Each of these apartment interiors has been designed by 23Design to fashion a sense of sunny serenity in the modern world. With a grey and white decor palette, sleek contemporary furniture silhouettes and a minimalist approach, these two light-filled apartment designs are calming sanctuaries to come to after a day in the bustling city. The first interior we’ll visit features a faux skylight design that creates an open and sunny feel, even on a grey day. Custom-built storage units line the walls and harbour a hidden doorway. The second serene grey and white interior is given a sunny boost with bright yellow accents, and a glass wall home office that shares the distribution of natural light.
Measuring 115 square metres (1245 square feet), this apartment interior is located in a high rise building that faces the Tamsui River in the Zhuwei District of New Taipei City. Rainy days at the end of winter used to conjure a sad mood in this place, but now it is showered by light every day from a faux skylight that stretches out above the study area and the walkway that leads to the kitchen.
On sunny days the skylight is not needed, thanks to the apartment’s wonderfully large windows. Furniture in this living room is kept pale in colour to bring light deep into the space.
A dark grey rug lays down a contrasting base for a clean white coffee table. A black console unit floats a complementary dark accent along the living room focal wall.
The smart sofa features a chaise at one end, which shapes a neat border around the modern rectangle coffee table.
A track light along the edge of the room, along with underlit floating wall shelves and wall mounted units, create a soft wash of atmospheric illumination.
Concrete walls and the matching skylight construction give the apartment interior a cool industrial appeal.
The lounge opens straight onto the dining room, where a wall of shelving creates a decorative moment.
Many more bookshelves and storage opportunities line the wall behind the study area.
The crisp white storage cabinets and shelving units build a bright lining within the grey concrete architecture.
The white furniture finish cheerfully reflects the illumination from the massive skylight installation.
A doorway hides within the run of storage units, quietly camouflaged within the blank white finish...
… With the door slid closed, you’d never know it was there.
The criss-crossed skylight design builds a coffered ceiling effect behind the main beam.
The neat intersections of the skylight are echoed in the shelving patterns beneath it.
When illuminated, the long skylight creates an ethereal corridor of light.
The private bedroom is a cosy space with light decor. Chic bedside table lamps brighten the darkly contrasting bed.
The ceiling gains character from a curved cutaway and contrasting ceiling panelling.
The curved dropped-ceiling feature accentuates the lesser curve of the wall.
White built-in closets are stylishly cut through with black recessed handles.
This serene Scandi inspired grey and white interior has been given a colourful twist with bright yellow accents. The yellow accent living room appears sunny and warm even in wintery weather.
Simplistic lines and limited colours make a fuss-free space that feels peaceful. Black and dark grey accents sharpen the aesthetic with a balance of bold moments. Scatter cushions on the sofa lay out a trilogy of tones in light grey, dark grey and vibrant yellow. A coordinating yellow ottoman makes a sunny extension to the couch, which also serves as a window seat.
The wall in front of the sofa builds a dominating black focal point in the room. Indoor plants and a vase of foliage break up the black expanse with moments of uplifting greenery.
The lounge opens into the dining area, which is accessorised with a pair of yellow glass orb pendant lights.
A gold floor lamp has a coordinating orb shade in the lounge area.
Yellow artwork adds a flash of invigorating colour to the dark living room feature wall.
A yellow book accents the round coffee tables at the centre of the lounge to keep the colour thread going.
Behind the sofa, perforated metal plates have been used to build the home office. The perforations blur the relationship between the public living space and the private working quarters.
The metal plates create a dialogue of shared light and shadow that builds added interest in the interior.
Cheerful yellow upholstered dining chairs are teamed with a moody concrete dining table.
Inside the home office, one of the yellow dining chairs serves as a desk chair.
A midcentury-inspired desk strikes a bold silhouette in front of the white metal screen wall.
The contents of the home office make intriguing shadows from the outside of the perforated panel walls.
Much like the living room, a dark focal wall commands the study. A comfortable accent chair lightens the look.
In the bedroom, dark wood wardrobes contrast the light decor scheme, along with a bespoke headboard design with atmospheric backlighting. Crisp white bed linen coordinates with a pale grey and white wallcovering across the headboard feature wall.
A dressing area is built into the wall of wardrobes and drawers at the foot of the bed. Small shelves are built into the side of the units to house a collection of cosmetics around a custom-cut vanity mirror.
