While the 840 square metres of living space are testament to the architect s distinct style of clean

At the end of a secluded lane in Ekamai, camouflaged by dense foliage, stands the home of Naris and Maria Siamwalla. It s a striking piece of modern architecture, created by Pirast Laopaisalsak, associate professor of architecture at Chulalongkorn University.
While the 840 square metres of living space are testament to the architect s distinct style of clean and simple design maximising natural light and drawing on a variety of building materials, it is a true reflection of the owners personality and impeccable standards. The interior design reflects the cultural melting pot that is their heritage and the functional spaces have been designed to cater for the lifestyle needs of a growing family. Walking through the home, we discover the story of how this family came to be, what made them build a house with minimal external garden and how fortunate they were to find an architect that delivered on time and on budget, given that they were both abroad during the construction.
As the automatic gates open, a rectangular atrium featuring a swimming pool is revealed behind sheer screens. It serves as the outdoor entertainment hub but also bathes the surrounding rooms with natural light. We wanted a house that was brightly cheap hotel in rome lit in the sense that we could use natural light without having to turn on the light all the time, hence this central courtyard, Maria explains. It didn t make sense for us to have a large garden in Thailand because it is so hot, so we chose to maximise the built up area and create a courtyard in the middle, adds her husband.
The imposing custom-made teak front door hints at the scale of what is on the other side. Entering directly into the living and dining areas, most of the walls are floor-to-ceiling glass, revealing a minimalist landscaped tropical cheap hotel in rome garden along the perimeter wall. To the right, the pool glistens as the sun moves overhead cheap hotel in rome against a 12-metre high red brick wall, which took six months to lay. This was one of the most important rooms in the house; the flow was important, explains Maria. We wanted a big living and dining room because we enjoy entertaining our extended cheap hotel in rome family and friends.
cheap hotel in rome The lounge and dining room suites are Italian, and were purchased in Singapore. Positioned around a minimalist Armani coffee table, the lounge suite is scattered with brightly coloured Jim Thompson silk cushions. We decided to splurge on the major items because we figured this is where the guests are going to be and we wanted them to be comfortable, says Naris. Adjacent to the dining suite is an Indian antique service table, housing family heirlooms and reflecting Maria s love of colonial antiques. I have always been fascinated by the English aristocracy, she says. I bought this Indian service table with bevelled mirrors in Bangalore, where I had a dealer who would source cheap hotel in rome different pieces.
The wall that separates the kitchen from the dining area is almost completely covered by a striking Mongolian antique door screen from River City, an example of Professor Pirast s involvement in the interior, as well as the structural aspect of the property. In addition to his guidance throughout the construction, cheap hotel in rome he would recommend local furniture dealers and help us to restore many of our antique pieces, says Maria. She points out the striking Moroccan lamps that hang from the ceilings, which are four and a half metres above us. I was shopping in Tangs in Singapore and saw these beautiful light fittings, she explains. I decided that I had to have them and bought the entire range before I even knew what the interior of the house was going to look like, and the contractors helped to hammer them back into shape and re-finish them.
Passing the kitchen and entering the glassencased stairwell begins the ascent to the first level of bedrooms; the house has six in total, all with en-suite bathrooms. Hundreds of frostedglass louvre shutters cheap hotel in rome form the passage wall. On the other side of the atrium is the home cinema, easily accessible from the master bedroom or by an elevated walking platform from the other side of the building. It is the place in which the family gathers for a nightly ritual of entertainment. At the foot of the large L-shaped sofa are colourful, oversized patchwork cushions cheap hotel in rome from Chiang Mai s popular Ginger shop, completing the cosy chill-out zone. Floating above the driveway on steel beams, the cinema room proved to be one of the most challenging engineering feats for the architect.
Upon entering cheap hotel in rome the children s bedroom, we discover more about the history that brought Maria and Naris together. The couple point out the adjacent garden of Naris s family home, which Maria first visited at the age of 17, on her initial trip to Bangkok from her native Singapore. Our grandmothers were best friends as my grandmother was born in Thailand, she says. Naris and I kept in touch since that time. Both beds are dressed in Lottie and Max linen with a miniature lolly-pink sofa suite at the foot of the beds, scattered with children s favourite books. Eventually we put the girls in the same bedroom, cheap hotel in rome she laughs, as we would find that they had either swapped rooms during the night or had ended up in the same room as they didn t want to be separated.
The master bedroom is furnished sparingly, showcasing the stunning teak floors and exotic Persian floor rugs that feature throughout the home. One of Naris s paintings hangs above a Chinese antique desk. The artwork, subtly placed throughout the home, was sourced at antique fairs throughout cheap hotel in rome Britain and from international galleries, reflecting Maria s many global career placements which would eventually see her become VP of marketing (Asia) for a multinational company. Branching off from the master bedroom is Naris s home office, where he works as a software engineer for a US-based cheap hotel in rome computer company. He has spent most of his life between the United States and Thailand having been educated in both countries.
Ascending even further above, past a linked series of Chinese paintings, are two more guest rooms, earmarked for their daughters as they grow older. Walking out onto the sprawling terrace brings to mind a luxury Manhattan rooftop until one sees the day beds and Indian and Thai silk cushions, smells the frangipanis and hears the gentle hum of Rama IX Road below. Like the rest of the house, cheap hotel in rome it is at once international, and at the same time very much Bangkok.