Welcome to the social home

Text by Yen Kien Hang

‘The 54th’ is not your typical Thai home – or even Spaceology’s usual sleek and bright style – largely because the homeowners, a sociable couple, have a penchant for gatherings and parties. For their new house to become the hub for these social events, they tasked the designers at Spaceology to create an incredible space for entertaining that would still be cosy for everyday living.

Fortunately, the three-storey house had ample spaces to stretch the interior design studio’s creativity. “The original building is a newly constructed home in a housing estate,” says Pumintr Dusitanont, the lead designer for this project. “While the overall architecture remained unchanged, we made alterations to the interior space to improve flow, circulation and user experience in line with the existing architecture. We retained all the structural elements, including the stairs, lifts and bathrooms, and made significant changes to interior details such as walls, doors, ceilings and lighting.”

As a result, the whole ground floor is dedicated as a living space for guests, complete with guest rooms and workspaces. By using folding door systems in between, these spaces can be easily adapted to meet the needs of different guests. Whether it’s for a lively party – that has seamless access to the private pool – or for a relaxing nightcap in the kitchen/bar, guests can enjoy all amenities like they would in a vacation home.

One floor up is a spacious double-volume living area that’s meant for the homeowners themselves and close friends. The highlight of ‘The 54th’ is found here: a grand double-height wall adorned with large rustic natural stones, creating a remarkable focal point for the space. Although Pumintr can’t take credit for this existing architectural feature, the triumph use of natural stone cladding was indeed a decision that tested the teams’ perseverance.

One of the challenges faced with this design was the weight of the stones. Because the stones were quite heavy and had to be stacked on top of each other, a new way to secure them had to be figured out. “Thankfully the stone suppliers were able to build a metal supporting structure, as well as an additional structure underneath the floor to handle the heavy loads,” says Pumintr.

In the end, the uniformity of the stone wall succeeds in providing a visual consistency for the third floor and the master bedroom located here. By having one of the bedroom walls in floor-to-ceiling glass, natural light will be able to come through from the double-volume living area below. Hence, even though the interior is adorned with dark veneered walls, the bedroom still feels light and airy, with minimal and simple furniture.

Courtesy of lighting designer LightIS, a lot of clever lighting choices have been made on a ‘necessary’ basis. For example, not bombarding functional areas with exposed light bulbs, or providing dimmers for reading spaces. “Also, things like adding aesthetic lights to enhance the interior, the walls, or decorations placed in the space can help to coordinate the feeling of each room and the function for each space,” Pumintr points out.

With a captivating blend of urban style and tropical charm, ‘The 54th’ at first glance did feel like a modern home design in Brazil. However, it was Spaceology’s ethos of “exploring the potential of making space” that truly transformed this plain three-storey house into a special place, with its unique character tailored to reflect the diverse lifestyles of the homeowners.

Spaceology
www.spaceology.co
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Photography by  PanoramicStudio

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