Hongwittayakorn structured his design around a recurring motif of “various furniture pieces blooming in a warehouse” and set the scene with a crisp white Scandinavian-style palette throughout. This palette is accented with pale timber detailing made from blockboard—a lightweight timber composite veneered, in this instance, in plywood.
Finished in an ultra-matte white laminate, the floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets conceal hidden appliances and blend seamlessly into the walls of the entrance.
The L-shaped kitchen is so cohesive that it almost vanishes, thanks to intricate detailing like white tapware and metallic skirting blending into the light grey rubber floors running throughout the apartment. This flooring was chosen for its feel underfoot, low maintenance, and low installation cost.
Custom wooden joinery, made from the plywood veneered blockboard used throughout the apartment, creates a distinct frame along the wall next to the entrance. An integrated shoe storage bench presents an ideal place to remove or replace shoes before entering or leaving the living room and signals a point of transition between the entrance and the living room.
Hongwittayakorn removed the original wallpaper in the living room and painted the walls white to achieve his gallery-style look. The bulk of the apartment’s storage is contained in a bank of built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinets within the living and dining space finished in the same matte white as the kitchen cabinets.
Smart blinds in this area allow the client to decide how much natural light they want throughout the day, customising the room’s mood and ambience to suit their needs.
The neutral white walls allow a dark grey B&B Italia sofa to be the living room’s main focal point, its modular design allowing for potential future expansions and layout changes. Behind, a black-top table and a reflective metallic pendant light define the dining zone.
Next to the floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets, another piece of custom joinery doubles as both shelf and office desk. A single panel covering half of the joinery unit acts as a privacy screen when opened, zoning out the office space into one corner of the living room.
A tranquil bedroom with Japanese-influenced elements is revealed via a tall slender hidden door leading out of the living room. An elevated sleeping platform gives the illusion of a floor-based bed, akin to a Japanese-style futon.
“Using the blockboard for the walls, ceiling and platform [allowed] us to create a cosy cave-like space and to emphasise the sleeping area”, says Hongwittayakorn.
The blockboard also serves a dual purpose by offering hidden storage on the panel wall and built-in storage on the other side of the bedroom.
This idea of more intimate spaces within an otherwise open and expansive apartment carries through to the monochromatic bathroom, cloaked in matte black floor-to-ceiling tiles. Hongwittayakorn used two differently-sized tiles in the same shade to create an illusion of depth and partition each bathing section. Here, the concept of a “cave” is truly apparent, with the bathroom being disconnected from natural light and only accessible from the bedroom.
Visually enlarging a small space with neutral tones and textures, such as minimalist white walls and custom wooden structures, may seem deceptively simple, but it is Hongwittayakorn’s attention to detail that makes Room Langsuan shine.
Small details such as the white kitchen taps, the partial concealment of the hybrid office space, and matching finishes on the walls and cabinets all work together to successfully deliver the desired contrast between the apartment and furnishings—creating a home in which they can “bloom”.
If you're looking for more Japanese-themed apartments in Thailand, check out Flexible Ryokan Inspired Condo in Bangkok.
Product List:
- B&B Italia Camaleonda Sofa
- &Tradition Pendant Light
- Knoll Wassily Chair
- Knoll Barcelona Chair
- Flos Chiara Table Lamp
- Zanotta Quaderna 2830 Console Table
- USM Haller Table
Images by NeverTooSmall & Napat Pattrayanond
