When an old townhouse over thirty years old no longer fits the changing lifestyle of today, some may choose to extend the space to add new functionalities.

However, for Khun Sai - Wiphawee Kueasirikul and Khun Not - Sitthana Pongkitkarun, a husband-and-wife architect duo from A Millimetre, they opted for a complete renovation by tearing down almost all the walls and starting fresh with the layout and design based on the existing strong structure to best suit their preferences and needs for the old townhouse.

The first issue they addressed was to open up the light from the previously solid walls typical of townhouses to create a more airy and comfortable feel. They decided to cut out the middle section of the second floor to create a double-space hall, along with adding skylights in the ceiling, resulting in a bright and pleasant living room filled with natural light. The upper walls were fitted with glass windows that still connect the views between the upper and lower levels.

“Our office is not far from here, and Sai's house is around this area. When we planned to get married, we looked for a house to use as our marital home close to our old house. Luckily, this house was up for sale at the right time, but the original layout was quite closed off, especially the lower floor which was raised to match the street level. The enclosed spaces felt cramped, so we decided to cut out the middle section of the upper floor. Since it’s just the two of us, a usable area of over a hundred square meters is sufficient, and the central room often turned into a storage space. We moved it downstairs by creating a new wall in the living room to separate the stairs and bathroom for better privacy. What we gained was a storage room under the stairs, but the living room width was reduced from four meters to three meters. For us, that’s fine as it trades off for better separation,” Sai and Not shared their renovation approach.

The primary color chosen for decoration was white, starting from the small white steel slat fence at the front of the house, continuing to the upper facade slats that enhance the safety of the townhouse without being completely closed off. The small gaps between the slats allow residents to see outside while the facade filters the sunlight from the west, maintaining good privacy inside.

“We have wanted to use white to decorate our home for a long time but never had the chance. So, when we worked on this house, we went all out with white. Although initially, Not wanted to incorporate more blue since it’s his favorite color, in the end, we returned to white mixed with simple earth-toned Scandinavian-style furniture and a minimalist Japanese aesthetic,” they explained.

In addition to the plain white walls, the flooring is also uniformly white with an epoxy coating over the original concrete, creating a seamless look. Sai explained the choice of this flooring, saying, “We like materials without joints, which look clean and are easy to maintain. We even extended it to the walkway in front of the bathroom, but since epoxy is sensitive to moisture, we had to remove it and use gravel mixed with white-painted stepping stones instead. For the other side of the stairs, we used the original wooden treads but added risers to create a storage space under the stairs,” she added.

The furniture that others typically opt for built-in, such as kitchens, TV stands, and wardrobes, they chose to measure the existing spaces and buy ready-made pieces to avoid relying on craftsmanship. Although they are ready-made, the thoughtful combination gives the kitchen a unique design, such as choosing a wooden countertop to complement the plain white kitchen and changing the handles to round wooden ones, or using a wooden top on the storage unit in the living room and a wooden top mixed with white designer sanitary ware in the bathroom.

This townhouse has not only undergone a complete transformation but also stands out distinctly from neighboring houses, even with the use of simple white decorative materials and minimalist design furniture. “Living in a townhouse means dealing with environmental factors that we cannot control, which we must understand. However, in a home where we can exert control, we should create an atmosphere that is comfortable, relaxing, and truly safe,” the architect couple concluded.

Owners-Architects: Khun Wiphawee Kueasirikul and Khun Sitthana Pongkitkarun

Article by: Patrasiri Chotipongsanti

Photos by: Rithirong Chantongsuk

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