Project Overview
To greet the arrival of a new-born baby, a shabby house 40 to 50 years old is renovated into a simple, unfussy residence filled with light that the homeowner couple has long wished for. The priority of its design lies in the core value of family, not only meeting the basic needs in daily life, but taking into account the wish to get family members to bond and to communicate.
Organisation
Team
Marcus Lai
Project Brief
Owing to limited space, the entryway is equipped with a bench fixed with triangle iron and shelves, allowing for convenience in changing shoes. Retro-style tiles mark the transition to the living room. The house has a long layout, each floor covering 79 square meters — 158 square meters in total for both floors. To avoid dimness as a result of lack of natural light in the dining room downstairs, glass is utilized in place of a solid wall in the stairway upstairs. In this way, a unique skylight is formed, which, along with see-through keel iron stairs, serves to usher indoors and then downwards the natural light coming through large glass windows on the upper level. To facilitate convenience on both floors, wide hardwood steps and keel iron stairs are used, with LED light belts thoughtfully recessed for lighting at night. In so doing, the entire space looks airy and transparent, enhancing brightness and vastness as well as safety of the space, thereby making it look brand new.
Project Innovation/Need
Storage is organized based on functions of each section. The one-piece cabinetry next to the dining room corresponds with the concealed door frames of the master bedroom and the kid’s room, to achieve integrity without looking pointless. The living room thus seems enlarged, making for a space shared by parents and kids. Due to the height and a slant in the building, apart from structural reinforcement, the design of the layout veers toward simplicity, so that the ceiling of the living room is unadorned, easing eye strain. The semi-open bar and suspended iron for storage in the kitchen, when paired with light surface gray wall, contribute to a texture of neatness and individuality. With diverse gradations of lighting, the kitchen is thus highlighted.
Design Challenge
The husband and wife prefer the loft style and Nordic style, respectively. Fusion of the two varies in accordance with the time and section each of the couple uses. The master bedroom prioritizes restfulness. Given the different bedtime habits of the couple, switches on either side of the headboard and concealed charging plugs make it possible to read or use one’s cellphone without disturbing one’s partner. The wood-vein closet is located on the other end of the long space, with its simple style extending to the dresser. It can not only hold lots of clothing but is conducive to a relaxing space.
Sustainability
The space on the second floor goes inward slightly, enclosed with wooden fence, close lightly pebble, wood-vein bricks and Japanese rain chain to be a small balcony where the couple enjoys lingering. In the concave space beneath the eave is an upright dryer. Through the large French windows one can see the blue sky from the inside. The balcony, enjoying ample sunlight, is an ideal place for rustic fun of gardening. It can also serve as a spot for interaction between parents and baby, bathed in sunshine. Using the idea of “home” as its starting point, the design of Love Streaming like Light adds thoughtful details to the space, where love spills in like brilliant sunlight.
Tags
Interior Design - International Residential - Multi
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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