The level of detail and perfectionism that underpins the Beijing house of China's most respected installation artist, Lin Tianmiao, and video artist Wang Gongxin is awe-inspiring.

Nestled in one of the oldest villa compounds in the capital's Songzhuang, the famous artists village in Tongzhou District, Lin and Wang have built their home around an old villa, complete with the latest comforts and modern technology, to create a sumptuous retreat from busy city life.

Before moving to their current home three years ago, the artist couple had lived in a city apartment for two years, away from their studios in Songzhuang, but had been on the lookout for the ideal space to support their artistic lifestyle.

When the couple bought the garden villa site, which covers 4 mu (0.27 hectares), the villa was old and unsuitable for modern living and presented a creative challenge and opportunity for the couple, said Wang.

Not only did the space need to accommodate the family of three's needs and lifestyle, but also merge with their working space, plus reflect sophistication and aesthetic appeal.

Lin and Wang deliberately chose to buy a property with substantial grounds as this gave them a large amount of space to play with.

In the first year, Lin and Wang had much of the existing villa replaced by a magnificent home with a 600-square-meter living space, 2,000 square-meter studios in the basement and an indoor swimming pool, with enough space left over for a huge garden.

Visitors to the house are often struck by its maze-like quality, with sections jutting out horizontally and vertically.

"We love to work and live in Songzhuang as it's a very good environment for Beijing artists, but at the same time we didn't want to live among too many people. This house is in a quiet, hidden spot," Wang said.

The couple need the villa to provide a multi-task space for living, entertaining and work, and have spent considerable effort to make each area look stunning.

Redesigning the floor plan allowed them to create a well-lit working space in the basement, a roomy living and dining space on the first floor, a neatly proportioned master bedroom on the second floor and their 16-year-old son's own space on the top level.

The gloomy old villa was transformed into an inspirational, cozy retreat from the hubbub of Beijing. It is designed into two zones - the top three floors are defined by a natural, open atmosphere and are considered the living zone, while the basement is the working area where the couple can create their art.

Underlining this division, Wang and Lin's eclectic mix of furniture and bright color schemes in the three-floor living space contrasts with the muted grays and whites and minimalist style of the basement.

"Though both of us spend a lot of time in our workshops, we wanted to create a living space that was colorful, homely, warm and full of life," Wang explained.

The airy three-floor interior is filled by natural light, as the entire facade of one side is almost entirely glass.

Peeking into any of the carefully considered rooms reveals ample evidence of the couple's honed creativity. The new move provided an opportunity to explore a fresh environment, and in the process pair new-found objects with long-prized pieces to create a very personal mix.

Airy freedom defines the 300-square-meter first-level open-plan living space. And to ensure that comfort features prominently, Wang and Lin have placed comfy sofa sets, lounge beds and designer chairs in each corner of the living area.

Two entire walls have been turned into massive shelves with an assortment of books and DVDs, reflecting the couple's passion for art and culture while at the same time adding a cozy lived-in feel.

Pots, vessels, family pictures and ceramics are also carefully placed, adding to the creative and homely feel.

The couple felt that nothing should detract from the sense of space and light, so behind the central wall of bookshelves there is another living section with floor-to-ceiling windows as the external wall, letting natural light stream in.

An antique opium bed is placed in the corner as a lounging spot, perfect for an afternoon nap or reading a book. Plants and flowers are placed around a small pond that the couple introduced to create a natural environment, both inside and outside. This creates a tropical feeling, even on Beijing's driest days.

Wang and Lin lived in New York for a decade from 1987, and since returning to China the couple have become among the most prominent figures in the modern Chinese art world.

Lin's art has a textural and tactile nature that plays on the senses, with the use of thread a recurrent feature in her creations.

Wang started out painting on canvas, switching his focus on video in 1995 and becoming one of the China's most respected video artists.

Lin's thread works and Wang's oil paintings from his early years are on display in the living area, the corridor and on the staircase walls, joined by an oil painting by a Chinese artist from early 1900s, sculptures by a Brazilian artist, and black and white photographs by a famous New York artist.

Who is he?

Duangrit Bunnag is a Thai designer who owns both architectural practice DBALP and a contemporary furniture company Anyroom in Bangkok. He graduated in 1994 from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where he studied as a post-graduate student.

Tell us about some of your works, and name the one you are most proud of.

The Alila Cha Am Hotel (now Hotel de la Paix, Cha Am) in Thailand and the Hotel De LaPaix in Luang Prabang in Laos, are the best-known projects of mine. Hotel De LaPaix was a prison in the past - so its history is quite at odds with the ultimate luxury hotel. For this reason, the building types between the old and the new are very different. At the same time, the property and the site are accorded a UNESCO World Heritage status. These factors led to a very complex renovation project. However, the design turned out well.

Are you currently involved with any project?

The Double Tree Resort in Maldives, the Lalu Hotel in Chengdu in China and the Naka in Phuket in Thailand are works in progress. The first two are five-star hotels while the Thai project is a 94-villa development. All the locations have spectacular scenery in different ways. For example, the Naka site is a secret valley facing the ocean. You have to drive up a mountain in order to get there, yet you're not far from Patong, the nearest town on Phuket's west coast. This brings about a certain degree of privacy. In terms of the design in the Naka project, each villa has a bedroom that is cantilevered over the mountain. This creates the impression that you are sleeping in mid-air.

Describe your design style.

If the style is the particular way in which something is done, I would say that I have no particular style. However, I usually have a drive to make my work comprehensible to people who do not know the first thing about design. In this way, the simplicity is a testament to my design, and yet the complexity is integrated.

Is there any designer you look up to? Who inspired you out of the design circle?

I suppose that I admire the work as an object and a thought process rather than the person. So I am very much inspired by the beauty of nature.

What do you collect?

Of course, I find many interesting things and buy some of them, but I collect nothing specifically - expect two motorcycles and few hundred vinyl records.

What does your home mean to you?

It is a private universe to me.

Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?

The Bund is, of course, my favorite area in Shanghai. But the waterfront promenade with its elegant colonial edifices is not the only attraction, as there's the skyline of Pudong New Area at night. I could wander around Three on the Bund for a whole day in delight. I would begin with the Shanghai Gallery of Art and then go shopping at the international boutiques. Finally, I would go to the roof terrace at the New Heights Bar to watch the sunset.

What will be the next big design trend?

Perhaps craftsmanship is the coming trend - goods handmade from natural materials by skilled crafts people. The value of the ready-made by machine products is becoming less than goods made by hand with meticulous care and detail.