How to create a restful home: 7 architects and interior designers offer tips
Architects and interior designers known for creating composed spaces share how you can make your home a restful sanctuary.
In our busy lives, a restful home provides much comfort – sometimes more than gilt finishes or expensive furniture. While one can identify with a restful space, it is harder to pinpoint what makes up that quality. Robert Cheng, founder of Brewin Design Office, helps with his definition. “Restful living for me is a state of being that is free from anxiety, stress and unease, brought about by an environment that is perfectly balanced. I feel this is achieved by an interplay of scale, proportion, space, the authentic use of interior elements like materials and details, and a fusion of the right natural and artificial light – all of which enhances the quality of space and ambience, and evokes emotion.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that nature is a vital source of calm, resulting in the rising popularity of biophilic design. Joseph Wong of JOW Architects agreed: “Embracing natural daylight and filtering exterior views ensure the home is not confined within the four walls; there is conversation with the outside.” This is something Robin Tan of Wallflower Architects also pursues in most of the houses he designs, be it through a flourishing garden if one has space, water features or bringing nature indoors with potted plants. Here are more tips offered by architects and designers on how to create a restful home.
Robert Cheng (Brewin Design Office)
“I strongly believe that a well-balanced space that achieves visual and sensory equilibrium without overwhelming or underwhelming, has the power to dictate a person’s mood and energy levels,” shared Brewin Design Office (BDO)’s founder Robert Cheng, whose composed works with a strong sense of craft include interiors of the Eden Residence show unit, many high-end homes and the upcoming Capella Kyoto.
One example is the interior design of a house designed by architect Ernesto Bedmar. Cheng extended the architectural materials into interior elements, down to the staircase details and furniture selection. “We found the right balance between the masculine and strong piece of architecture and a softer, understated and refined interior,” he said.
A harmonious environment is also created when the design addresses the unique conditions of each side, as well as pays attention to the interior architecture and not just the selection of furniture and smaller details. This helps to “define a perfected envelope to which the interior design can then be layered upon,” remarked Cheng.
An overlooked element to restful spaces is good lighting, he highlighted. “It is amazing how light can bring soul and feeling into an interior space. Place an emphasis on understanding on how natural light affects the space in question and weave in decorated lighting to build harmony between daylight and artificial light.”
Lyndon Neri’s award-winning projects take him all over the world but he finds most rest in his Shanghai home with his family. “Beyond serving as containers and backdrops for life, our dwellings are expressions of our values, drawing from our most intimate planes of existence and personal attachments,” he expounded on why we find comfort in our homes.
Together with his wife Rossana Hu, his portfolio of works – The Shanghai Edition, Alila Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur and the Sulwhasoo Flagship store in Seoul, among them – are experimental yet composed. One example is the Aranya Art Centre, where a central void doubles as a water feature when not in use. The visual and aural effects of water bring about a mood of relaxation.
Another project that employs the courtyard strategy is a residence in Singapore called The House of Remembrance. “Some of the keywords given to us by the occupants to describe their ideal home were ‘sanctuary’, ‘peaceful’, ‘safe’ and ‘nostalgic’. Each of them also emphasised that landscape and connection to nature was very important,” said Neri, on the courtyard’s importance, where living elements serve as backdrops to daily routines.
“The garden path taken on writing breaks, the flower beds tended to and cultivated from seedling to plants, the visual and acoustics of tropical rain falling outside” attune the inhabitants with the calm that nature offers.
Molina Hun defines a restful home as “a place to clear the mind and soul, into a state of uncomplicated calm.” The co-founder of interior design studio Sujonohun believes this can be achieved by “crafting a seamless transition between different spaces, having a clear and logical design that allows intuition to kick in so one can feel at ease, and freeing a space from clutter and visual distractions.”
Creating a fluid layout in the spatial planning is beneficial. So is minimising unwanted kinks in the interior architecture, which can be achieved by concealing them behind storage or aligning key design features to one or two controlled heights throughout the home. Using a common material throughout the home also helps reduce visual noise. “We like using wood veneers, as they can be deployed as panelling, storage panels and doors,” suggested Hun.
