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.
