Our clients are a young couple who both work for an airline. They live life in transit, one often in the sky while the other is somewhere across the world. There was a time they even went a whole month without crossing paths! So, when they finally came home, they wanted it to feel like home in every sense. Grounded, warm, and welcoming.
They spoke often about a trip to Japan that left a mark on both of them. It was a time they remembered as peaceful and calm, their faces would light up whenever one of them would make a reference to it. Eventually, they decided that their home had to capture that same feeling. We leaned into that emotion, shaping the space with dark wood tones, warm lighting, and tactile finishes that echo the stillness of a quiet evening abroad.
Their living room holds one of the most personal touches in this home, a matching pair of their luggages, thoughtfully repurposed as side tables and filled with sentimental value. More than a design statement; it’s a nod to how they met, and a reminder of the shared rhythm of their lives. “We didn’t want to tuck the luggages away,” they said. “They’re part of us.”
Throughout the home, we mixed rich, dark carpentry with limewash walls that lightened the palette just enough to maintain balance. Behind the coffee bar, a feature wall was textured by hand with our artisans, with wave patterns inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The movement of the waves reflects the couple’s way of life, always on the move yet always finding their way back to shore. To tie the theme together, the same handmade patterns continue across the hallway, coffee bar, and kitchen, ensuring a sense of continuity throughout the home.
A muted terracotta rug anchors the space beneath a low sofa and armchair, keeping the mood casual. The kitchen continues the visual rhythm, dark cabinetry paired with soft beige walls and artisanal tiles that reflect light in uneven, organic ways.
In the bedroom, a Patagonia marble plinth just like the living room runs through the bedside table, which provides a sense of continuity across the home’s design language. It’s one of those small details that feels deliberate but not decorative. The wall above carries textured plaster patterns reminiscent of shifting clouds, also inspired by Hokusai’s artwork, “Fine Wind, Clear Morning”, a nod to the rest of the home’s theme.
A concern for clients who aren’t home often is that darker interiors have a tendency to show dust, fingerprints, and scratches. We decided early on that the solution was not to avoid darkness, but to embrace it. We selected matte finishes for the carpentry and honed marble surfaces that reduce glare and hide wear. Each surface feels lived-in, rather than overly polished.
This home is not about grandeur or perfection, but about familiarity. The kind of space that waits patiently for its owners to return. When they walk through the door after long flights and different time zones, their home greets them the same way every time.
Team:
Architects: Intheory Design Studio
Photographer: Mesahaus
Materials Used:
Flooring: Porcelain Floor Tiles by HAFARY
Doors: EDL Laminates
Interior lighting: Sol Luminaire
Interior furniture: King Living (Sofa Set) + Various different brands
Carpentry: EDL Laminates
Counter tops: AXIMUS by Hua Kian
Bathroom Wall & Tiles: HAFARY
Bathroom Accessories: TOTO
