VNA apartment - Peter's haven

Peter is from Canada and he really loves the country as well as the people of Vietnam. His wife, Tram, is a dynamic Vietnamese woman. They asked us to turn their apartment into a living space that is intimate and local. Although not specializing in aprtment interior, we had great interest in the challenge of turning a twelfth-floor apartment into a home that would not feel like an apartment, a living space that would give Peter and Tram a sense of belongingness.

Project description

The apartment has a total area of 65 square meters, including a shared living-dining room with a study that can be screened off when necessary. When the rattan room dividers are slid to one side, the spaces merge into one shared room of maximum area. In addition, there is one sun-lit master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a closet.

With the keywords being “traditional ambience, modern lifestyle”, we have come up with a solution that can achieve both requirements. The main emphasis of the living room is a ceiling made of old yin-yang interlocking roofing that sits upon a wooden frame, with recessed lighting that resembles sunlight shining through the missing tiles, all of which helps the place feel more like a traditional home. This is further enhanced with a range of rattan and ceramic furniture that is collected by Tram herself, a daughter of the ancient pottery village of Lai Thieu. On the other hand, wood and ceramic tiled interior surfaces, in emerald colour, bring a more modern touch, yet blend in seamlessly.

In the bedroom, handcraft materials such as terracotta flooring and mosaic ceramic tiles for the bedhead, together with walls painted in traditional yellow and wrought iron windows, consistently channel the spirit of Vietnamese architecture in a modern apartment.

In summary, we have succeeded in making a home for the clients by using materials and items that are infused with the soul of Vietnamese artisanal handicraft. This place will hopefully be the home where Peter and Tram feel truly belonged.