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

By livingasean
May 24, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

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

By livingasean
May 20, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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,”

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.

Architect: Sook Architects Co.,Ltd.

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An Open, Airy Home with Privacy in Nakhon Pathom

By livingasean
May 11, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ 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.

“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.”

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.”

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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An Elegantly Eclectic Home: The Beauty of Diverse Styles

By livingasean
May 4, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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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A Mid-City Modern Tropical House in Bangkok

By livingasean
April 11, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Patharasiri / English version: Peter Bontalbano /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

It’s right in the middle of the city near a BTS SkyTrain station, but open to breezes and sunshine. This modern Tropical house is as cool and comfy as a country resort. It’s home to a multigenerational household including Mom and Dad and aging Grandma and Grandpa. Puchong Sathiraphipatkul, the architect who designed the renovation of this old family home, is the third-generation owner.

Modern Tropical Home — Open-concept design facilitates natural ventilation that lets fresh air enter on one side and out another.

“The clock’s ticking. How much time do we have?” Puchong was heard asking himself. He could still recall going about his busy schedules during his formative years that has had a profound influence on his professional development.

The old family home stands surrounded by tall buildings. Time flies. Going back a few years, his mother and father, grandpa and grandma were rapidly aging, so in just his third year of architectural studies he decided to take it on as a project, and his first customer was . . . his mother!

“I was thinking time was not waiting for us, so with my studies not finished and without much experience, I fell back on advice from teachers and older professionals.”

Puchong, now an architect with A49 House Design Co., Ltd., a Bangkok-based architectural practice, said that the challenge posed by his super-important first customer was to create what he called a “Sukhumvit-style” house, which had formerly been a family residence in the vibrant Sukhumvit neighborhood.

The house brings many fond memories of his mother as a discerning client. “Mom is Mom. She’s the ‘decider’, always has to be pleased in every respect,” Puchong added.

“In two years of professional life since then I haven’t had such a difficult customer. Back then I was constantly visiting stores and houses around Sukhumvit to get ideas on space configurations to suit our family lifestyle.”

They were lucky to get this huge plot of land in a short, quiet alley and near the BTS SkyTrain station. Taking sun and wind direction into consideration, Puchong faced the house north, with narrow sides to the east and west making space for a big yard. He also used landfill to raise the house 150 cm height for a better view.

“Starting with that trendy “Sukhumvit” theme, next comes “comfort design,” then “space design” for individual and common spaces and ‘transitional’ areas.” The architect of his own house shows us the outside fence, the carport, the walkway all around leading up to the reception hall and smaller spots, then up to the common areas and bedrooms above that.

“The home is fundamentally Tropical Asian; its heart is open to sun and wind. It’s in the form of two 600-square-meter blocks one atop the other, facing north onto the garden. The southern sun mostly falls on walkways, staircases, and outside balconies,” added Puchong.

“The central ceiling is high, for good circulation. The west side has a thick concrete wall for sun protection. It’s a ‘passive’ design: architecture in harmony with nature, no wasted budget on technologies of comfort.”

Mom and Dad’s master bedroom, with an open, high ceiling, features Earth’s own custom-designed teak furniture.

He ended by saying he couldn’t have perfected this modern Tropical home if it hadn’t been for the great contractors, relatives of a close friend, whose exquisite craftsmanship really shows.

“Others may see this house as a little off-beat, but it completely fits our family style, in a balanced way. Sure works for me.”

Owner/Architect: Puchong Sathiraphipatkul

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A Gorgeous White Brick House in Ampang Jaya, Malaysia

By livingasean
April 10, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ampang Jaya, Malaysia /

/ Story: Skiixy / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /

This beautiful brick house belongs to a family of four in Ampang Jaya, a town to the east of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. The design work and use of materials such as bamboo and old brick taken from a pre-WWII colonial-style house make it special.

Childhood memories are fragments of the past that many of us can bring back to life. In her childhood, Mrs. Liew Jun Keong was entranced by house design. And in conversation with Studio Bikin’s architect Ms. Farah Azizan, her memories bubbled out, creating a happy chemistry of inspiration between the homeowner and the architect, with the end result of this gorgeous white brick house.

The kitchen counter with large pressed bamboo cylinder mortared in place and smoothed with a trowel.

