Boutique-Style Living

In this Taiwan apartment, Ganna Design rose to the challenge of maximising every square metre

The 76-square-metre apartment is on the eighth floor of a newly built structure in Taipei. It’s home to a couple, both 35 years old; he works in the tech industry and she used to work in fashion design. Both of them have a great sense of style.

When the owners came to Ganna Design, their brief was clear: They asked for a home that would feel like a boutique hotel and would consist of a single room (instead of the three original seperate areas) with all the living spaces, public and private, in one compound. ‘In this project, the spatial arrangement is based on the concept of “continuous action”,’ the designers explain. Walls were removed to provide a better sense of flow, and to invite dwellers to move fluidly through the entire space.

While rethinking the layout, the Ganna Design team had to take into account the owners’ furniture collection in order to make sure every piece would stand out. Neutral colours such as white — which, in addition to providing flexibility for changing the furnishings, also maximises natural light — and black were chosen for the backdrop. In the kitchen especially, this palette creates contrast and confers a sophisticated look befitting the boutique-style theme. In the entrance, the bevelled ceiling — shaped into a triangle to conceal the air conditioning unit — echoes the motifs on the flooring. Behind a gold-plated titanium wall are a small bathroom and a shoe cabinet. ‘This wall is the most eye-catching element in the apartment,’ the design team says. ‘It not only brings out the avant-garde style of the home, but it also reflects the owners’ taste and uniqueness.’

The main area comprises the living and dining rooms and an open kitchen. The wooden floor radiates outwards in a zigzag pattern, and the slabs of white marble adds a surprising touch in the section leading to the bedroom. The key pieces of furniture in the living room are the comfortable blue Bend-Sofa by Patricia Urquiola and the blue Serie Up 2000 armchair by Gaetano Pesce, both from B&B Italia. Ganna Design easily convinced the owners to incorporate mouldings on the ceiling in order to balance the large beam that runs above one side of the dining room, which is adorned with the Cloud 19 ceiling lamp by Apparatus and several Series 7™ chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. Sleek and chic, the dark kitchen by Leicht adds drama to the space.

Connected to the common area by a floor-to-ceiling swivel door — that can be fully opened or closed, depending on the level of privacy required — the bedroom features a headboard that is both functional and stylish, with the owner’s hat collection displayed on removable hooks. Behind a glass door, the walk-in closet leads to the elegant bathroom, furnished with a white bathtub and grey furnishings.

Despite its somewhat modest size, this apartment is airy and bright. The curated selection of furniture, the considered spatial organisation and a few daring colour choices were the perfect ingredients for shaping this contemporary home with a young spirit.

Text / Karine Monié
Images / Siew Shien Sam/MWphotoinc