Cover The lounge area with a six-metre high ceiling creates an ample yet comfortable openness
The lounge area with a six-metre high ceiling creates an ample yet comfortable openness
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Zhang Ling Design Studio reimagines family living through thoughtful, nature-inspired design for this serene sanctuary in Beijing
Located in the Shunyi district that borders the city of Beijing in China, the Youshan Meidi Villa is a place of peaceful respite away from the bustle of everyday life for the homeowner, a woman in her 50s who works in the financial investment industry.
Named as a phonetic homage to the renowned Yosemite, the homeowner commissioned Zhang Ling Design Studio–a sub-division of Shangceng Design Institute in Beijing–to create for her first residence “a sense of effortless connection to the surrounding landscape, within an atmosphere of calm tranquility fostered by abundant sunlight and an elegant, minimalist aesthetic.”
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Youshan Meidi Villa spans four floors with thoughtful and nature-inspired design
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“The owner hopes to use it as a living space for her future family, and where all her brothers and sisters can gather,” says interior designer Zhang Ling of the eponymous practice. “She values this house greatly, and expects good design and construction quality for the many functions that her current living environment doesn’t have.”
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The sprawling 14,000-sq-ft Youshan Meidi Villa spans four floors, comprising a basement and three above-ground levels. A manicured front garden with verdant pockets and winding pathways lead into the full-time residence, where Ling has crafted a series of flowing spaces via an open plan layout, allowing for freedom of movement for every member of the homeowner’s family.
“Even though it’s a shared space, we want the whole space to be open and as spacious as possible, so everyone living in this house can get together, and not be limited to their individual living areas,” Ling explains.
The central hall serves as horizontal and vertical axes that gently guide movement through the home
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Above The skylight highlights the transparent balustrades of the staircase
Above A baseline palette of white walls and off-white stone flooring
The skylight highlights the transparent balustrades of the staircase
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With an interior that seems to expand and contract as one moves from one room to another, offering a subtly heightened and immersive physical experience, a baseline palette of white walls and off-white stone flooring and furnishings provides a classic yet understated environment, as boldly coloured or shaped furnishings maximise visual and emotional impact.
The central hall serves as the fulcrum of the interior, horizontal and vertical axes that gently guide movement to the rest of the residence. Naturally illuminated from above through a generous skylight, the staircase features transparent balustrades at the landings.
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The lofty lounge area creates an ample yet comfortable openness
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Above A delicate chandelier reminiscent of a floating three-dimensional grid, hovering from the six-metre tall ceiling
Above A grand piano against the backdrop of grey stone-clad wall panels and a black double-height open bookshelf
A delicate chandelier reminiscent of a floating three-dimensional grid, hovering from the six-metre tall ceiling
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The hallway opens into the lounge area with a soaring six-metre high ceiling, creating an ample yet comfortable openness, whereas large floor-to-ceiling windows, with double-height curtains that draw back as those of a grand theatre, reveal a poignant view filled with an abundance of trees–an atmospheric dialogue between the tranquility of the interior and the dynamism of the natural world outside.
“As foliage rustles in the breeze and birds flit in and out of view, the space is filled with a sense of calm energy and serene beauty,” Ling muses.
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The living room on the basement level is a relaxing space that’s wholly integrated with the outdoors
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Here, a delicate chandelier floats in mid-air, a carefully crafted contemporary art piece reminiscent of a floating three-dimensional grid. Constructed from specially crafted steel, the custom fireplace blends effortlessly into the ambiance of contemplative elegance, its subtle, abstract form appearing as a minimalist opening in the wall.
A grand piano sits on the opposite side of the lounge, against the backdrop of grey stone-clad wall panels that offer exquisite acoustics, as a black double-height open bookshelf–a visually striking architectural feature that’s also a valuable repository of culture and knowledge.
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“Life’s rhythm slows down here, each moment becoming that much richer and more meaningful, as one immerses in calligraphy or drawing, with thoughts flowing as freely as the strokes of a brush,” reflects Ling poetically.
The serene tea room adjacent to the living room with comparable views of the garden
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Light, nature, and scale continue as the main design elements in the other communal spaces, such as the kitchen/dining and living areas, where the surrounding garden possesses a strong yet undefinable presence.
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In the living room on the garden floor, Ling’s team opened the north and east walls and fitted windows that connect to the garden on that side, creating an exciting space that’s wholly integrated with the outdoors.
“While curled up in a corner of the living room, reading a book, one may also relax in the presence of the hydrangeas outside, silently blooming adjacent to the wall,” she elaborates.
The communal area on the upper level
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Above Low shrubs keep the inhabitants company during breakfast
Above A social space where friends can have more activities together
Low shrubs keep the inhabitants company during breakfast
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Meanwhile, in the kitchen/dining area, low shrubs keep the inhabitants company during breakfast, their verdant layers intermingling and leading up to the taller trees in the background.
“We want to create a social space, where friends can have more activities here, and it is indeed the case,” Ling says. “Everyone was willing to stay in the kitchen which exudes a very relaxing environment.”
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The bathrooms were designed with the inhabitants’ sensory, emotional, and spiritual needs in mind
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Above A minimal oval tub with an expansive skylight overhead
Above Luxurious black-and-white marble in one of the bathrooms
A minimal oval tub with an expansive skylight overhead
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When it comes to the private quarters, Ling transformed all rooms into suites that evoke a better feeling of privacy for the residents.
Designed with the inhabitants’ sensory, emotional, and spiritual needs in mind, the main bathroom features a minimal oval tub surrounded by the natural patterns of black-and-white marble that offers an animated counterpoint to the rest of the space–a vital yet serene retreat, as one soaks in a relaxing bath, while gazing at the stars through the skylight overhead.
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All rooms were transformed into suites for a better feeling of privacy
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Above Warm, tactile timber flooring correlates with the outdoor view
Above Understated yet sophisticated furniture promotes restfulness
Warm, tactile timber flooring correlates with the outdoor view
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In the bedrooms, on the other hand, timber floorings are fitted for a warm, tactile experience, while a selection of understated yet sophisticated furniture furthers the restful atmosphere of the space, as large windows allow in ample natural light, creating a sense of spaciousness and calm.
“Nature and the man-made world coexist and communicate harmoniously in this home,” Ling concludes. “As night falls, soft recessed lighting and views of the courtyard create a warm and comfortable ambiance, where the joys of life can be experienced and savoured.”
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Credits
Photography: Hanmo Visual
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
