Subtle Undertones

Located in the harbor city of Kaohsiung, Subtle Undertones is a four-story-and-a half house that is newly completed. The homeowners, having a background in architecture, especially loves the Japanese style and veins of natural stone. Accordingly, these elements are applied to the design of the entire house, shaping a natural living environment of pure equanimity and magnificence.

The long, two-section entryway has an inner part with walls paved with large sheets of eco-friendly, waterproof plaster. Hardwood sliding door that is partly see-through ushers in from the other side ample sunlight, which is reflected on the family emblem on the floor symbolic of family continuity. A sense of ritual is thus presented, and the interior and exterior of the space are defined, quietly accentuating how extraordinary the house is. As the building lot is not even and square, the designer cleverly transforms the deformed pieces of land into sections for vista and storage. The storage space at the end of the hallway has cabinetry whose exterior resembles a modern painting formed with wooden geometric pieces. Storage function is thus integrated into installation art, and the negative visual effects of the distorted land are successfully eliminated. Up the steps of the entryway and further into the house, wooden grille is also adopted on the ceiling and is reflected on the gray-gloss cabinetry, forming a large n shape that covers the entire room. The striking veins of the black-and-white marble TV wall with iron attachments become the focal point of the public area. What’s more, the slanting protrusion at the end of the TV wall not only makes for further storage but heightens three-dimensionality. Below the audio-visual cabinetry is stone material whose veins form a V shape, symbolic of victory, with those on the TV wall. Ingenuity of the design is evident in every subtle detail.