In the House on Rosyth Road, Hun focused on tone-on-tone finishes such as veneer, unfilled travertine, engineered wood flooring and micro-cement flooring, layered with complementary soft furnishing. In House on Greendale Road, combining two existing bedrooms created a larger master suite that gives the occupants physical space to breathe.
Ethan Lin (Te-el)
Ethan Lin believes that comfort and tranquillity make a restful home. Like Hun, the founder of interior design studio Te-el suggests adopting a restrained palette and design language in order to create a refuge for homeowners. He tries not to over-design the homes he creates. “Having a certain degree of spaciousness and breathing space around the different elements in the home can help reduce visual clutter and add to the overall soothing quality,” he commented.
Understanding the clients’ lifestyles, daily habits and objects they have are also crucial in achieving a restful home. “Taking these into consideration in the design process helps to ensure the home stay organise in the long run within the client’s [living habits]; they won’t have to go out of character to adapt to their home,” Lin pointed out.
Another idea is to use natural materials. “The organic and tactile qualities of materials such as stone, wood and linen help contribute the creation of a soothing atmosphere.” Nature also provides a sense of rest – something he experience in a recent stay in COMO Shambhala in Ubud, Bali. “The vast landscapes and the thoughtfully designed architecture created a peaceful and tranquil environment. I found myself being relaxed and at ease during my time there,” said Lin.
Robin Tan (Wallflower Architecture + Design)
“Any work of residential architecture that does not express serenity is an error,” said renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán architect, and Robin Tan uses the quote to emphasise the importance of home as a place of rest, “a sanctuary crafted to foster relaxation, comfort and the overall wellbeing of its inhabitants”.
Like the other architects and interior designers, the co-founder of Wallflower Architecture + Design advocates the reduction of mess. “Clutter has the potential to introduce visual disorder and elevate stress levels. Maintaining clean and uncluttered surfaces foster a feeling of harmony.” A minimalist design approach and meticulous organisation strategy helps with this.
Secondly, a restful home should place a premium on privacy so that the inhabitants do not feel intruded upon. Greenery can be used to this effect, as in the green wall of the Serendipity House that provides “privacy and a welcome disconnect from the city surroundings”.
Tan also highlights the intangibles. “Effective ventilation and precise temperature control establish environments that are both comfortable and invigoration, contributing significantly to an overall sense of well being. Natural light exerts a positive influence on mood and general well being. A tranquil home should facilitate the gentle infusion of sunlight, reducing the dependence on artificial lighting even within basements.”
Amanda Gunawan (OWIU Design)
Together with Joel Wong, Amanda Gunawan founded Singapore- and LA-based OWIU Design. Among the firm’s works is the backyard of celebrity couple Liv Lo and Henry Golding in Los Angeles, filled with plentiful timber elements, flowing white stucco walls and plants.
Gunawan defines a restful home as one that recharges you rather than depletes your energy. To do that, design in plenty of storage spaces. “There’s nothing that sparks stress quite like unplanned clutter.” A composed backdrop also aids in creating visual calm. “Think of the space as a whole, balance composition. We never include things that particularly grab attention in a home but if we do, then we must make sure [there is balance],” explained Gunawan.
For instance, if she chooses a sculptural light fixture for a project, she makes sure it has rounded edges or is in a neutral colour so as not to overwhelm the space. Introducing nature is also important. “Human beings have an inherent connection with nature, regardless of whether or not we grew up in the city. We always try to incorporate as much of the natural scenery available as we can. This includes plants and natural light,” explained the Singapore-born architect who is very much influenced by the calming attributes of Japanese architecture and landscape design.
Co-founder of JOW Architects Joseph Wong believes that while clutter is unavoidable in homes, a balanced design helps achieve an overall graceful and tranquil atmosphere. This can be achieved with the meaningful study and implementation of scale and proportion.
“Visually, there will be less stress when the spaces and objects placed within a home are harmonised,” he commented. For example in The Cairnhill Apartment, a repeated pattern of timber trimming on wooden walls creates give visual order and accentuates the living room’s tall ceiling. A clear sense of hierarchy with regard to corresponding degrees of intimacy and privacy also helps give purpose to spaces. Wong has experienced this in the layered spaces of a traditional courtyard in Beijing.