PIERRE and Iolanda Comptdaer and their two children were rattling around in a four-story villa, so they decided that smaller was better. They moved to a compact villa and filled it with warmth. Patsy Yang takes a tour.

In search of a perfect family house in Beijing, Pierre and Iolanda Comptdaer turned to Shunyi District to bring a peaceful environment and an escape from hectic city life for the family of four.

Having lived in Beijing for seven years, the couple, along with their daughter Gabriela and son Rafael, moved to the current house from a larger villa in the same compound. "My husband and I loved this tranquil residential area very much with international schools close by,'' Iolanda said.

They moved from a handsome four-story villa nearby.

"It was too big for our family and the master bedroom was on the separate floor from my kids' rooms. Yet the main reason I moved was to have an open kitchen together with a family room,'' said the Brazilian lady of the house.

The current 478-square-meter house has smaller bedrooms but everyone is closer to each other.

In addition to having a picturesque location and amenities, the villa has an interior layout suitable for the family and home parties.

For Iolanda, changing a house was just the start. She envisioned a home filled with comfort and style throughout and a big open kitchen and family space where the family could cook and laugh together. More than that, she viewed the house as a vehicle for self-expression.

The interior is contemporary and eclectic, with a good mix of tropical, classical and modern furniture from Brazil, China, Thailand, and the Philippines. "We Brazilians love Southeast Asian style," Iolanda said, adding that most pieces were purchased in Brazil 12 years ago, when she never considered living in Asia.

After only nine months in the rented villa, Iolanda has filled it with her own style. The coherent, inviting space is filled with natural light.

She considers the shape and proportion of items grouped together. With a cream white background and an earthy, neutral palette, the interior is soothing. Throughout the space there's a feeling of visual comfort.

Wearing a Shanghai Tang dress and jewelry by Clicia Huang, Iolanda loves to host big parties and cook authentic Brazilian food. "I like people socializing in my house and I always have my entertaining standard: a dinner table for 12 people.''

Because there are many guests, dialogue between spaces is highlighted: there are no partition walls on the ground floor. The interior and spacious garden are closely linked.

Home is an oasis of easy-going style, with something warming and welcoming at its heart. Iolanda ordered two custom-made wooden cabinets painted with Tibetan-inspired dragon motifs in vivid colors. It's a highlight piece.

Each room is brimful with her favorite things: European-style lamps, Mongolian furniture and elaborately embroidered Chinese carpets.

"Since we have been always moving and renting houses, I needed to inject my own style and color into the basic design, which is not allowed to change. You can see from my furniture collection, there is always a touch of red color.''

Iolanda is also very keen on fengshui and she believes in creating positive qi (energy) in the house, placing crystals to activate qi flow.

Iolanda and her Belgian husband lived in Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Austria before moving to China. "I was a bit afraid to come to China at first but I found so many similarities between China and Brazil in the end.''

Today, when things feel like they're moving too fast, it just feels right to return to simplicity and quality in such a calming, relaxing family home.


Ask the owner

Q: What's the best thing about living in Beijing?

A: The food. We can still eat food from all over China. I also like the furniture.



Q: Describe your home.

A: Cozy, beautiful, welcoming.



Q: What's the first thing you do when you get home?

A: I go to my kitchen.



Q: How do you unwind?

A: I have a glass of Champagne with friends in the garden or the living room.



Q: Where do you spend most of your time at home?

A: My kitchen.



Q: What's the best view from your window?

A: Our magnolia tree.



Q: How do you scent your home?

A: Tibetan incense and flowers.



Q: What's your favorite item?

A: My stove and oven.



Q: Where do you source furniture in Beijing?

A: Curio City, Gaobeidian Antique Market.


The Designer

Who is he ?

Albert Ho, director of Ho + Hou Studio Architects, Taipei.

Describe your works and one that makes you especially proud.

