his jungle garden. Not many of us might create such a miraculous garden, or care for it so well, but their example shows that when we protect and respect nature, then nature will reimburse and protect us in the same way, and give us happiness.

link: http://www.baanlaesuan.com/29065/garden/passionate/

Garden For Family Activities

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

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

*The designer placed large free-form plants such as patana oak, millettia brandisiana, and calabashin the rear to relieve the rigidity of the pavilion structure.*

*The wide grass lawn can be adapted to different activities. A stylishly modern sand wash concrete walkway leads in from the front.*

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.

*Lounge in the gazebo on cushions or mats and bring out fruit and pastries, a perfect formula for pleasant relaxation.*

*The Neighboring white house is seen behind three levels of green: pigeon berry, water jasmine, and English banyan*

“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.”

*The Pavilion, wood deck, pathway, and other hardscape elements designed in a complementary pattern of rectangles.*

*The pavilion is raised 60 centimeters to dissipate heat and let the breeze pass through.*

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.”

*On the right-hand side is a tall green fence of English banyan which is an interesting contrast to the rust-colored fence by the pavilion.*

“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.”

*The beautiful, open-limbed form of a calabash tree set right in the center suits the overall modern design.*

*Another place to sit behind the house, next to the Thai kitchen. The owners like sitting here while dinner is being prepared.*

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.”

*In the evening there is a different atmosphere, with special lighting for a gentle relaxing elegance.*

“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.”

*With the light shining up through the water onto the waterfall wall adding new dimensions to the overall look.*

link : http://www.suansabuy.com/

Baan Nai Suan / Tropical Garden in the Coffee Shop

By livingasean
September 22, 2016
GARDEN,LIVING

The sun is scorching hot this afternoon but inside Baan Nai Suan, a cozy tropical garden in the coffee shop. It’s cool and refreshing . Warisa Sinlapakun, the owner who designed and landscaped this garden on her own has a lot to tell us.

/// Thailand ///

Story: Apasri Mimana /// Photography: Sitthisak Namkham /// Landscape Designer: Warisa Sinlapakun

“I’ve always liked the shade and growing plants. When this coffee shop project came along, I knew right away it had to have a garden. Before this, I was a yoga teacher in a club, but one day I decided to branch out. Closer to nature it’s more relaxing, and our spiritual health benefits.”

Garden in the coffee shop: The shop is a step up from the street. In front are planted creeping woodsorrel ground cover among decorative stones bought at Bang Bua Thong. An arboreal wooden door leads inside.

Baan Nai Suan, on Hua Mak Street, has two main sections. The first is the coffee shop, restaurant, a wood structure with food and drink service on the lower floor and a high-ceilinged yoga studio with big picture windows upstairs. The second section is a beautiful tropical-style garden.

*Long shady wooden walkway to the shop inside passes under the arbor eaves.*

*Stairway up to the second floor, with the added interest of potted plants here and there.*

“The garden started as just dirt, not a single plant. I don’t have a degree in garden design, but do have ideas, and love the tropical style. I used pencil and paper to draw details, spots to put trees, dig a pond, sketched in a waterfall, brook, and places to sit.

*Areca palm and a bamboo wall, plants and materials that fit the tropical style.*

*Fragrant pandan is not only a beautiful plant, but it is for its oil or cooked in various treats.*

“Then I went looking for ornamental things to buy and found some cute plants at the Decorative Plants Center. Big trees I got from Prajinburi and Nakhon Nayok. I used leftover construction wood to build furniture and a garden path. We needed shade, so I planted some big trees, like this super-shady 10-meter banyan from Nakhon Nayok. I’ve added on little by little over the last 6 years until it’s the Baan Nai Suan you see today.”

*Unusual furniture: wrought-iron table converted from a sewing machine, a set of unmatched lawn chairs, perfect for outdoor use.*

Every morning her helpers water plants, rake fallen leaves and add fertilizer, a maintenance system She has down pat. But improvements are ongoing. New plants must be shade-tolerant, since very little light reaches the garden floor here, which is why even in the middle of the day it’s cool and comfortable.

*A misting system adds to the refreshing cool of the garden.*

“I spend most of my time in the shop. If our workplace has a good feeling, we ourselves feel good, and the more enjoyable things we do, the happier we feel. I pick plants I like, like Alexandrian laurel and perfume flower tree, that give out a lot of sweet fragrance, or tree jasmine, which I really love: its white flowers hang down in the cutest way! Indian oak is cool in a different way: in full blossom, the garden is full of red flowers, the garden looks fresh, even if there are a lot of petals to rake up.”

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