Urban Vacation Home
For many busy city dwellers, reconnecting with nature offers a welcome escape from the daily grind and a path to healing. Some fortunate individuals aim to transform their homes into sanctuaries for both body and mind. This desire to bring the essence of nature indoors has become a fresh design challenge.
This project centers on a high-rise apartment in Guangzhou. The owner, Peter, like Zhizuo Studio, has a passion for natural materials and minimalist, practical spaces. Together, they boldly challenge traditional design concepts. Their previous collaboration, the “Atelier Peter Fong” project, successfully revitalized older communities. Now, this long-time partnership aims to create a peaceful, comfortable urban retreat—a vacation home amid the bustling first-tier city.
As the project neared completion, the sudden outbreak of the pandemic restricted travel, making the experience of a “vacation” at home even more valuable.
△ Original Floor Plan
△ Revised Floor Plan
Layout Concept
Maximizing Natural Light
The designer reimagined the layout by removing the original study and enclosed kitchen. This change allows natural light from the south-facing window and laundry area to flood the core of the apartment, eliminating any sense of darkness or confinement. The newly created open kitchen and dining area form a seamless, multifunctional space that accommodates daily activities such as cooking, dining, and even a temporary workspace. The addition of river views from the window further enhances the atmosphere, providing a serene setting for meditation and relaxation.
△ Entrance and Core Area Before Renovation
△ Renovated Entrance and Core Area
The double-sided open kitchen comfortably accommodates 2-3 people, allowing simultaneous meal preparation on both sides of the stove.
Enhancing Freedom of Movement
The core area has been reorganized to include a spacious corridor near the entrance, creating a smooth pathway between the public spaces and the children’s room. Along the corridor wall, a custom white box-style closet maintains a clean, orderly appearance throughout the space.
△ Custom White Box Closet
Within this white box, the designer created three functional niches: one by the entrance serves as a cozy spot for sitting and changing shoes, warmly welcoming guests.
△ Pull-out Niche from the White Box
The corner “notch” serves as a display area for collections, enhancing visual continuity within the public space.
△ Display Niche
A narrow niche is dedicated to floral arrangements, creating a charming focal point easily refreshed in the corridor corner.
△ Cabinet Storage Design Draft
Embracing Natural Materials
The original apartment featured traditional elements such as dark wood panels, marble, and decorative ceiling moldings, catering to a conventional “luxury” aesthetic.
△ Living Room Before Renovation
In contrast, the redesigned apartment highlights natural materials. Walls in the public areas and bedrooms are clad with solid Douglas fir wood panels. Custom furniture pieces—including shelves, booths, dining tables, and bed frames—showcase the natural hues, textures, and scents of wood, creating a calming vacation-like atmosphere that celebrates simplicity.
The morning sunlight filters through, evoking the cozy atmosphere of a vacation cabin.
The shelving unit is crafted from 28mm thick solid wood panels.
Triangle-patterned tiles and grooved panels introduce a sense of order and rhythm to the space.
The living room’s cave stone material adds a natural rock and earth texture.
Original Study Room
Brand New Multifunctional Dining Area
Comparison Between Organic and Structured Designs © LUKSTUDIO
Functionality in Every Space
The bedroom design centers on the family’s preferences and needs, crafting a personalized, comfortable retreat with a vacation theme. Two original bedrooms on the southwest side were combined into a spacious 50-square-meter master suite, complete with a walk-in closet and a bathroom enclosed by dimmable glass.
The left bay window by the TV wall, paired with a sofa, transforms into a cozy viewing platform. On the right, a hidden furniture setup creates a private dressing area for the hostess, ensuring distinct zones without interference.
△ When the dimmable glass is off, the transparent space reveals the exquisite texture of the gravel wall.
△ Activating the dimmable glass encloses the hidden bathroom space, creating a soft light screen.
Creating a soft and delicate atmosphere.
To the northwest lies the children’s room, designed as a dreamy “little tree house” constructed from Douglas fir planks. Customized elements such as adjustable-height desks, shelves, and ample hidden storage provide a safe, comfortable, and sustainable environment that nurtures the young owner’s physical and mental development, fostering creativity and hands-on skills.
A bright and inviting treehouse-inspired space for children.
Throughout this project, Zhizuo Studio and the owner embraced a philosophy of moderate design, stripping away unnecessary decoration to focus on essential functionality. The result is a vacation home that feels free and relaxed, filled with natural light and materials, allowing residents long confined indoors to reconnect with nature.
The wooden grain texture flows seamlessly across the walls and tabletops. © LUKSTUDIO
A harmonious interplay of light, shadow, and texture © LUKSTUDIO
Project Details
Location: Tianhe District, Guangzhou City
Scope: Interior and Lighting Design
Area: 180 square meters
Design Studio: LUKSTUDIO Studio
Design Director: Lu Yingzhi
Project Team: Qu Zhiwei, Shen Siyun, Wu Minyi, Ding Yiren
Design Period: December 2018 – May 2019
Construction Period: June 2019 – March 2020
Construction Team: Qiu Yongcan
Kitchen Cabinets: Bulthaup
Furniture: Minotti, Brdr Kruger, Kettal, Moroso, Zanotta, Flou, GTDesign
Lighting Brands: iGuzzini, Cattelan Italia, Vibia, Davide Groppi
Sanitary Ware Brands: Agape, Vola, Duravit
Smart Home System: Control4
Main Materials: Douglas fir solid wood veneer (Dinesen), textured wall tiles (Mutina), floor tiles (Mosa), gray conglomerate (Belle Stone), art paint (Dineno), organ curtains (Hunter), terrazzo (Chiat), cave stone, white Carrara marble, mosaic, dimmable glass, champagne gold stainless steel
Photography by: WenStudio
Note: Unless otherwise specified, all project photographs are courtesy of WenStudio.
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