Iron Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2020
Mezzanine Apartment Interior Design
by Yi-Lun Hsu
- A' Design Award 2020 Iron Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Minature Interior Design Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 15,733
- Verification code 78A2F0F019 · Verify this award
About Mezzanine Apartment Interior Design
The mezzanine apartment which the space function is priority in planning is 4.3 meters high. The upper floor is a private area and the lower floor is a public area. Because of adding to the fun of the high space, the main TV wall of the living room is embossed with a 15 degree V-shaped sloping wood. The light scattered from the bay window is evenly covered with the living room. The interior presents a natural green life when the plants can be hung freely on the railing of the second floor which is made of punched-plate.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The mezzanine apartment which the space function is priority in planning is 4.3 meters high. The upper floor is a private area and the lower floor is a public area. Based on privacy considerations, the upstairs space is the master bedroom, the second bedroom and a study room when the downstairs is a entrance, living room, the kitchen and a storage room.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- This space is 83 square meters
- Tags
- Interior Design, Residence
- Production Technology
- Because of adding to the fun of the high space, the main TV wall of the living room is embossed with a 15 degree V-shaped sloping wood. The light scattered from the bay window is evenly covered with the living room. The light blue color which connects the back wall of the sofa to the outer wall of a study room in the second floor is a suggestive element to lead to upstairs. The light blue is also the client's favorite color which can be seen everywhere in the wholeroom.
- Design Challenge
- The designer need to renovate while maintaining the structure of the old house and keep the advantage of high lighting as much as possible.
- Project Duration
- The project finished in 2019 in Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The interior presents a natural green life when the plants can be hung freely on the railing of the second floor which is made of punched-plate. One pair of large transparent sliding door are designd in a study room. When the sliding door is stored, a study room can interact with the living room and have a high field of view.
- Research
- Since a study room is low height and has double beams on both sides, the study room enlarges the space with a mirrored bookcase. Due to the limited space, the second bedroom sets the folding beds for the temporary guests' living needs.
- Inspiration
- The case is an old house renovation. The scissor-shaped staircase which is located in the center of the apartment connected to the upper and lower floors. Under the stairs is a storage room for large items. Behind the TV wall is planned as a separate dressing room and a housekeeping room. Due to the humid climate in Hsinchu city, this space sets the clothes dryer and ironing equipment.
- Image Credits
- Chi-Shou Wang
Colors of Mezzanine Apartment Interior Design
Grand Interview about Mezzanine Apartment Interior Design
The advantage of this case is the 4.3-meter-high floor height and the lighting in the public space. In order to reflect this advantage, the designer set the TV wall as a structure that reaches the ceiling, and used iron parts to divide it vertically to enhance its visual super height. , the 15-degree V-shaped veneer collage method enhances the fun of the TV wall.
The designer aimed to create a unique railing design by combining punched-plate with clear glass, allowing light to flow unobstructed into the deeper areas of the second floor. The punched-plate can also incorporate hanging plants, presenting a natural, green lifestyle.
Due to the limited ability to significantly adjust the ceiling heights between the two floors, the designer preserved the original mezzanine floor structure and scissor-shaped staircase. The flooring material and the surface paint of the old wooden railing were replaced to match the overall color scheme and blend seamlessly with other modern design elements.
In this project, functionality was the primary consideration. The upper level is dedicated to private areas, while the lower level serves as the public space. For privacy reasons, the upper floor includes the master bedroom, secondary bedroom, and study, while the lower level features an open-plan design for the foyer, living room, and kitchen.
The homeowner loves light blue, so the designer incorporated this color into the sofa’s back wall, extending it to the exterior wall of the second-floor study. This serves as a subtle element guiding the staircase flow, ensuring that the homeowner’s mood remains cheerful when moving between floors.
The second floor has a lower ceiling height and main beams on both sides, so the study uses a mirrored bookshelf to enhance the sense of space. The second-floor guest bedroom, being smaller and also having beam constraints, addresses the occasional need for guest accommodation by incorporating a lift-up bed beneath the beam.
The scissor-shaped staircase connecting the upper and lower floors is centrally located in the apartment, adjacent to the double-height living room. The designer preserved the original staircase structure and integrated it into the modern design by simply repainting the handrails.
The study is located on the second floor, directly opposite the double-height space. The designer wanted to maintain its openness and interactivity, so a transparent glass sliding door was used as a partition. This door can be fully recessed into the wall.
The high-ceilinged TV wall in this project is the architectural focal point of the interior. Its proportional division maximizes the advantages of the elevated space, while the rest of the area, constrained by the ceiling height, has cabinets placed under the beams to maintain the integrity and openness of the main space.
In East Asia, there are often small, lofted, mixed-use residences like this one. We believe that maintaining the openness of the high-ceilinged space and allowing sunlight and air to fill the interior are key. By using elements that amplify the space, the feeling of pressure between the two floors can be reduced.