Bronze Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026
Between Realms Residence
by Chiung-Ying Chiu and Keng-Yao Chang
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: San.o Interior Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 6,460
- Verification code 51847F2912 · Verify this award
About Between Realms Residence
Between Realms is the interior design of a four-story house in a city center. The site covers approximately 254 square meters. The first floor holds the living, dining, kitchen and reading areas, while bedrooms and multipurpose rooms occupy the upper levels. A television is suspended on a metal frame with adjustable aluminum louvers, so the floor-to-ceiling window and the Japanese garden behind it remain visible. Grilles, mirrors and cabinets replace solid walls to define zones. Gray-scale stone, matte metal and marble-pattern slabs let daylight and shadow shape the rooms.
SAN.O INTERIOR DESIGN's Between Realms Residence exemplifies contemporary residential interior design's capacity to transform domestic space into environments that honor both aesthetic refinement and lived experience through careful calibration of architectural gesture, material selection, and spatial choreography, demonstrating how thoughtful design elevates everyday inhabitation into something approaching spatial poetry. This interior composition participates in broader design conversations concerning the definition and expression of luxury in contemporary contexts, moving decisively away from ornamental excess toward what might be termed material essentialism—an approach privileging quality of surface, precision of detail, and sophistication of spatial relationship over decorative elaboration or stylistic historicism. The architectural framework establishes clear organizational logic through vertical elements including the charcoal shelving system and gray marble columns that structure space while maintaining visual permeability, these elements working in concert with the horizontal layering of furnishings and floor planes to create three-dimensional depth that rewards both immediate apprehension and sustained looking, a compositional strategy permitting the eye to move fluidly between zones while maintaining coherent spatial understanding. The material palette demonstrates considerable discernment in its limitation and variation, spanning natural stone with dramatic veining that provides organic visual incident, warm wood tones suggesting connection to natural systems and craft traditions, and contemporary composite surfaces offering chromatic neutrality and technical performance, this range unified through tonal relationships that favor extended neutral spectrums from ivory through charcoal allowing textural and formal qualities to register without chromatic competition. The lighting design deserves particular attention for its architectural integration and layered strategy, combining recessed sources providing general ambient illumination, linear LED strips articulating shelving geometry and creating graphic luminous lines, and focused accents highlighting specific zones or objects, this multiplicity creating dimensional modeling and temporal flexibility while avoiding the flatness of uniform illumination or the melodrama of excessive contrast. The furnishing selections demonstrate sophisticated understanding of design heritage and typological evolution, notably the iconic black leather lounge chair whose organic curved form and rich material patina reference mid-century modernist masterworks while functioning effectively within this decidedly contemporary setting, suggesting how thoughtful curation bridges temporal contexts and establishes dialogue between historical and contemporary design vocabularies. The spatial planning reveals considerable intelligence in managing privacy gradients and functional zoning within an open plan, the wood slat partition providing semi-transparent threshold between more public living areas and private dining or work zones, this gesture acknowledging contemporary preferences for spatial openness while respecting human needs for enclosure and acoustic separation. The compositional photography itself warrants recognition for capturing multiple spatial layers simultaneously while maintaining clarity and avoiding the distortion or forced drama that sometimes characterizes architectural documentation, the camera position carefully selected to reveal relationships between foreground, middle ground, and background while keeping vertical elements properly perpendicular and allowing natural sightlines to guide viewer attention through the space. Perhaps most significantly, the design achieves that elusive quality of appearing both composed and livable, orchestrated yet not precious, demonstrating how rigorous spatial organization and material discipline need not result in sterile or unwelcoming environments but can instead establish frameworks within which daily life unfolds with enhanced grace and pleasure. One might contemplate how this interior environment reflects evolving values concerning domestic space as sanctuary from urban intensity, material culture as expression of both personal identity and broader aesthetic movements, and the designer's role as spatial choreographer orchestrating movement, light, material encounter, and psychological experience within the built environment.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The main challenge was the overlap of the TV wall and the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a Japanese garden. Designers used 'the view as the wall,' suspending the TV on a metal frame with adjustable aluminum louvers that conceal wiring while allowing light and scenery. Shadows and daylight transform the wall throughout the day. Stone-wrapped stairs, black mirrors, frosted glass, and integrated display cabinets create depth, rhythm, and a calm, naturally breathing social space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The site covers approximately 254 square meters with a four-story house layout. The first floor integrates the living, dining, kitchen, and reading area, the second floor houses the master bedroom and dressing room, the third and fourth floors contain the children's rooms and multipurpose spaces. The design employs an 'open instead of divided' strategy, minimizing solid walls and defining zones with grilles, mirrors, and cabinetry. Natural light penetrates through each level, creating continuous visual depth and smoother daily circulation.
- Tags
- Bringing Scenery Indoors, TV Wall Design, Gray Scale, Natural Symbiosis, Eco-Friendly Materials
- Production Technology
- The residence features gray-scale stone and matte metal, highlighting subtle shifts of natural light. Italian marble-pattern slabs and eco-friendly mineral coatings define the main axis, softly reflecting illumination. Stone grain, glass, and titanium trims showcase precise craftsmanship. Gradual tonal transitions and the interplay of light and shadow warm the gray palette, creating a quiet, layered, and richly atmospheric interior.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was preserving natural views under limited daylight. Designers created a floating TV wall to maintain the garden view, and a half-height grille separates the reading area while allowing light flow. Stair proportions were adjusted, guided by light strips for circulation. Storage was integrated into the foyer, under stairs, and sofa wall, balancing efficiency with visual clarity and spatial harmony.
- Project Duration
- The project finished in July 2024 in Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The suspended TV wall transformed the space's character. Morning light filters through the louvers, casting clear tree shadows, afternoon sunlight gilds the stone and glass, infusing the home with a gentle warmth. The owner smiled and said, 'The TV wall finally learned how to breathe.' As the children read by the favorite window corner and the evening light softens, the entire area becomes a shared retreat for the family. By day, scenery enters the home, by night, the play of shadows brings serenity, different rhythms interweave into the everyday life of the household.
- Research
- In this urban four-story house, 'bringing scenery indoors' guides the design. Open circulation and a suspended TV wall integrate the Japanese garden, while aluminum louvers preserve light and ventilation. Named 'Between Realms,' the interior uses gray-scale stone, matte metal, and textured surfaces. Italian marble-pattern slabs and eco-friendly coatings reflect light subtly. Daylight, shadows, and soft lighting create a layered, calm, and seasonally responsive social and private space.
- Inspiration
- The four-story city-center house has limited natural light due to its short street frontage. Designers preserved light, wind, and views while maintaining circulation flow. Centered on 'bringing scenery indoors,' the interior engages with exterior light and greenery. Heavy partitions were replaced with translucent and reflective surfaces, allowing air, light, and vision to flow freely. The social area balances calm modern aesthetics with conviviality and visual layering.
- Image Credits
- SAN.O INTERIOR DESIGN