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contemporary asian bedrooms:

the new comfort zone

The bedroom, long cherished as the personal space where we withdraw from the world, is the one part of the house that is free from the demand to be dressed up and paraded for public display. Guests are entertained in the living and dining rooms, whereas the bedroom remains unbreached as the sanctum sanctorum where we retire to sleep, rest, and recharge our batteries before facing the world again at the start of each new day. Ironically, though we spend half our lives in the bedroom, most of it is spent with our eyes shut, so ifs no surprise that the precious bedroom often gets the least attention from busy homeowners, because the occupants themselves get scant time to appreciate the full potential of the design directions that lie dormant in it.

But more and more, the bedroom is basking in the rising heat of growing design attention. Across the region, bedrooms are making a style shift from the predictable formula of blocky bed inside a boxy cube, to suites of dreams that incorporate open bathrooms, personal massage rooms, miniature movie screens, and much more.

Why the new approach to sleeping? In fact. it can be surmised that the contemporary Asian bedroom is exploring new levels of creativity and luxury not so much in response to the way we sleep, but more in response to the way we are reacting to the world around us. With the increasing unpredictability of events in the world and our lessening ability to control outside forces, or avoid their sudden impact on our daily lives, we look increasingly toward our interior worlds as a place of stability and security Because of its unique function as a room that is not meant for public use or as communal space, the bedroom has become a place where we are drawn to hibernate; a nest where we can relish in the comfort of our own private space.

What we see in the following pages of Contemporary Asian Bedrooms are the exciting new ways that designers and homeowners are putting more creative and increasingly customized spins on the role of the bedroom, elevating it to new dimensions from more than just a sleeping space and seeing it emerge as zen sanctuary, entertainment zone, personal art gallery, pampering retreat. and more.

Looking at the bedrooms created and coveted in the most stylish homes and hotels in Southeast Asia today, the common thread that runs throughout is that they all conform to the western concept of the bedroom. Even in the cases where the rooms have Asian design themes, they tend to be just that-themes that pick up on decor elements of say, Japanese or Balinese style, but still conforming to the western characteristics of a walled room with an elevated bed and en suite bathroom. Even in homes where an ethnic style prevails throughout the house, the bedroom remains stubbornly western-synonymous with modern-because western bedrooms come equipped with all the mod-cons that traditional Southeast Asian bedrooms lacked. In contrast to European sleeping traditions, where the bed is raised from the floor to avoid discomforting chilly draughts, tropical Asians did all their living, including sleeping, on the floor. Traditional bedding consisted of reed mats which, unlike fabric, does not induce perspiration, thus keeping the body cool and dry in the torrid equatorial heat. Shaped by a different way of living, traditional Southeast Asian bedrooms required nothing more than a reed mat. a mosquito net. and a basket for storing personal belongings. Such spartan arrangements were well suited to the rudimentary requirements of agrarian-based, olden-time living, but are disastrously out of sync with the need for more convenient creature comforts in contemporary urban life.

Muslin drapes inject romance and nomadic chic to this bedroom in Bali.

Sleek-and-simple continues to be a popular choice, as seen in this bedroom in Bangkok.

Perhaps the most important tropical sleeping item is the mosquito net-as anyone who has suffered the relentless attacks of the climate's pestilent swarms will readily agree. With the influx of colonial Europeans, the habit of sleeping in raised beds came into practice, along with European-style canopy beds which seemed custom-designed for hanging mosquito nets. To this day the alluring image of the wooden canopy bed shrouded in wispy white mosquito netting remains the enduring icon of romantic tropical living-and a feature that unfailingly lures tides of guests to Asian resort hotels.

