What might initially appear too stark and brutally minimalist, turns into a peaceful calm in this sensitive renovation of a decades-old house in Taipei.

Now ,the potential of the house is just waiting to be unveiled through the furnishings and accessories. And, in the end, isn?t that what the surroundings ? the walls and structures ? should be doing in a home" To set a stage for the life and belongings of the residents, rather than overpoweringly determining what they should place there.

Taipei-based Horizontal Studio @horizontal_studio was contracted by the owner to re-imagine her family?s old home located in a quiet alley in the City Centre facing Old Taipei. A professional with two grown daughters and a large book collection, the owner wanted a complete overhaul but at the same time, she did not  want the home where she grew up to become completely unrecognizable.
The over-arching features ? the exposed, uneven cement walls and the numerous columns and beams ? were part of the original house and were now lovingly restored and resurfaced. In addition, the designers left a few specific details from the past, including a segment of original tiling left on one of the walls in living room.

Other nods to the past that also add a sense of real life going on in the home include the old window sills now functioning as mantelpieces, the green-plant-motif tiles, an antique chair, and a raw wood coffee table.

The multiple arches and doorways and various-size wi...