Home » Sunday » Home and Design
Villa's tranquility is down to a tee
By Yang Di |
July 17, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HAVING lived happily in their spacious Tomson Golf Villa house for a decade, the Taiwanese owners decided to update their living space with a new style. After a one-year renovation project, the light-filled three-story villa is refreshingly sensible with a calm, Zen-like atmosphere.
Carita Wang and Jason Chang's family house sits ideally on the golf course, the perfect spot from which to soak up the green views. There are few houses like it in Shanghai. The family can sit in the garden looking at the tranquil view, breathe the fresh air, enjoy the weekend brunch and you just come to realize how peaceful it is.
Taiwanese interior designer Ray Chou was in charge of the home makeover project and he said one extraordinary element was meant to take in the beautiful golf course view.
The divide between the garden and the golf course was replaced by a glass panel to enhance the view's continuity. To improve the house's views and afford more natural light, Chou revamped the central areas by installing floor-to-ceiling windows.
It gives the impression of endless space and light and emphasizes the natural environment outside. A direct view of the picturesque golf course in the open-plan living and dining area makes the family time more pleasant.
The homeowners choose simplicity rather than opulence. They love Chinese culture and opt for Oriental style. Modern China shines through this elegant Zen-like style that merges traditional Chinese materials with modern interpretation.
Natural light and white walls are basic design elements for contemporary Chinese-style homes. Chou and the homeowners have personalized these basics by employing subdued textures, fine Chinese artworks and masterly forms of furnishings.
After many years of living in the United States, the couple has gleaned an appreciation of the comforts inherent in American living and successfully married the practicality with Chinese aesthetics.
"Our previous style was a mix of New England and antique Chinese. Embarking on a makeover project was exciting. We have a preference for things that are puritanical, natural and functional," Wang said.
"The previous house layout was not so reasonable and the interior looked heavy and dark. We repainted the exterior in two shades of grey and the interior was redefined by organizing and adding functional rooms on each floor," Chou said. "Simple, clean lines characterize the villa house."
With the hubbub of Shanghai this home is a sanctuary. The spacious 50-square-meter entrance room takes you away from the reality of daily life with Zen-like style and calming smells of essential oils. With only a few accent Chinese furniture pieces displayed, this room creates a soothing transition leading into other rooms on the ground floor.
The left side opens to the living and dining area, with a huge fish tank that is 4 meters in length and 90 centimeters in height as a highlight in the dining room. The fish tank wall used to be floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the neighbor's backdoor. Designer Chou smartly changed it to a home aquarium the husband always wanted.
Chou nurtured the interior using natural materials such as wood, stone, bamboo, silk and linen to conjure a quiet new space with perfect balance and serenity. He highlighted it with details that pull together furnishings and objects such as a stone statue created by a student of renowned Taiwanese sculptor Zhu Ming and an Italian modern lamp.
Simple-lined Chinese furniture style is the couple's favorite but comfort is the key. Function is considered as important as form. In the tea room, they custom-made the taishi chair (a traditional Chinese armchair) with short legs that go well with the wooden table made of hinoki wood.
Most of the furniture pieces are locally sourced. A solid, large piece of tree stump makes a unique and sturdy dining table base and the black glass tabletop makes it an ideal material to create sleek, simple design and enhances the decor as the centerpiece of the dining area.
The second floor is dedicated to family life, and comprises of a sun room, a study and three bedrooms for the couple, their 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.
The family zone was re-designed by Chou to better connect the family members. A sunroom is added as it provides a perfect place to play at any time of year. The family can watch TV, play Wii, and talk on comfortable couches while still getting plenty of sunlight. Having a place for the whole family to sit down and relax is a nice treat at the end of any hectic day. "Unlike other rooms mostly in neutral colors, the family room uses a lot of red and orange and the bright colors make us feel happy," Wang said.
The highlight of the master bedroom is its 30-square-meter en-suite bathroom, which is a tranquil Zen-look bath retreat. The minimalist design offers a visual expression of serenity that's tailor-made for a spa-like bathroom where relaxation reigns supreme.
The approach is expressed through smooth, sculptural lines, and a general lack of ornamentation and clutter. Fixtures are sleek and understated; the space celebrates the intrinsic beauty of natural materials: the earthy textures of stone and wood, with calm colors in grays reminiscent of smooth river rock. By creating an at-home spa, the family is rewarded with an elegant escape.
