Apartment living in dense cities in Asia is typically associated with small rooms and dark corridors. Not so in this roughly 1,300-square-foot unit in Taipei, renovated by designer firm Phoebe Says Wow. Breaking the stereotype, the firm has created a commodious and light-filled home for a couple and their Siberian husky.

“The client is an established hotel manager. He and his wife acquired this apartment to be close to where he is working in the city,” shares Shihhwa Hung, who runs the firm together with Phoebe Wen. “There wasn’t a significant change to the layout, but rather a refining process to improve the circulation and spatial experience. The tonal setting, daylight quality, as well as textures contribute to the ‘mellow’ [palette],” he adds, referring to their naming of the apartment Mellow House.

The couple wanted a contemporary home with a relaxed atmosphere and a flexible layout, as they intended to expand the family. Before renovations evan began, the couple was expecting their first child.

The original, uninspiring layout featured a combined living and dining area followed by a corridor leading to three bedrooms. The wall between the living area and study room was demolished and replaced with a wall entirely made from glass blocks. The transparency allows light from both rooms to penetrate while offering visual connection so that the couple can always feel each other’s presence in the home.

More blocks divide the top portion of the wall between the study and the wardrobe, as well as the primary bedroom and en suite bath. The sequence of spaces—the living area, study, primary bed and bath—are laid out in a row, so the glass blocks dividing them augment light and the sense of space through the depth of the plan.

Complementary materials and tones applied throughout the apartment combine with the glass to create an airy, restful feel. Walls are rendered in cream-colored paint with a slight sheen; the kitchen cabinetry and study room plywood shelving are lacquered in a glossy white.

“The apartment’s flooring was finished with a special concrete mix with a color matching the walls,” says Hung. This material is durable, non-slip, and easy-to-maintain, making it safe for the dog and little feet that will soon run about the home.

Soft color and organic forms bring character to the calm backdrop. One element is a long, low-slung console that extends from the foyer to the living area. “It is made of ultra-high performance concrete, enabling a long span with minimum supports, and prefabricated in the factory with [an attractive] and playful Pantone Red River Clay dye that matches the tone of the furniture and apartment,” says Hung.

He designed it as a piece of functional sculpture. “Near the entrance, it serves as a bench, while the rest of the sections can display books or artwork,” explains Hung. Other fun elements include a composition of round elements above the console. “We turned to a more graphical idea to decorate the wall with functional items, like a free-form mirror, an analogue clock with a thermometer and hygrometer, as well as Dots hooks from Muuto for hanging coats and hats,” he elaborates. A pair of Duo ceiling lamps from Vibia in the living room that look like large overturned vases continue the round leitmotif.

The guest bathroom is perhaps the most surprising element in the home. “We used black ceramic tiles and navy blue grout to create a dark, stylish room that contrasts with the apartment’s light tones,” Hung describes.

The primary bathroom has a more serene character. A floor-to-ceiling window and panel of glass blocks shared with the primary bed flushes it with light that bounces off Carrara marble mosaic tiles. “The primary bathroom has a unique transition from the bedroom,” says Hung. “The glass block partition and a washbasin purposefully mounted outside the bathroom give a more integrated en-suite design and roomy experience.”

The removal of two partition walls allows for a more optimized and fluid layout between the bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, and bath. Loosely dividing the sleeping zone and walk-in wardrobe is an ash veneer dresser-cum-headboard, painted a handsome dark green shade.

The other bedrooms exhibit a similar spatial flow. “The child’s room was conceived as part of a flexible layout, with the guest room adjacent to it,” Hung says. “An operable wardrobe partition was designed to enable this, allowing the creation of two separate rooms when guests are staying over while keeping it as one larger, interconnected room for daily use if desired.”

Each and every part of the design was aimed at creating a pleasant living environment. “From the layout to the details, we investigated how to improve circulation, ventilation, light quality and materials in order to create an artisanal home as an urban retreat, hoping to elevate the homeowner’s happiness and inner wellbeing,” summarizes Hung.

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A Writer’s Singapore Apartment Gets a Breezy Refresh

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Phoebe Says Wow / @phoebesayswow_architects

Photography: Kuomin Lee / @kuomini