Inner Residence

Inner Residence is a minimalist apartment located in Longyan, China, designed by seek studio. The challenge of condensing life into 72 square meters becomes an opportunity to reconsider what domestic space can offer beyond pure function. Rather than treating constraint as limitation, Seek studio approaches this compact residence as a study in spatial intelligence – where walls disappear when needed, where storage conceals itself within architecture, and where light becomes the primary material shaping daily experience. The project demonstrates how thoughtful design can create psychological spaciousness that far exceeds physical measurements.

At the heart of the residence sits a transformative multi-functional room that embodies the project’s core philosophy. Through a system of sliding partitions, the space shifts between privacy and openness, serving alternately as guest room, circulation corridor, or expanded living area. The bed itself retracts completely into custom cabinetry when not in use, allowing the room to become entirely neutral – a rare achievement in compact residential design. This approach to flexibility differs from typical Murphy bed installations through its commitment to total erasure. When the bed disappears, no trace of its function remains, returning the space to a state of pure potential.

The material palette reinforces this sense of calm flexibility. Solid wood flooring grounds the interior with warmth while light-colored paint surfaces maximize the distribution of natural light throughout the day. Cement coating introduces textural contrast in specific zones without disrupting visual continuity, while strategic mirror placement extends sightlines and amplifies the effectiveness of the glazed partitions that separate but do not isolate different functional areas.

Lighting design abandons conventional overhead fixtures in favor of integrated linear elements and adjustable spotlighting. This decision relates to broader shifts in contemporary Chinese residential design, where younger clients increasingly reject the visual clutter of traditional ceiling lamps. By embedding illumination into architectural surfaces – cove details, cabinet undersides, wall recesses – the design maintains clean planes overhead while ensuring adequate task and ambient lighting. The effect creates what might be described as sourceless luminosity, where spaces feel naturally bright without obvious mechanical intervention.

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