Blending Boldness with Serenity
What happens when a gemologist with a love for Wes Anderson, hiking, and Japanese minimalism meets the right designer? The answer lies in a 48-storey condo building in the heart of Bangkok’s financial district. And it’s a delight. Interior architect Katanyoo Angwatanapanich shares, “The idea was to create a refuge – somewhere the owner could retreat from the city. The moment she steps inside, the noise fades away, and she enters her own world.”
The challenge was turning stark into soulful. Angwatanapanich transformed the 32sqm/344sqft condo from grey and boxy to warm and inviting, meeting the owner’s needs for both a calm retreat for reading and watching movies and a practical base for storing hiking gear and outdoor essentials. What’s more, he did it all while skillfully balancing the owner’s love of Wes Anderson’s bold colour palettes with the calming restraint of Japanese minimalism.
Crafting Calm Through Space and Materiality
Things looked very different before this unit became a serene escape from the city. The space felt restrictive and confining with the bathroom positioned at the centre and an awkward corridor surrounding it. Valuable space was going underutilised. Angwatanapanich created precious real estate where none existed before by installing a dressing table, pegboards, and integrated storage along the walls for the owner's clothes and household items. He removed the sliding doors between the bedroom and living area to further open up the space. Instead of a physical partition, he built a raised dark oak platform in the sleeping area, subtly defining the space without closing it off. This choice proved transformative for not only the area's functionality but also its sense of openness and flow.
The character of the home was equally shaped by its material palette. Angwatanapanich used warm wood tones throughout, drawing inspiration from Ryokans – traditional Japanese inns known for their serenity and simplicity. He replaced cold ceramic tiles with engineered wood flooring and, in the sleeping area, continued the oak wooden panels from the floor onto the wall. On several walls throughout the home, he used a specialised paint technique to create a textured wavy pattern. “It feels like the sky, like abstract impressionist art,” Angwatanapanich muses.
Moonlight and Minerals
In the midst of the renovation, the owner showed Angwatanapanich her mineral collection, which she had stored in a box. This sparked an idea: “I thought it was a shame to have such beautiful objects hidden,” says Angwatanapanich. “It would be nice for her to see them every time she wakes up.” The result is a circular shelf inspired by the Japanese tsukimi-dai, or moon-viewing platform, which embodies the beauty of everyday simplicity. Angwatanapanich crafted it from the same veneer as the wall behind the bed and set the shelf at the centre of the room. The design allows the owner to swap out her gems as she wishes. Angwatanapanich poetically describes the blue-green wall surrounding the shelf, its surface textured with layered paint, as one that “creates the impression of minerals floating in a quiet forest”.
Designing with Purpose and Restraint
Designing for real life is always a balancing act – especially when that life is layered with movement, stillness, colour, and calm. Angwatanapanich approached the task with sensitivity, working within the constraints of the original structure to craft a space that honours all elements of the owner’s personality. The result is a home that feels deeply personal, offering a tranquil retreat for reading and reflection, and a practical base for adventure. Rooted in cinematic flair and minimalist restraint, the condo speaks not just to aesthetic preferences, but also the quiet intelligence of thoughtful small-space living.
