Created in cutting-edge Taiwan, this home aims to bring the family together in a simple yet impressive space
Ganna Design, the creator of this new home, upholds the philosophy behind its name: “gan”, meaning sweet or pleasant, and “na”, meaning a humble attitude when it comes to accommodation. They’re fitting descriptions of this project.
The new house is situated in Xinzhuang, a district of buzzing New Taipei. While the kitchen and bathroom remained untouched, Ganna Design worked with the homeowners on the rest of the home to adapt it to their lifestyle — and the owners say it has actually changed their lives.
The layout works around the idea of a circle — not just a design concept, but also a philosophical and cultural one. “Circle means perfection in Chinese culture, that’s why we named it so,” says designer Shih-Jie Lin. “The host and the hostess allowed us a lot of room to bring our ideas into play. We think it’s important we can fulfil their needs and create an ideal project at the same time. In Chinese culture, the ideal family life is when members of the family can live around each other. After we renovated this house, the owner told us their lives are now closer and the change far exceeded their expectations. That means our design not only changed the house but also improved the family’s spiritual life. We feel touched and get a sense of accomplishment from this.”
The house, which is home to a couple in their 50s and their two daughters, comprises four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a kitchen. The living room, dining area and study desk are all combined into one open space. It’s here where the circular concept is demonstrated; each part is adjacent, yet retains a separate atmosphere.
Another part of the brief was to extract the daughters from their bedrooms, and with a house like this they’re more likely to find their own comfortable spot in the living area, though not necessarily right next to their parents. A standout feature of the space is the glass cabinet, which acts as the second main wall.
“The function of storage and display was required so the designers needed to figure out a way to combine them,” explains Shih-Jie Lin. “They came up with the idea that different glasses could satisfy this requirement. Frosted glass can remove the feeling of visual clutter and clear glass is perfect to display a collection. Meanwhile, a sapphire pendant light and round dining table were chosen to soften the visual effect created by the rectangular cabinet.”
When it comes to the finishing touches, Ganna Design’s philosophy is to focus on the functionality of the space, with furniture and furnishings blending together to create an overall look and feel. In this project, nothing in particular draws the eye but each carefully chosen piece works to complete this most pleasing of projects.
Project details
- This is a Taiwanese family home with a difference
- The owners wanted to encourage their daughters out of their rooms and into the family spaces
- The designers were given plenty of freedom with their design; they used the idea of a circle as a design concept as well as a philosophical one
- Finishes are simple, spaces are versatile
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Photography by MWphotoinc; Siew Shien Sam
