The study space in the original layout was removed to open up the living room, children’s play area, and dining room, allowing the public spaces to be enlarged and integrated as much as possible. A transitional porch was made between the columns and the wall in the middle of the living room to weaken the presence of the columns.
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- Homeowner’s demand: The aesthetics and styles of male and female homeowners are different, and it is necessary to mix and balance traditional Chinese and modern Scandinavian styles.
Solution: To metaphorically blend the new Chinese style with the choice of materials (the calmness of the slab and the lightness of the iron parts) and colors (the lively gold and pink against the plain surface).
- Homeowner’s Demand: I hope the children’s activity space will be increased and there will be an exclusive play area.
Solution: Demolish the study and make a sleeper sofa design on one side. The original study compartment was removed, the space was opened up, and a sofa was used to separate the rear play area (slide shelf), where children’s tables, chairs and toys could be placed.
- Homeowner’s request: I want a casual Chinese style entrance.
Solution: Firstly, we made a circuitous moving line in the pattern, making the entrance area more independent; secondly, we replaced the shadow wall with an old screen, and used granite as the ground material outside the user to create the first look of the simplicity of the entrance.
- Homeowner’s demand: I wanted the dining room to be more complete and independent.
Solution: The doors on all four walls of the dining room were made invisible and hidden in a uniform wood finish. When the doors are closed, the dining room becomes a visually separate space.
Outdoor tiles create a transitional space
Due to the man’s love for traditional Chinese culture, the designer made the concept of “outside and inside” for the entrance, which is a transitional space before entering the living room from outside. The original layout of the entrance direct to the living room was broken, and three old wooden grill doors were used as the shadow wall, making the entrance hazy and the moving line circuitous, which is quite classical garden interest. The floor tile is the outdoor special stone walkway tile, deliberately staggered paving, highlighting the rustic sense.
The shadow wall formed by the wooden door can not only block the view, but also bring the maximum amount of light into the entrance to brighten the dark corner of the space. The L-shape built-in entrance closet is 40cm deep, perfectly acting as a storage function.
Knock out the partition wall to make the space more open
The large living room and children’s play area, which you can enter from the entrance, have an open and relaxing feel. This is the result of removing a study room in exchange for a wide view and a relaxed atmosphere.
When the partition wall was removed, a large column was left in the middle of the space due to structural limitations. The design has created a wood veneered corridor door on one side, which connects perfectly with the interior dining space. The column’s presence is diminished.
In order to neutralize the traditional Chinese style favored by the man and the modern Scandinavian style loved by the woman, the designer deliberately chose earthy grey for the color palette of the space – both ancient and modern, very inclusive. The TV wall and the beams are painted with a special coating of Loctite, which gives the TV wall a rustic, textured earthy color, while the beams are constructed with a cement-like texture.
In place of the demolished partition wall, a set of sofas, which can be oriented at will, is used as a soft separation between the living room and the children’s play area. Although the space is divided, the sight lines are clear and the emotional interaction between the family is enhanced.
Looking from the children’s area to the living room, the pillars are processed by the space grouping, weakening the awkward sense of volume and becoming a good division of space.
The slide becomes a bookshelf and the space grows
The homeowners have two children and at the beginning of the design process, they suggested that they wanted to create a fun and active space for their children in their home. The designer took into account that as the children grow up, the space needs to constantly change. The slides, bookshelves and sleeper sofas were combined together to create a playground for the children when they are young, and a learning space when they grow up.
In order to meet the requirement that the bookshelf be both slim and lightweight, but also strong and safe, the designer used a solid painted stainless steel frame to create a visually light wood feel. The assembled plywood is easy to remove and assemble, and the shelf arrangement can be freely changed, so that the function is not limited between children’s fun and practical.
The windows in the original study and the living room are not in the same position. The designer uses a countertop to run through the two spaces, forming a bay window in the living room, and in the children’s play area, the countertop becomes a sleeper sofa for play.
The lacquered panel is fixed with screws and can be removed and installed at will. A simple slide, integrated into the rich functions of the façade, satisfies the child’s heart and maximizes the use of space.
Looking out from the dining room towards the children’s area and living room, the concrete-colored PVC seamless flooring makes the space more integrated and mutually inclusive. It is a perfect echo of the material and color of the façade.
Open up the view from the children’s area from the ottoman. It also allows mom to keep an eye on the kids when she’s busy at home.
Invisible wall doors to reduce the feeling of a hallway
The original dining room encloses four walls with five doors that lead to the kitchen, master bedroom, children’s room, cloakroom and bathroom. In this way, the dining room is like a large aisle, which virtually becomes lacking a complete sense of stability. The walls, which are broken by the doors, are also difficult to form a unified visual sense.
The designer used wood finishing materials combined with closets, niches, built-in kitchen appliances and other functions to make the four walls invisible and unified treatment. It makes the dining room independent and ritualistic.
All hidden doors are designed to be pushed inward, with automatic return hinges to allow the panels to close, and door handles are mounted on the inside of the room, making the dining room side of the panels completely invisible.
To echo the overall style and for use during family dinners, the designer designed this oversized dining table – with window molding legs and a large walnut tabletop; the laser-cut openwork legs had to calculate the metal thickness and shape accurately to support the large tabletop.
Looking from the dining room into the living room is the man’s thangka collection. In the inclusive tone of the space, different styles work together harmoniously.
Solid wood in grey tones is more hypnotic
The entire bedroom except the bedside is in grey-blue.
The bed head is a wooden slab embedded in the wall, which has both oriental charm and Scandinavian pastoral style. It blends well with the different aesthetic directions of the host and hostess.
The entire wall of the cabinet is stained with plywood to bring out the natural texture of the material, and the rustic temperament is consistent with each other.
Categorized storage at a glance
Considering the whole family’s clothing storage, one bedroom was deliberately converted into a dedicated cloakroom. In addition to doors and windows, all the walls in the room are designed as storage cabinets, and the middle part of the wardrobe is designed as a transparent door and lighting treatment, and according to the length of the clothes made of different heights, seasonal clothes can be hung up at a glance.
A small dressing table is designed for the hostess in front of the window, not wasting any space.
Make the living experience more soft
In this grey-toned, old-fashioned home, the only room with strong colours is the children’s room. Soft-wrapped bedheads, bare whitewashed walls and wood-coloured ceilings are all part of the gentle design. The vibrant green wallpaper gives the children’s room a natural feel. The room is not overly customizable, so the room can be changed as the child grows.
It’s difficult to combine the traditional Chinese austerity and the relaxed feel of modern living in one home. Fortunately, the designer achieved a balance of styles through the details of wall materials and furniture selection, giving more references to families who love these two styles.