Mrs. Liew said, “At first, I just had the thought I liked houses with a resort atmosphere and the sort of peace and quiet we used to find on holiday to Bali, Bangkok, or Singapore, experiencing nature in a more original state.

“Then I thought of the house we lived in then, in an area with a lot of unfinished concrete surfaces, and so told the designer I’d like a modern-style concrete house, but with plants and trees all around.

“By modern, I didn’t mean perfect, but featuring the natural surfaces of construction materials that have their own types of beauty.”

Ampang Jaya — The reception parlor with dark wood furniture and vintage cloth coverings in muted tones of blue and gray.

After a good talk, the architect and the homeowner found their ideas really resonated with each other. Ms. Azizan also had pleasant surprises for Mrs. Liew. She came up with the materials handpicked specifically for this house.

“I was really impressed with Farah’s detailed choice of materials. I tend to think of the normal uses for bamboo, for instance, as for pipes, but she used it as a decorative façade for the house,” said Mrs Liew.

“Next, it was this batch of white brick, which has an extraordinary history, coming from the demolition of a colonial-style residence built before World War II.

“The brick had no coloring when she bought it. We were lucky to get this brick, as it was the first batch. Others looking at this may first notice it has blemishes or that the sizes are irregular, but it’s iconic material for that period, with a great value, and absolutely perfect for our family.”

The entire house is painted white, except for sections of bare cement. There isn’t a lot of interior furnishing and decoration, and furniture is limited to what is necessary.

Mrs. Liew values simplicity and doesn’t care for fancy interior décor. She said that she hadn’t yet found decorative work with the kind of natural beauty she cared for.

The homeowner added enthusiastically: “I’d never dreamed of living in a place where sunlight reached into the center of the house, which is something I now really appreciate.

“And the bricks used in the construction have blemishes, but each imperfection somehow adds to the perfection of the whole.”

Owner: Mrs. Liew Jun Keong

Designer: Studio Bikin by Ms. Farah Azizan

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A TROPICAL WATERSIDE HOME MADE FOR THE THAI CLIMATE

By livingasean
April 7, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

This tropical waterside house brings back memories of Thai life as it was along Khlong Samsen (Samsen canal) in bygone times. From the outside, it looks straightforward and contemporary, but inside is a fascinating mix of antiques from the owners’ collections.

1122 — Outer stair, up from the pool to the second-floor balcony

koh170106-0911 — Perforated fence with wind baffles for good air circulation within the property

koh170106-0033 — Blocks with 1-inch spaces to control fresh air coming into the house

koh170106-0288 — Work room with a library design

To match the Thai climate, Associate Professor Dr Tonkao Panin designed this house in a tropical style.

Although it has a contemporary look, the tropical waterside house contains a mix of antiques and collectibles belonging to owners Kajorn Tanaphaet and Eugene Kroon. A major design challenge for Dr Tonkao was to make old and new fit well together.

koh170106-038 — Swimming pool, designed as to appear continuous with the khlong (canal) outside

“My requirements are simply stated: 1. I don’t want luxury. 2. I want high ceilings, and 3. Air conditioning should be minimal. Tonkhao’s proportional design successfully connects the entire property: balcony, reception parlor, reading room, down through the kitchen and out to the swimming pool and pier.

“There are a lot of reasons I’m pleased with this location: it’s at the end of the soi, quiet and peaceful, one side opens onto Khlong Samsen, and there’s space in front for a nice garden.

“I bought the place some time before I ran across a house designed by Tonkao in a book I was reading and managed to get him to come design this one.

“As you can see, the end result is a good-sized house with a great style,” says Kajorn.

The design of this tropical waterside house took 8 months, and construction an additional year.

“We did it little by little, along the way discovering things we liked in the detail suggested by the word ‘house.’ Here is a mixture of many things: some sections come from Eugene and me, some from Tonkao, and there are things the craftsmen suggested as we chatted during construction.”

Aside from the remarkable style and the great number of owner-collected antiques and collected artifacts, another point of interest is the unusual transverse placement of the house, set crosswise on the property.

“Kajorn wanted to have the house right on the water,” explains Professor Tonkhao, “and orienting the house this way lets it catch the constant breeze from the lawn out to the khlong.”

