Weaving together tradition and modernity, nature and the manmade world, Villa Homespun Philosophy is the brainchild of Taiwan-based practice T.K. Chu Design and local developer China Railway Construction Real Estate. This modern Suzhou villa's architecture and interior design draw on Chinese heritage and the idyllic city's history and culture, distilling their essence into a modern domestic space that feels contemporary, richly layered and luxurious.
The house is situated a stone's throw from the city's World Heritage Site, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a green expanse of miniature landscapes and water features. Taking their cues from this context, the designers composed a villa that ‘pays tribute to the Chinese traditional garden culture'.
‘The sinuous curves of the inner space are meant to create a dreamscape, reminding us of the pace of nature and the poetic spirit of literati gardens,' explains architect and studio head T.K. Chu. This philosophy is also true in the project's outdoor areas, where water elements and stone arrangements at the entrance garden and internal courtyard reference period Chinese painting.
Chu's signature style often includes nods to art deco, which he blends with modern forms and materials, moulding refined, original interiors. The same approach was followed here. As a result, Villa Homespun Philosophy's four levels (two above ground and two below) offer clean, geometric designs with attention to detail and a sense of grandeur – yet on an appropriate, domestic scale.
The colour white becomes a main feature in the architecture throughout, as it's the ‘typical colour of Suzhou', Chu points out. It is contrasted by colour accents in the furniture pieces that add playfulness and personality to the different rooms. Meanwhile, ‘the stainless-steel corrugated plates, and water-shaped ceilings, furniture and decorations bring out a shimmering effect and conjure up a vision of a Chinese watertown', continues the architect.
Indeed, nature references and landscapes are a constant in this interior. Chu describes a ‘cloud-shaped' internal balcony in the lower level gallery space, a green wall and decor that was chosen so as to ‘form a miniature world'. Past and present, indoors and outdoors converge in this sophisticated interior design.
INFORMATION
-
Our Tech Editor's selection of new and upgraded audio players covers the full spectrum of formatsWhether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or mp3, or even sound sources you’ve captured yourself, you’ll find a suitable device in this round-up of pocketable and portable audio players
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
A new exhibition retraces 50 years of Pierre Paulin’s history around the table‘Les Tables de Pierre Paulin’ shows a lesser-known side of the designer’s creative world, accompanied by a new book tracing his wife’s hospitality around his iconic table designs. ‘A creator is never alone in his creation…’
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalismFrom modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
-
Extraordinary escapes: where would you like to be?Peruse and lose yourself in these extraordinary escapes; there's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than a healthy dose of daydreaming
-
Year in review: top 10 houses of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* architecture editor Ellie StathakiWallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki reveals her top 10 houses of 2022 – from modernist reinventions to urban extensions and idyllic retreats
-
Roz Barr’s terrace house extension is a minimalist reimaginingTerrace house extension by Roz Barr Architects transforms Victorian London home through pared-down elegance
-
Tree View House blends warm modernism and natureNorth London's Tree View House by Neil Dusheiko Architects draws on Delhi and California living
-
Maison de Verre: a dramatic glass house in France by Studio Odile DecqMaison de Verre in Carantec is a glass box with a difference, housing a calming interior with a science fiction edge
-
Modernist Coromandel farmhouse refreshed by Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+PartnerAn iconic Coromandel farmhouse is being reimagined by the South African architectural collaborative of Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+Partner
