A Small Taipei Home Becomes a Creative Canvas
https://design-anthology.com/story/a-small-taipei-home-becomes-a-creative-canvas
Sometimes, the limited physical space available in dense cities like Taipei can spark the most creative design solutions. That was part of the inspiration for HHH Design Lab’s design director Hsin Hui Hsieh when a homeowner approached her to reimagine this 50-square-metre space.
‘Because of the limited plane space, we used three-dimensional cross-shaped movement lines to expand the spatial possibilities,’ Hsieh explains. ‘The original space had a split-level layout. The entire space was open-plan, and the most interesting aspect was that within the same space, there were two different floor heights.’
These floor heights became key to achieving the overall design goals. Throughout, the lines of movement between the upper and lower floors are clearly delineated, while retaining sufficient openness to maintain a sense of permeability. In the kitchen and dining area, for example, a logical division makes food preparation convenient while maintaining the comfort of dining. The location of the kitchen island and dining area within the space promotes social interaction, while the nearby reading corner provides a relatively private space.
Dual-use design plays a role in maximising space, too. In the foyer, a low platform can be used as storage. The rear of the TV wall is combined with the main corridor area storage cabinet, while the front of the centre island is both a dining bar and a projection screen. The rear of the small bar is a working desk for the client’s work-from-home days, and the staircase connecting the levels is also multipurpose, being combined with a display platform and a closet, while the upper level of the bathroom is combined with the sleeping and sitting area.
But the space is not busy: textural white walls and light grey flooring intertwine to create a calm background canvas. Furnishings are carefully chosen too, with highlights being an Audo bar stool, a Hans J Wegner CH88 chair by Carl Hansen & Søn, and lighting from Flos, Santa & Cole and Luceplan.
Hsieh is pleased that she was able to give each element of the design more than one function in the small space. ‘The design process is sometimes like shaping clay,’ she muses. ‘The final state can’t be seen until the very end.’
Text by Philip Annetta
Images by Ivan Chuang Photography