So this tropical waterside house has permanent natural ventilation. “Even though the design is straightforward, we want it to create a feeling somewhere between being inside and outside, a tropical feeling.

“The house is designed so it can fully open up to the air from terrace and doorways, that all can be left open. At the same time, balconies and doors block the direct sun from entering the building, creating different levels of sunshine and shade inside and out.”

Even in the late afternoon, it’s still shady and cool. The patio has a long porch deck reminiscent of an “arcade,” the façade of a Sino-Portuguese-style house.

There’s a balcony door which can be opened vertically as a sunshade, a similar design to a Thai-style “baan krathung” pop-up window.

Features such as this help create an amazing sense of comfort for a Bangkok house.

Owner: Kajorn Tanaphaet and Eugene Kroon

Architect: Reserch Studio Panin by Associate Professor Dr Tonkao Panin & Thanakarn Mokkhasamit

The Ironwood: A Chiang Mai Vacation Home Out in Nature

By livingasean
March 30, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /

/ Story: Monosoda / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Nanthiya Bussabong /

Mountains, streams and forests in Mae Rim District embrace the open-air vacation home of a Bangkok metropolitan lady who has chosen tranquil Chiang Mai Province over big-city distraction and confusion.

chiang mai vacation home — Up front stands a beautiful Ceylon ironwood tree (scientific name: Mesua ferrea), also known as “Bunnag” in Thai. The building to the left side holds a reception lobby, with private residential areas upstairs. To the right is a spacious, open dining hall.

Three years earlier, this was just a holiday home for Lady Ying (Supapa Sanitwong). At that time, Prince Dighambara Yugala was in charge of it, and at his suggestion Lady Ying came to see if she should try living here permanently.

“Before, the house was surrounded by jungle. I explored a little each day, and found a nice view of the mountains. When the brush and grass was cut down, I found the river practically surrounded the house! Right then I fell in love with the place.”

Lady Ying bought the estate for her residence, naming it “Ironwood,” and put in a new building as lodging accommodation for visiting friends and family. Later, a hotel was added for guests wishing to experience the natural world of northern Thailand.

The name “Ironwood” refers to the Ceylon ironwood tree (scientific name: Mesua ferrea), also known as “Bunnag” in Thai. “This is a monument to my great-grandmother Jamreun (Bunnag) Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya, wife of Suwaphan Sanitwong in the reign of King Rama V. She’s not well-known, but is always in my thoughts,” she recalled.

The hotel has 5 rooms, each with a view of the Mae Sa River and the pleasant shade of big trees.

One of Lady Ying’s neighbors here is famous sculptor Jamnian Thongma, whose building design talents helped make her dreams come true. There are two zones on the premises, one in front and the other at the rear.

The front area holds two buildings; on the left, a reception lobby, with Lady Ying’s private residence above; on the right, a dining room and catering area. A walkway connects the buildings. The rear zone holds a riverside guest house.

jun161201_09333 — The simplicity of the bare concrete wall helps direct guests’ attention to the natural world all about.

Lady Ying walks us up the white metal spiral stair to her space on the second floor: a comfy, airy little studio with classic décor and a great view of the mountains.

The bedroom connects directly to a spacious bathroom; the kitchen is separated, and from there a stairway leads down to a greenhouse garden. The Ironwood grounds are shady and pleasant, landscaped by Siriwit Riwbamrung and Jaturong Khunkong of the Little Tree Landscape.

The rooms contain antique decorative items collected over several decades: wooden screens from Burma, handmade chandeliers from Italy, mortared columns from India: many remarkable masterpieces arranged to produce a multicultural atmosphere by interior decorator Sorasak Chatrakul Na Ayutthaya.

Taken as a whole, the vacation home has a remarkable mix of a natural setting and cultural atmosphere, with universal narratives everyone can understand. It’s a place that gives a sense of peace and tranquility, just waiting to be experienced.

The kitchen opens out to a stairway reaching up to the rooftop deck and down to the garden below.

Architect: Sorrasak Chatkul na Ayutthaya, Jamnian Tongma

Garden Designer: Siriwit Rewbamrung, Little Tree Landscape (www.facebook.com/Littletreelandscape)

Visit the original Thai article…

THE IRONWOOD – บ้านหลังใหม่ ในอ้อมกอดขุนเขาที่อำเภอแม่ริม

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BAAN MOOM: Box Style House at the Forefront of a Modern Trend

By livingasean
March 9, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Sara / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya Bussabong, Prachya Jankong, Wison Tungthunya /

/ Styling: Wanassanan Teerawitoon /

This box-shaped modern house takes relaxation to a whole new level. Incorporating triangles in the detail, the home with edgy design comes to light with all the charm and character.

