Location: Tianhe District, Guangzhou
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Scope: Interior, Fitment & Lighting Design
Net Area: 180㎡
Interior Design: LUKSTUDIO
Director: Christina Luk
Design Team: Ray Ou, Melody Shen, Munyee Ng, Yiren Ding
Design Period: 2018.12-2019.05
Construction Period: 2019.06-2020.05
General Contractor: Yongcan Qiu
Kitchen Cabinet: Bulthaup
Loose Furniture: Minotti, Brdr Kruger, Kettal, Moroso, Zanotta, Flou, GT Design
Lighting: Great Lighting, iGuzzini, Cattelan Italia, Vibia, Davide Groppi
Sanitary Facilities: Agape, Vola, Duravit
Intelligent System: Control4
Key Materials: douglas fir planks (Dinesen), pleated texture wall tile(Mutina), floor tile(Mosa), gray ceppo(Belle Stone), artistic coating(Dineno), honeycomb shades(Hunter Douglas), terrazzo(K’antic), travertine, white carrara marble, mosaic, electric glass, champagne gold stainless steel
Photography: Wen Studio
About Lukstudio
LUKSTUDIO was founded by Christina Luk in Shanghai in 2012. Our international design team combines cultural and professional expertise to challenge the status quo of the built environment and to provide meaningful design solutions.
We believe in the concept of “change is possible” and work across the boundaries of landscape, architecture, interior, and product design. We have accumulated experience through completing projects in hospitality, commercial, institutional and residential realms and developed a unique strength in shaping projects with a mixed nature.
Our methodology focuses on maximizing site potentials to create human-centric experiences. Striking a delicate balance between art and functionality, refining each concept with materiality and lighting, we intend to create maximum effect with minimum intervention.
LUKSTUDIO has earned many accolades including the A&D Trophy Award, Architizer A+ Awards, Design for Asia Awards, Frame Awards, Hospitality Design Awards, WIN Awards and recognized by both Asian and international platforms. Our projects have been featured across professional media including Archdaily, Archiposition, Designboom, Dezeen, Domus, Gooood, etc.
A home calming the mind and body
For most busy urbanites, home is like a temporary refuge and we would escape to the countryside for real rejuvenation. But for some lucky few, a home is their outlet to nature for complete relaxation.
The higher expectation on home design is particularly relevant in the era of pandemics when most of us can no longer travel. After collaborating on a cafe and office project, Atelier Peter Fong, Lukstudio got the chance to work with Peter again on his apartment in central Guangzhou.
Sharing a love for a minimalistic design and natural materials, the project has been our continued dialogue on what gives comfort in a residence.
A reconfiguration to bring in more daylight
The old layout is full of rooms along the exterior envelop, resulting in a dark central dining area much like a leftover transition. The new layout opens up the study and places a multifunctional table next to the south window.
The simple change brings in natural light to the center where an open kitchen is now located, connecting the living and dining area into one continuous open space.
A white box to free the space
The new circulation path between living space and secondary bedrooms has been optimized with an entire wall of storage, crucial for keeping a neat home. Within this new white “box”, three harmonious voids are “carved” for different purposes.
The one at the foyer is a seating nook for putting on or taking off shoes, a hospitable feature to welcome anyone coming through the door. The corner display niche is essential in heightening visual connection in the apartment.
While the last elongated recess serves as a focal point, displaying an item close to the heart.
The transcendence of natural materiality
The original 180-sqm apartment comes with shiny marbles, dark wood, and alcove ceilings, a formula commonly recognized as “luxurious” in the Chinese residential property market.
For Peter and us, solid planks of Douglas define our vision of luxury because its distinct color, grain pattern, and smell recall the memory of living in the countryside.
Apart from lining the wall, floor, the ceiling of different rooms, the 28mm solid planks are made into shelves, banquette seating, dining table, and bed frames. Its presence in every room conveys an air of vacation throughout the apartment.
Collective and individual spots for relaxation
While open spaces ensure the family has quality time together, nooks and crannies are just as important for each individual to feel at ease alone.
At the master bedroom, a wooden frame goes around the two windows, defining cozy bay seating areas on either side of the reeded TV wall. At the corner where all the beautiful materials come together, a vanity is reserved for the lady of the house.
At the kid’s room, a play den is surrounded by storage cabinets, training tidy habits from an early age. Wooden planks are shaped into a dream hut, creating a safe environment to let the imagination go wild.
Stripping a home to its essentials requires as much control from the designer as the inhabitants. The urban “cottage” showcases a minimalistic living from a disciplined design.
By optimizing flow, bringing in daylight, and integrating natural materials, the resulting home brings comfort and freedom to the family, transcending their daily lives into a timeless vacation.