In Seoul, apartments with perspectives of the Han River are now not particularly prized commodities. Rarer, nonetheless, are those who open inside the route of compass factors. For a regionally-based studio, this 112 sq.m M bolthole – on the 11th story of a 30-story rental construction that sits diagonally to the river inside the city’s Gangnam region – became a boon.
Designers and co-founders Daniel Song and Kate Cho say the views are ‘pretty top-notch – from the dwelling room and bedroom, you see the river park, and from the workplace, you see the mountains with Namsan Tower, a chief Seoul landmark, across the river.’
The east-west attitude had an immediate impact on the design method. ‘Since there are all-day natural lights, we have been capable of being bold and using saturated colors and dark tones. And because daylight shifts during the day, we allowed the dwelling room to be white so that it turns into a canvas.’
The very lengthy and slim format of the 3-bedroom apartment, in particular along the axis from the doorway to the residing region, required a horizontal layering of textures and colors – now not least Lasvit pendant lamps, Arflex chairs, and BD Barcelona Design accessories – to create distinct and separate visual zones. As Song puts it, the choice became to ‘upload, in place of subtracting or relocate.’
The result is an artful blend of Memphis and neo-deco. For most components, the ground is whitewashed oak, at the same time as the atelier and library are sheathed in inexperienced marble, and the walls are clad in mint and purple material panels. Meanwhile, the bijou kitchen features a brushed stainless-steel counter, copper shelves, and custom walnut and anodized metal millwork.
For Song and Cho, the Seoul condo is a beneficial shorthand for the DNA in their three-year vintage studio operating at the Seoul HQ of the Aju Hotels & Resorts institution and a VIP living room for the Lotte branch keep. ‘The rental’s layout narrative comes from its present condition and purpose. We had to create a visually inspiring yet comfy and embracing area.’ Mission executed, we say. §