“I wanted a house with both common and private corners on each floor,” said Sorakit Kitcharoenroj, the owner and architect. And with good reason, he called it “Baan Moom,” which is Thai for a house with nooks offering seclusion and security.

Sorakit had the fulfillment of his family’s needs for the highest priority. He translated it into this three-story, three-bedroom house complete with living room, dining room, kitchen, workspace and home theater.

A focus on function didn’t necessarily mean that he had to abandon all the charm and poise. Rather, in a unique fashion he incorporated the concept of living room corner or recess ideas in the detail. That pretty much explains the ever-presence of triangular-shaped design everywhere inside and out.

Even on the rooftop, a triangular-shaped skylight glazed using insulated glass panels stays open to let a shaft of natural light pour into the interior via the stairwell.

The stunning design took several months in the making, during which the contractor adjusted the staircases many times until everything was perfectly aligned.

Sorakit designs the bedrooms in ways that best suit each person’s lifestyle. For his parents, he chooses to highlight the elegance of the oriental-modern style.

His own bedroom is a bit different. It’s the most playful corner in the house. He sleeps on the mezzanine above the workspace that is tucked away on the lower floor.

The bedchamber is accessible via stepladders. Right next to it, a hammock floor is there to take relaxation to a whole new level.

The house is without a doubt an awesome intersection of function and design, and “Baan Moom” comes in handy as the perfect name for it.

Owner/Architect: Sorakit Kitcharoenroj

Visit the original Thai version…

BAAN MOOM ท่องไปในบ้านมุม

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A Bangkok Townhouse Embraces the Charm and Style of the Past

By livingasean
February 28, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Lalitpan Cheumthaisong /English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Ritthirong Chanthongsuk, Soopakorn Srisakul /

Some things never go out of style. Here’s a gorgeous urban home that’s clearly reminiscent of a townhouse in earlier times. Its impressive stylishness exudes both class and relaxation, but looks can be deceiving. Albeit rather old-fashioned in appearance, this townhouse in Bangkok was built not long ago; and yet it expresses the visible form, the finishing and decoration that bring vintage elegance back to life.

The beautiful two-story residence belongs to interior designer Napaporn Pothirach, who bought it from a property developer while it was still under construction. She came in only just in time to apply improvement ideas to the original design.

A dining room-cum-workspace is the most elegantly furnished area of the house.

For a well-lit interior, Napaporn replaced solid walls with an array of glass doors with transom windows. Stairway walls and ceilings on the upper floor were removed to make the room feel larger and more connected. Some of the original windows deemed to be too small were replaced with bigger ones.

The homeowner even found a way to create an attic for her kids, turning the space directly below the pitched roof of the house into an extra room. An aberration from a typical townhouse perhaps? But for the children, it seems like a good idea, something fun, functional and happy.

Taken as a whole, the wooden parts of the house bespeak the homeowner’s passion for woodwork. They include window casings and frames, doors, antique décor, crafts and all things made from wood. Napaporn designed all the built-in furniture, fittings and other ornaments herself.

Among others, wooden cupboards with intricate carvings stand out from the rest. Needless to say, the overall effect is impressive.

Napaporn admitted, with a smile, that she sometimes bought decorative accessories with no specific plan to put them. That’s something which came later on. What a nice fluke! They turned out to be a perfect mix and match style with a common hue.

“I once had the opportunity of visiting the house of Geoffrey Bawa, my favorite architect,” said Napaporn when asked about her inspiration.

“I learned the concepts of space management and the art of applying cultural identity to design. They are the qualities that make a residence feel cozy, charming and timelessly livable.”

Space management as a concept may be simple, yet in practice it’s never easy. This townhouse with all the charm and character has proved one thing. The homeowner has successfully managed to put her newfound knowledge to good use. And it showed in the utilization of space and resources, and the way she intelligently designed and decorated her home with crafts.

Owner/Designer: Napaporn Pothirach

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