We focus mostly on residential interiors and architecture. One of our residential projects, Chen Residence of 2007, was featured on the cover of Taiwan Mod, a book on Taiwanese interior projects. It is a duplex apartment in a prime area, overlooking the Taipei 101 Tower. In this project, our inspiration was a painting by the French master, Le Corbusier. We developed a color scheme whereby every element in the apartment was painted a specific color to perform a space-defining function. The duplex was finally tied together with a strong stair element.

A residential project completed last year included various entertainment and leisure function for a family clan. The entire 1,000-square-meter space consisted of an indoor swimming pool and poolside lounge area, a 30-person home theater, dining for 30, a professional gym, yoga room and a children's play room. The space combined the elegance of walnut and travertine with the rawness of rusted steel panels to create something both for relaxation and entertainment.

Our recently completed project in Hangzhou, the Xixuan Medispa, is one of our best to date. It is a project with a very difficult site in the basement of the Xixuan Hotel. We tried to create an environment of repose, calmness, and rejuvenation. Subtle variation of materials conveys a sense of richness, for example textured gray stone contrasting with matt beige stone, smooth copper-tinted glass contrasting with figured walnut wall panels.

Per the client's request, we wanted the guest of the spa to experience a kind of rebirth. Lighting was to be an integral part of the experience, creating an almost grotto-like atmosphere, not dim but cavern-like. This allows the guest to ease into our space by adjusting his/her visual field.

What's your current project?

We are involved in several projects in Taipei and Shanghai. Taipei projects are mostly residential interiors. In Shanghai, we are involved in a 1,200-square-meter restaurant, and the design of a large industrial park.

Describe your design style.

I pride myself in not developing a "style." I try instead to listen to the desires of our clients and the "murmurs" from the site and respond intelligently and sensitively. The simplicity of a design plan is what we strive for. We are constantly editing our ideas and design elements. It is the balance between simplicity and richness, subtly and drama that we are trying to maintain.

Where are you most creative?

Probably in the office. I have a tiny work space in our office that doubles as our materials/sample room. I like to surround myself with wood veneers, stone panels and rich fabric. This is the stuff that design comes from. More than anything, it is materials and colors that inspire.

What does your home mean to you?

We recently built a house on the outskirts of Taipei where my parents and family live. It is based on a traditional Chinese courtyard house, but turned almost upside down. On the top two floors of this five-story house are accommodations for my son, my wife and me. The lower two floors are for my parents and a family room. In the middle, on the third floor, is an open kitchen/dining/outdoor barbecue area. This is the space where we gather every day, as in the open space of a traditional courtyard.

In a way, I believe a house should be a reflection of my culture. Having lived abroad for many years, returning to Asia means valuing what Asia has to offer. Living with and designing for a cross-generational family is very important. It is a celebration of the complexities of our Asian family structure. We modern Asians value our privacy while also honoring our tradition.



What do you collect?

We are tremendously fond of mid-century modern furniture. We collect design pieces by Charles and Ray Eames, Hans Wagner, Arne Jacobsen, Eero Saarinen, and other 20th century modern masters. We are also fond of furniture by contemporary designers like Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson and the Bouroullec Brothers.

Which part of Shanghai do you like most?

I like most to stroll along the former French concession and the Bund. Vintage Shanghai appeals to me. The patina of brick, limestone and copper speaks to me more than the newly heralded buildings. I like the anonymous places, hidden behind walls or courtyards. The French restaurant Franck in Ferguson Lane (Wukang Road) is a favorite of mine.

What's the next big design trend?

The world has enough well-designed chairs or other objects of desire. We certainly have enough objects of function. The next big trend is to view design as a way to conserve more of what we have, rather than depleting our resources. It is to view design as a way to allow our lives more freedom to inhabit this earth. It is not so much a style but a re-think of what we, as design professionals, do for a living.

Take for example, the finishing of wood veneers. We typically spray polyurethane onto veneers. As there are no laws, in China, regulating the application of urethane on job sites, it is tremendously hazardous. We now use a natural oil finish, produced by a Danish company, WOCA, to treat our wood veneers. This is not a terribly sexy topic. But whenever I bring up this issue with clients, they all want more natural, non-hazardous materials or finishes to inhabit their future homes.