Taiwan-born, Shanghai-based architect Chih-da Jason Lin , recently unveiled the interior design for his parents’ house on Qingtian Street (青田街) in Taipei’s Da’an District. The project spans 350 square meters and combines two adjacent apartments into a three-bedroom single residence, the home is designed to accommodate both solitude and company.
Guided by the concepts of a “fluid circulation” and a “non-interference philosophy,” the design establishes a tranquil yet vibrant dwelling—an urban sanctuary where poetic everyday life and inner calm coexist, exemplifying a refined synthesis of Eastern aesthetics and contemporary design.
Rooted in the district’s century-old legacy as a literati enclave, this art-rich home reinterprets the relationship between living, collecting, and cultural inheritance through a contemporary lens.
“While many pursue elaborate ornamentation for visual appeal,
I focus on the underlying logic of space and the authentic nature of living, ultimately allowing the space to return to a state of calm and order.” Says Chih-Da Jason Lin, the designer
Spatial Strategy
The project’s key innovation lies in its radical spatial reconfiguration. By removing existing partitions, the design breaks free from the constraints of conventional room divisions, creating an open, continuous living environment – where works of art and furniture seem in constant conversation with the architecture of the space – nails the brief.
Carefully orchestrated circulation acts as an invisible framework, allowing light and sightlines to flow seamlessly throughout the space. The common area (living room) is interconnected to encourage interaction and shared experiences, while private zones are discreetly defined by entry thresholds and concealed door systems, forming what the designer describes as “magical boundaries.” These rooms are distributed along the perimeter like planets in orbit—ensuring independence while maintaining subtle connections.
The layout—centralizing communal activities while positioning private spaces at the edges—allows each family member to enjoy a quiet personal retreat. It achieves a delicate balance between solitude and togetherness, embodying the principle of “coexistence without disturbance”.
Responding to Chih-Da Jason Lin’s parents’ tea-centered lifestyle, this home features two distinct tea settings: one minimalist and serene, designed for traditional floor-seated tea rituals; the other anchored by a classic dark wood tea table and a full wall of tea ware, supporting both solitary enjoyment and family gatherings.
Additionally, the separation of Chinese and Western kitchens ensures that diverse cooking practices can coexist without interference, accommodating the rhythms of daily life.
Materiality & Atmosphere
The interior design is grounded in the dual concepts of peacefulness and quietness. Eschewing bold materials and vivid colors, it adopts a palette of soft beige tones to establish a calm and warm visual foundation. Textured wall finishes and soft coatings enhance light diffusion, while grey-brown and natural oak surfaces introduce tactile warmth. Accents of Carrara marble and dark tiles create a nuanced dialogue of materials.
Large windows paired with adjustable louvers animate the interior with shifting light and shadow throughout the day, generating subtle emotional variations within the space. While echoing the restrained sensibility of wabi-sabi aesthetics, the design avoids monotony by layering textures and tones—maintaining both simplicity and richness.
“When you engage with a Ming dynasty official’s hat chair at home, its materiality and sense of history are far more valuable than any luxury item. These pieces should be part of the architecture itself, not mere objects on display,” said the owner, Chih-Da Jason Lin’s father
Furniture and soft furnishings extend this philosophy, combining neutral hues, dark wood, and matte metals. Contemporary pieces from brands such as HENGE, Cassina, and Boffi are seamlessly integrated with the family’s art collection.
Han dynasty stone sculptures, Western Wei Buddhist figures, paintings by Sanyu, and Ming dynasty huanghuali official’s hat chairs are not displayed as distant artifacts but lived with daily. Together, they form a “living museum,” where objects from different eras engage in an ongoing dialogue.
Cultural Integration
Rather than relying on superficial symbolism, this house embeds cultural memory and local identity into its details. Sliding doors in the mother’s tea room incorporate handcrafted Taiwanese latticework, referencing her childhood in Yilan and transforming personal meory into tactile light and shadow.
Traditional Taiwanese decorative window patterns originate from the architectural ornamentation systems of Southern Fujian tradition. Through a long process of localization, they have integrated natural imagery, auspicious symbolism, and craft aesthetics, forming a distinctive visual language unique to the region.
These elements weave together the family’s personal history, allowing materials to serve as vessels of memory and emotion. Long-collected Italian vintage pieces and Minnan-style antique furniture from Taiwan further reinforce a quiet continuity between past and present.
Buddhist sculptures and Zen-inspired elements, distributed throughout the home, transcend specific religious meanings, instead reflecting a shared pursuit of inner peace—transforming the residence into a contemplative spiritual environment.
Social Significance
As a contemporary model of urban living, Chih-Da Jason Lin’s parents’ home transcends the notion of residence. It dissolves the boundary between high-value art and everyday life, allowing museum-quality works to nurture daily experience and emotional well-being. The design prioritizes the habits and sensibilities of its inhabitants—particularly for his parents—offering a nuanced interpretation of warmth and appropriateness in Chinese domestic space.
Extending the cultural legacy of Qingtian Street into the interior, the project creates a seamless dialogue between architecture and its urban context. In doing so, it offers a rare retreat within the bustling city—a place of “true seclusion with the world.” Here, the rational framework of architecture establishes spatial order, while furnishings and art infuse warmth and meaning. Family heritage, art collection, and contemporary living philosophy intertwine, transforming everyday life into an immersive, layered aesthetic experience.