Fast forward from colonial times to the present day. The dreamy mosquito net has become all but obsolete in the modern world of highrise apartment living. With Southeast Asian living tastes turning to western-style apartments and all their comforts, the ubiquitous air-conditioner has banished the need for open-air netting. But on these pages, we see that there remains an insistent craving to cling to the romantic notion of the things past The mosquito net. or the idea of it, is still used as a decor element in even the most contemporary urban homes, as shown in the ultra-modern Sky Villas condominiums in Bangkok where elegant white bed curtains add infinite grace to a staid room (page 104). The mosquito net also makes its appearance in contemporary tropical resorts, as seen at The Club at The Legian Bali (page 56) as well as Villa Ylang Ylang in Bali (page 58)

Contemporary Asian Bedrooms shows us one of the most popular bedroom concepts sweeping the region today-the bedroom-cum-bathroom, where barriers between bed and bath have been broken down and replaced with versatile sliding wall panels. Examples of this include a Bangkok condominium designed by Singaporean firm APC (page 94). the sliding wooden shutters at Phuket's Twin Palms Hotel, also designed by APC (page 106), and a contemporary oriental bedroom at Golden Nakara villas designed by P49 Deesign (page 24).

In the contemporary cool bedrooms from Singapore to Bangkok, we see varied interpretations of the concept of bedroom as minimalist cocoon, with a white-on-white theme creating ethereal capsules where time and space seem suspended inside pristine white shells. It's as if the absence of color is a metaphor for a mental purity that detoxes the mind and spirit from the disorienting kaleidoscope of the frenetic world outside.

The TV has become a ubiquitous presence in every bedroom. Once camouflaged inside ornamental cabinets, flat-screen TVs are now wall-mounted opposite the bed, thus lightening the room's clutter. The bedroom as personal entertainment zone reaches new heights in a Bangkok bedroom designed by DWP Cityspace (page 102), where the bed comes equipped with a built-in, retractable movie screen and sound system-fully automatic, of course.

One of the most interesting trends gradually creeping onto the scene is the bedroom as spa suite. Inspired by the fantasy spa interiors seen in the regions' luxurious spa resorts, homeowners are now realizing they can replicate the same comforts in their own homes-and why not bring that fantasy home with you? This approach is seen in a Bangkok luxury villa designed by P49 Deesign (page 108), where the master bedroom suite incorporates a personal massage room, complete with professional massage table, scented oils and towel rack within arm's reach.

The lavish red drapes and bedspread coupled with modern Chinese art give this Singapore bedroom an alluring sensuality.

Lighting reflected upward from the ceiling beams creates a soft, dramatic effect in the bedroom, heightened by burnt-orange walls.

The cheeky humor of the artwork adds a refreshing note to this bedroom at Downtown Apartments in Bali.

Wall-mounted lamps free up the space on the nightstand, offering more space in small apartments.

Comfy sofa by day, extra bedding by night, the versatile day bed-like this one in the Evason Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand-is a popular feature in many modern Asian bedrooms.

Anneke van Waesberghe's design shows how complementary textures can introduce sensuality even in a monochromatic setting.

What fuels this inspiration to reach for greater dimensions in today's bedrooms? The impact of travel plays on enormous role. With the ease and frequency of global travel today, people now spend more time in hotel rooms, and are exposed to an incredibly diverse variety of bedroom design and comfort levels. Thanks in part to the new wave in boutique hotels and design hotels that create fantasy worlds for people to sleep in, designers and homeowners have become increasingly influenced by what they see and experience, and are seeking to replicate these exotic styles and sumptuous comforts in the home, so that living large is part of their daily life-rather than an expensive treat sporadically sampled in another time zone.

The open bathroom concept seen in so many new bedrooms came directly from resort design. The semi-outdoor bed-and-bath suite is another resort concept that's migrated into urban apartments. In one Bangkok penthouse (page 82), the owners, inspired by their holidays in Bali, created a semi-outdoor bedroom suite with a completely open shower and bathtub on their bedroom balcony. At the push of a button, a sliding glass panel opens, and closes when the occupants require private, air-conditioned comfort.

Apart from borrowing hotel design concepts for their homes, some travelers bring the hotel bed back home with them; some hotels sell their down pillows, 400-thread count sheets and extra thick mattresses to guests who can't relinquish the comforts of hotel luxury. After all, isn't a great hotel suite the height beautiful living?

