Taiwanese interior design practice KC design studio have a talent for transforming quirky, compact urban dwellings into comfortable living spaces. This renovated apartment in New Taipei City, Taiwan, made the Studio face an awkward, wedge-shape floorplan, lack of views and low ceiling heights. By embracing free-flowing spaces, sculpted ceilings, and a fluid material with soothing textures, the design team have made the most of the property’s limitations, while demonstrating that a minimalist aesthetic need not be bland or conventional.
The designers completely reconfigured the apartment in order to establish a sense of spaciousness, optimize comfort and convenience, and enhance daylight penetration. The new layout divides the apartment into two complementary open-plan zones, a public section comprising living, dining and kitchen areas, and the private quarters that bring together the master bedroom and the study, with the dressing room and master bathroom wedged between them. The two zones face the property’s two narrow balconies which have been fitted with fully glazed sliding doors, one of which functions as the apartment’s entrance. Partially glazed double doors separating the two zones allow natural light to circulate throughout the apartment, and, once opened, unite them into a single L-shaped space.
Espousing a minimalist aesthetic, the Studio’s interior design is underpinned by a muted colour palette of greys and whites. Smooth concrete flooring and washed plaster walls in both the public and private zones establish a subdued grey-hued backdrop for an eclectic selection of furniture and art, while the combination of materials like wood, terrazzo and textured glass with clean-cut lines, minimalist trimmings, and impeccably designed, contemporary furnishings imbue the apartment with a sense of low-key sophistication. Add in the black accents, bronze details and sculptural pieces of furniture and the renovated residence is an example of how simple, discrete gestures can have a huge impact in a small space.
![The kitchen is done with stained wooden cabinets, a black kitchen island and a cool terrazzo backsplash The kitchen is done with stained wooden cabinets, a black kitchen island and a cool terrazzo backsplash](https://i.digsdigs.com/2020/09/05-The-kitchen-is-done-with-stained-wooden-cabinets-a-black-kitchen-island-and-a-cool-terrazzo-backsplash-775x543.jpg)
The kitchen is done with stained wooden cabinets, a black kitchen island and a cool terrazzo backsplash