Mooin
For the homeowner, a house is not simply a shelter but a place where the body can truly unwind and the mind can settle. In his own imagination, the spatial moment most capable of holding that state is a sunken living room. This longing is not driven by a preference for form, but by physical memory accumulated over time. In resorts abroad, subtle shifts in floor level often gather a family naturally, encouraging interaction and making it easy to linger. That experience became a key reference for the new home. And because the residence sits close to other family members, it was also expected to serve as a shared setting, ready for friends and relatives to come together with ease.
Even in a single-storey home without split-level floor plates, the KC Design team chose to introduce a sunken living room within the public zone. Rather than positioning the lowered lounge directly in front of the entry, they placed it diagonally across an L-shaped communal layout, near the balcony and along the edge of the private quarters. Within the open plan, the sunken area naturally becomes the focal point for gathering. At the same time, it stays out of the main circulation path and draws outdoor views into everyday sightlines.
The steps formed by the sunken floor do more than resolve a change in level. They extend into a built-in banquette beside the dining table, then continue along the window toward the corner, where they translate into seating for the study. The raised floor plane threads together walking, sitting, leaning, and pausing across zones, allowing the public area to be used as a continuous sequence with depth, rather than as spaces that read as separate and segmented. In the overall planning, the public zone remains open while essential boundaries are kept intact. A timber lattice screen separates the living room and dining area, defining each zone without obstructing sightlines or interrupting airflow, and it also integrates the functional requirements of the TV wall. Between the study and the living–dining area, sliding doors preserve flexibility, allowing the degree of connection to shift according to everyday routines.
Material choices likewise respond to this relationship of independence and linkage. The wood becomes the core vocabulary that ties the interior together. Timber flooring, built-in timber wall cabinetry, and the timber lattice screen are paired with large-format concrete-look porcelain tiles, composing a quiet retreat that feels honest and understated. Within this setting, one can simply sit or recline on soft cushions and look up to the full height of the ceiling, now revealed after the former enclosure was removed. With a ceiling fan moving air and curtains gently stirring, time together is shared in an unforced, natural rhythm.
The timber language also enters daily life through objects and details, from exposed timber beams at the ceiling, dining furniture, door panels, and, in the private zone, herringbone parquet flooring. Through differences in surface finish, joinery, and thickness, these elements establish an order that is clearly layered yet deliberately restrained. Against the warm base tone, the raw textures of concrete and natural wood are set in counterpoint to cool silver-and-black metal lines at the ceiling, allowing the space to remain calm while still holding tension. Glass blocks become vessels for light, refracting it and making it perceptible; reflections shimmer and drift like water, softly extending the vertical dimension and leaving everyday life with lingering, glinting moments.
