Making Room
d+a|Issue 129
To resolve space constraints, this Taipei apartment was designed to resemble a "magic box", with "surprises" waiting behind different walls and doors.
Sasha Gonzales
Making Room

Located in Taipei’s financial district, within the iconic Xin-Yi residential skyscraper, is a high-end apartment designed by one of Taipei’s top interior designers, Celia Chu, Principal Designer of Celia Chu Design & Associates.

The apartment consists of a grand living space, a quiet room to relax in, an elegant dining room, a stylish master bedroom, a guest room, and a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Taipei 101. It also boasts a range of beautiful features, including bespoke, full-height room divider doors, a freestanding flueless spherical fireplace, a curved finished wall in the master bedroom, and a freestanding bathtub and bespoke shelving in the master bathroom.

Inspired by a “magic box”

“I designed this apartment to resemble a ‘magic box’ of sorts, something that would help maximise the overall layout as well as appeal to the owner’s sense of adventure and need for flexibility,” says Chu, who is based in the Taiwanese capital.

For instance, the guest bedroom features hidden storage and a TV that can be fully concealed at night with a full-height sliding door. During the day, the open kitchen serves as the perfect breakfast spot, but after dark, it transforms into a whisky bar, complete with a wine shelf hidden behind a black hairline-tinted metal wall. The ambient lighting from the glass shelf further adds to the fashionable and modern feel of the room.

“Instead of replicating something from our portfolio, I customised the design of the apartment to suit the owner’s preferences and lifestyle. My goal was to offer a versatile living space that could be open-plan or zoned as required. By simply opening or closing different doors, the owner can create different layouts and spaces as he wishes,” she says.

This story is from the Issue 129 edition of d+a.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 129 edition of d+a.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM D+AView All
Tailored For The Curious Explorer
d+a

Tailored For The Curious Explorer

The new Alma House at the New Bahru enclave reflects the collaborative spirit of a school environment.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Eco And Egalitarian
d+a

Eco And Egalitarian

Can a building represent a culture? Berrel Kräutler Architekten's sensitive renovation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore stimulates discourse.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Building A Green Home
d+a

Building A Green Home

This semi-detached house by Zivy Architects explores passive tropical design, the delight in architecture and the issues of multi-generational living.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
The Natural Balance
d+a

The Natural Balance

Inspired by the serene beauty of dewdrops, the Antao Collection by Villeroy & Boch transforms bathrooms into wellness sanctuaries, combining sustainability with timeless elegance.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Inspiring Creativity And Exploration
d+a

Inspiring Creativity And Exploration

The new Hafary House at Lavender reflects the brand’s vibrancy and innovation, as well as provide an inspiring and engaging space for customers.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Home Is Where The Heart Is
d+a

Home Is Where The Heart Is

A vacation house is reimagined for a multi-generational family to gather for holidays in the bucolic setting of Yongjia in Zhejiang, China.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
balancing act: nature and humanity
d+a

balancing act: nature and humanity

In this inspiration-led series, we asked Jay Liu and Alex Liu, co-founders of Right Angle Studio, to dream up a unique interior concept using mainly items from Space Furniture.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
rethinking, remaking, reframing
d+a

rethinking, remaking, reframing

Aoki Akio, the founder of DESIGNART TOKYO discusses the importance and legacy of Tokyo's eminent art and design event, particularly for young creatives.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 134
rebuilding communities
d+a

rebuilding communities

Shift2024, the much-anticipated conference returns with a stellar line-up of prolific architects making their mark in Asian urban design.

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 134
unparalleled italian craftsmanship
d+a

unparalleled italian craftsmanship

Filippo Arnaboldi, Chief Executive Officer of Frette, tells us how this luxury lifestyle Italian brand is moving forward with times yet not forgetting about its existing legacy.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134