A Family Mountain Retreat in Taiwan’s Lush Yangmingshan

In the heart of Taiwan’s Yangmingshan National Park, multidisciplinary design firm NNEE Studio designed a cosy mountain refuge for a family of four. Design director and founder Jennifer Hu tells us more

Design Anthology: Who are the clients and how did you meet them?

Jennifer Hu: The clients are a couple with two young children. We were introduced through a mutual friend and established a relationship before they asked us to design their home. It turns out they were very adventurous and open to new ideas, which led to a great collaboration.  

What was the brief to you for the project?

The brief was to create a unique space with a modern cabin feel. They were very particular about the uniqueness of the space. We custom-designed most furniture pieces in the project because they couldn’t find anything suitable for themselves in the market. 

What’s the overall size of the home?

The overall size of the space is 200 square metres, including a 50-square-metre garden, which we’ve also designed and are still gradually building. 

What’s unique about the building and the location?

The apartment is located on a hilltop in Taiwan’s Yangmingshan National Park — which is known for its cherry blossoms, hot springs and scenic spots — and features spectacular view of the mountains. The unit has a garden that wraps around the space, which is very rare in Taipei City.

How did you approach the project, and what design references did you try to incorporate?

Working with layered textures, our approach was to keep details simple yet refined and let the textured surfaces mould light and shadow, creating a soft and emotional landscape for the eyes to roam. In each room, one can almost tell the time of the day just by looking at how the light filters in.

Tell us about the material choices for the space. 

On entering, guests are welcomed by a board-formed concrete shelf in the centre of the living area. The wood-grain texture of the shelf resonates with the wooden plank ceiling, which is designed to achieve a cosy cabin feel. The walls in lime plaster create a sense of calmness and help to regulate the humidity of the mountain climate.

To minimise waste, we incorporated leftover construction materials where possible, such as in the guest bathroom where the floor is crafted from leftover concrete from the bookshelf.  

We used hard surfaces including stone and marble to create contrasting depths throughout the space, such as in the bathrooms and dressing area. In the dining space, we paired a bespoke marble dining table with vintage chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara, creating a charming juxtaposition of old and new.

Tell us about some of the custom pieces.

Throughout the project, we pushed the boundaries of craft and experimented with many materials in collaboration with local suppliers. The concrete shelf was an example of that — it was a challenge, and we weren’t sure how it was going to turn out. We received full support from the clients, who trusted us and loved our ideas. 

There’s also a series of bespoke pieces throughout the apartment such as the sculptural coffee table, the totem planter finished in tadelakt — a traditional Moroccan plaster finish — the plywood and terrazzo study desk in the children’s bedroom and a round marble side table in the living area made of leftovers from the dining table. These custom pieces really bring out the uniqueness and personality of the space. 

Do you have a favourite element in the interiors?

Our favourite elements are the custom pieces and the challenge that came with designing them. A lot of time was spent on testing, sampling and finding the right people to build them until we achieved the desired final results. The collaboration with and the support from the suppliers and the clients were paramount, and most importantly, the clients had as much fun as we did participating throughout the project.  

Images by Yuchen Chao Photography