A Taipei Home Inspired by a French Castle

Designed by local firm WID Architecture & Interior Design, this Taipei apartment takes design cues from a French chateau in the Loire Valley. Here studio founder Tommy Wang shares more about the project

Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client and can you tell us about them and their lifestyle? 

Tommy Wang: I designed the client’s previous home over ten years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since . After living abroad for a long time, she returned to her hometown in Taipei and asked me to design her new home. In terms of her lifestyle, she loves tennis and often travels abroad to watch tennis matches.

What’s unique about the building and the location?

The building is located in front of a park in the centre of Taipei. There’s an urban farm on the roof, which protects the building from the heat and makes a perfect place to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables.

How did you approach the project — what design references did you try to incorporate into the space?

The creative concept for the project, which we’ve called ‘Belle Journée’, originated from the Château de Chambord, in France’s Loire Valley. We took inspiration from the distinctive shapes and styles of the castle’s towers. We used natural paint to complement the apartment’s white and grey interior — a detail that echoes the local limestone used in the Château de Chambord.

The subtle mid-century modern atmosphere with restrained off-white tones brings minimalism and lightness, while materials like titanium-plated metal and solid wood help to bring a unique aesthetic sensibility that shapes the tone of the space. The gentle form of the arc wave pattern is mirrored in other more subtle curved details throughout the home. What we looked into is how to gently trigger changes in spatial perception.

Please tell us about some of the custom pieces for the space.

Custom pieces for the space include the headwall in the master bedroom, the storage cabinets and the TV set, which includes a large space where the client can store her luggage.

Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors?

We love how the home’s classic design combines functionality and simple aesthetics. For example, the cabinets offer storage space but also resemble beautiful artworks. In the entrance, we renovated the wall corners to soften them and create a poetic shape that echoes the aspect of the shoe cabinet. This pattern is also used on the TV wall to enhance the three-dimensionality of the space and create a focal point in the living room.

There’s also the texture and herringbone pattern of the hardwood floor, which evokes the colours of an ancient castle and a sense of the past that is echoed in the furniture.

Images / ideaLight photo