Project Overview

To relief the oppression from low ceiling and complex partitions, and to break through the tradition layout, the designer transforms the originally two-story building into an open plan maisonette, therefore creates a cozy, tidy living space with smooth flow and fluidity.

The neat lines with a cohesive black and white color palette together build a pure space and visual enjoyment. With the strong belief of how a clear space can uplift the spirit, the designer clears out the busy layout, intuits the flow and neutralizing the lighting and the tones, so that the residents can return to a comfy home to relax.

Organisation

Holistic Interior Design Co., Ltd

Team

Page Li
Zhenhua Zhu

Project Brief

The common area on the first floor consists of the entrance, the living room, the kitchen and the dining room. The light wooden floor panels all going over the area, contrasting the white from the walls, ceiling and the cabinets, stabilize the space and create a visual focus while the lightness lifts the space. Instead of a fully open plan, the subtle color change between the kitchen and the living room cleverly draws the lines between tow areas without creating any barrier. Through a rather softer and gentle approach, the designer settles the problems of this 30-year-old house by semi open plan, flow guidance, arrangements of light and shadows, and the use of glass. The space is now smooth and fluid.

Up to the second floor, where the vocal point is rather invisible. With a wall of hidden cabinets and the blank space, the residents get to decide how to make use of the space. The main idea in the private area is more minimal, for after all the residents are the true master of the space. Bringing in sufficient natural light into the space and building hidden cabinet to store, the designer’s job here is to set a comfortable and relaxing scene for the residents to live.

Project Need

The gap between the living room and the balcony is now filled with a slightly lifted floor, the additional height also extends to the stairs, eliminating the inconvenience an uneven floor might bring. The stairs are adjusted into a meanderer style, which elongates the sight and creates a fluidity.

Design Challenge

The attention to details is on point, not only does the designer simplify the visual through colors and textures, he also adds in embedded lights to the lower beams, the seams of the ceiling, and the edge of the cabinets. With the lighting, the defects of the space is embellished, and also interesting visual effects come with the changes of light and shadow. During the daytime, the white becomes whiter with the lights shine on, while at night, the light is like water, flowing through the space, glistening. Through design, the boundaries and barriers and broken, and the ways of thinking a space is challenged.

Sustainability

The flooring and the coating of the walls all over the space are all green materials. With enough linear lightings to light up the space efficiently, no redundant light sources are required. This not only deduces the energy consuming, but also maximizes the value of things through design. Due to the maisonette layout, the designer introduces smart light switches to the house for the residents to live a more convenient live while minimizing the unnecessary waste. The water vapor fireplace also helps with practicing eco-friendliness. With the temperature adjustment functions, the status onside is always comfortable, which lowers the need of turning on the AC. While bringing in all these technologies into the space, the designer didn’t just think of the present, but also the future. These setups were installed on a premises distribution system that a part of the smart building design, which allows these pieces be moved or even uninstalled without tearing down the ceiling.