“Do you ever feel like life has become more of a checklist?”
When a client hands you a brief, it’s usually full of things they want more of. More storage, more rooms, more square footage. But with this family, the real design brief was hidden in everything they wanted less of. Meetings, errands and with 2 kids in the mix, they didn't need "more", they just needed a vacation from their own schedules.
The gist of what they needed was simple: they wanted home to not feel like a transit station they passed through between commitments, and more like a resort they could actually kick back in during the day.
Beachside Wine
So, our starting point? Vacation photos. Not because they wanted flashy, five-star luxury, but because they craved the feeling of a getaway. They missed mornings that didn't feel rushed, and conversations that lingered simply because there was nowhere else they had to be.
"We just want to be able to ‘turn off’ the second we walk through the front door," they told us.
To capture that beachside, wine-in-hand peace of mind, we turned to Tropical Modernism.
Vacation, At Home
Mornings needed to feel ‘organic’, especially on the weekends. Kids find their favorite spots on the couch while the parents brew tea and chat about nothing in particular.
Evenings stretch out a little longer, simply because nobody is in a hurry to leave the room. During our last walkthrough, they looked around and told us, almost surprised,
"We spend ninety percent of our time right here now. It just feels easy."
Part of why that space works so well comes down to a transformation in a corner that used to be completely ignored. There was an underutilized pantry tucked away in the dark, which we tore open and reimagined as a glass-framed study. Instead of isolating whoever has to get work done, it connects the communal areas.
By late afternoon, the glass panels fold completely flat against the wall, and the office dissolves back into the main room, opening up the floor space just in time for their dog to zoom around the living room.
Tea & Whisky
Along the window line, we built something incredibly personal. On one side, we housed the husband’s collection of spirits, bottles he’s picked up over the years, each tied to a specific trip or memory. On the other, the wife’s tea collection, filled with blends she’s brought home from her own travels.
It isn't a formal bar or a showy feature. It’s just a dedicated corner for them to unwind. Right outside, the trees catch the late afternoon light, casting dancing shadows across the floor.
For a second, it feels less like a city apartment and more like sitting under a coconut tree on a beach. Picturing this during the design phase was absolute bliss.
Canopy, with an Onsen
In the master bedroom, warm lights, rustling leaves, and the shelter of a handmade rattan canopy were the inspiration. To bring that to life, light-colored wood paired with woven rattan bi-fold wardrobe doors captures that raw, organic ease.
Storage was designed around their actual daily habits so that getting ready happens seamlessly, without any friction or clutter. We even separated the husband’s and wife’s wardrobes into different areas of the room to give them each their own space to breathe.
But the bathroom is where the resort inspiration truly peaks. We wanted to recreate the tranquility of a traditional Japanese bathhouse, designing an onsen-inspired shower wrapped in tactile stone and tiles made to look like light timber. Stepping inside, the materials feel incredibly raw and earthy, catching the steam and instantly shifting the temperature and acoustics of the room.
At the end of the day, this home isn't trying to look like a resort. More so, an understanding of why people need one.
The only thing missing? Crickets. But we decided those can preferably stay outdoors.