Among the designers making an impact in hotel design these days, we show in this book the work of Kathryn Kng, Singaporean designer of The Metropolitan Hotel Bangkok and other top resorts around the region, and the Singaporean firm APC, who designed the boutique hotel Twin Palms Phuket as well as a number of luxury homes and condominium projects around the region. With people becoming entranced by hotel rooms and hiring designers and architects to replicate the same style in their homes, there is cross fertilization between hotels and private homes, as well as the chance for designers to experiment with new concepts in one category and then continue reinterpreting them in the other category.

When it comes to the look and mood in contemporary Asian bedrooms, we see that homeowners love to create bedrooms that embody specific decor themes. Seen in this book are a variety of thematic bedroom concepts, such as the contemporary Thai bedroom at The Sukhothai Bangkok, fully appointed in luxurious Thai silk (page 44); the Japanese tatami room seen in a Bangkok penthouse complete with tatami flooring and shoji screens (page 36); varied interpretations of the minimalist zen bedroom; the ethnic bedroom covered with tribal textiles ranging from a Navajo blanket on the wall to Afghan rug on the floor (page 62); variations on the Italian minimalist bedroom, and many more. Of these, the most recurring and reinterpreted theme is the zen bedroom. Its popularity is only natural; the zen concepts of simplicity and purity are perfect expressions of the tranquility we seek in the room where we retire to unwind and rest at the end of the day.

"Whisper, don't shout," is the intended message in the unobtrusive bedroom palette, which encourages us to retreat, relax and repose. Say goodbye to anything chintz, baroque or rococo. The frilly, feminine bedroom has been pushed aside in favor of the unisex bedroom. Today's bedrooms seem to shun the two extremes between flagrant florals and macho masculine, and instead flourish in the safety of neutral colors, middle-of-the-road monochromes. Single tones, blocks of color and textures are in. When bright color does appear in these bedrooms, it is restricted to a single color theme, and is executed in warm tones on soft materials, avoiding anything that looks or feels too loud or hard.

Big, bold headboards like this gold-leaf example add dram a and flair to even the most conservative room, and are now seen in myriad styles ranging from silk to suede in new Asian bedrooms.

The contemporary bedroom reveals the new global chic, mixing an Italian sofa and lamps with a 19th century Chinese cabinet and 3rd century Vietnamese temple bell.

With the sliding doors closed, bright, warm colored cushions paired with yet another variation of the mosquito net transform this bedroom into a cozy and personal space.

Roller blinds are the definitive choice for modern bedrooms. A Chinese scroll table and Japanese screen accentuate the clean space.

The combination of hard terrazzo and soft merbau wood frame the bed and make it the main feature of the bedroom at The Bale.

The curving lines of the frosted glass wall, echoed in the B& B ltalia bed and Philippe Starck lamps temper the starkness of this futuristic bedroom.

With the bed the star of the show, the challenge is to transform the basic boxy mattress into the cradle of our dreams. Headboards are springing out in a big way. Padded, paneled, covered in soft and silky fabrics, a beautiful headboard immediately adds drama and elegance to the plainest room. Some stunning new interpretations are seen in the white leather headboard by Index Design Singapore (page 122), and a sumptuous faux fur and Thai silk headboard by kzdesigns in Singapore (page 114).

No longer just a mattress on legs, bed design has transcended the basic boxspring into full-fledged bed systems. Minotti and B&B ltalia are two of the dominant brands that offer ail-in-one bed units that incorporate bed, headboard, and side tables in one solid unit, as seen in Domus condominiums in Bangkok (page 94). The bed becomes a self-contained world, a cozy nest where its occupants can work, email, eat, read, watch TV, and when all else is done, eventually sleep.

Organic materials and dark earth tones give inviting warmth to this zen bedroom in Bangkok.

The mosquito net, or the idea of it, as expressed in these wispy bed draperies remains a romantic presence in contemporary bedrooms throughout Asia.