The third floor is made up of a white-themed minimalist guest bedroom and a studio for Wang who loves to experiment in aromatherapy. Through the years, she has introduced health-enhancing essential oils into family life. And this home, of course, smells good.
Carita Wang and Jason Chang's family house sits ideally on the golf course, the perfect spot from which to soak up the green views. There are few houses like it in Shanghai. The family can sit in the garden looking at the tranquil view, breathe the fresh air, enjoy the weekend brunch and you just come to realize how peaceful it is.
Taiwanese interior designer Ray Chou was in charge of the home makeover project and he said one extraordinary element was meant to take in the beautiful golf course view.
The divide between the garden and the golf course was replaced by a glass panel to enhance the view's continuity. To improve the house's views and afford more natural light, Chou revamped the central areas by installing floor-to-ceiling windows.
It gives the impression of endless space and light and emphasizes the natural environment outside. A direct view of the picturesque golf course in the open-plan living and dining area makes the family time more pleasant.
The homeowners choose simplicity rather than opulence. They love Chinese culture and opt for Oriental style. Modern China shines through this elegant Zen-like style that merges traditional Chinese materials with modern interpretation.
Natural light and white walls are basic design elements for contemporary Chinese-style homes. Chou and the homeowners have personalized these basics by employing subdued textures, fine Chinese artworks and masterly forms of furnishings.
After many years of living in the United States, the couple has gleaned an appreciation of the comforts inherent in American living and successfully married the practicality with Chinese aesthetics.
"Our previous style was a mix of New England and antique Chinese. Embarking on a makeover project was exciting. We have a preference for things that are puritanical, natural and functional," Wang said.
"The previous house layout was not so reasonable and the interior looked heavy and dark. We repainted the exterior in two shades of grey and the interior was redefined by organizing and adding functional rooms on each floor," Chou said. "Simple, clean lines characterize the villa house."
With the hubbub of Shanghai this home is a sanctuary. The spacious 50-square-meter entrance room takes you away from the reality of daily life with Zen-like style and calming smells of essential oils. With only a few accent Chinese furniture pieces displayed, this room creates a soothing transition leading into other rooms on the ground floor.
The left side opens to the living and dining area, with a huge fish tank that is 4 meters in length and 90 centimeters in height as a highlight in the dining room. The fish tank wall used to be floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the neighbor's backdoor. Designer Chou smartly changed it to a home aquarium the husband always wanted.
Chou nurtured the interior using natural materials such as wood, stone, bamboo, silk and linen to conjure a quiet new space with perfect balance and serenity. He highlighted it with details that pull together furnishings and objects such as a stone statue created by a student of renowned Taiwanese sculptor Zhu Ming and an Italian modern lamp.
Simple-lined Chinese furniture style is the couple's favorite but comfort is the key. Function is considered as important as form. In the tea room, they custom-made the taishi chair (a traditional Chinese armchair) with short legs that go well with the wooden table made of hinoki wood.
Most of the furniture pieces are locally sourced. A solid, large piece of tree stump makes a unique and sturdy dining table base and the black glass tabletop makes it an ideal material to create sleek, simple design and enhances the decor as the centerpiece of the dining area.
The second floor is dedicated to family life, and comprises of a sun room, a study and three bedrooms for the couple, their 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.
The family zone was re-designed by Chou to better connect the family members. A sunroom is added as it provides a perfect place to play at any time of year. The family can watch TV, play Wii, and talk on comfortable couches while still getting plenty of sunlight. Having a place for the whole family to sit down and relax is a nice treat at the end of any hectic day. "Unlike other rooms mostly in neutral colors, the family room uses a lot of red and orange and the bright colors make us feel happy," Wang said.
The highlight of the master bedroom is its 30-square-meter en-suite bathroom, which is a tranquil Zen-look bath retreat. The minimalist design offers a visual expression of serenity that's tailor-made for a spa-like bathroom where relaxation reigns supreme.
The approach is expressed through smooth, sculptural lines, and a general lack of ornamentation and clutter. Fixtures are sleek and understated; the space celebrates the intrinsic beauty of natural materials: the earthy textures of stone and wood, with calm colors in grays reminiscent of smooth river rock. By creating an at-home spa, the family is rewarded with an elegant escape.
The third floor is made up of a white-themed minimalist guest bedroom and a studio for Wang who loves to experiment in aromatherapy. Through the years, she has introduced health-enhancing essential oils into family life. And this home, of course, smells good.
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