OLISE sat down with founders, Che Huang and Alexy Kos to understand how they created such a fascinating project. 

‘The inspiration for this project came from Yves Saint Laurent’s Grand Salon at Rue de Babylone in Paris. We were interested in finding an authentic design language for this project, balancing the Art Deco references with the 1960s & 70s Modernism’ - commented the designers Che Huang and Alexy Kos. “The spacious Living Room is a social space where the guests can convene in a warm and relaxed environment.”

The dramatic open space is anchored on either side by narrow full-length skylights inserted along the walls to bring daylight into the building. The designers wrapped the space in a series of crafted wooden library walls, subdividing the interior into various zones, including the lounge, dining and study areas. The focal point of the spacious lounge is the grand undulating fireplace located beneath the linear skylight. The gentle curves were sculpted in polished plaster, contributing to the soft and ethereal atmosphere.

‘This fireplace was designed to bring a sense of scale and permanence to the space’ - explained the designers. ‘It is amazing to see how its soft geometry responds to the shifts in lighting throughout the day.’ 

The tactile materiality is supported by the furnishings: delicate Japanese paper lamps by Ingo Maurer are perched atop white Calacatta Viola marble side tables. Antique mid-century finds, such as the ‘Pernilla’ lounge chair by Bruno Mathsson, the bentwood Caprani floor lamp and the leather armchairs by the Danish master Kristian Vedel are arranged around the large asymmetrical coffee table in Maple wood, which was designed by Alexy and Che to match the warm tone of the iconic Eames folding screens.

The intimate dining area is formed by custom library cabinets with deep red Rosso Levanto marble cladding. It is separated from the kitchenette by a glass brick partition, allowing the daylight to filter softly through the geometric pattern. ‘The material palette of this room draws inspiration from the modernist Villa Muller by Adolf Loos,’ - explained the designers.

The combination of dark Mahogany wood, patterned marble and green upholstery feels so chic, yet warm and unpretentious.’ The velvet dining chairs by Charlotte Perriand are paired with a rare antique ‘Uchiwa’ chandelier by Ingo Maurer - the handmade lamp consisting of large overlapping fans hanging from a bamboo frame. The custom round Maple table was designed by Che and Alexy for the project, whilst the hand-knotted wool rug with a gradient pattern is from Child Studio’s rug collection dedicated to the Bauhaus movement.

Concealed behind the library shelves is the owner’s study - the wood-panelled room with a large leather top desk. This quiet space is dedicated to focused work, and the eclectic collection of sculptures, objects, books and artworks line the shelves of this tranquil sanctuary. The artworks include antique lithographs by George Braque, Jean Cocteau and Karel Appel and photographs by Guy Bourdin and Man Ray.