Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Home Home in Taiwan: A Rustic Bungalow Converted to a Cozy House Café

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
Restaurant VisitIssue 6 — Far East

Home Home in Taiwan: A Rustic Bungalow Converted to a Cozy House Café

February 5, 2020

How to create a restaurant that feels “just like returning to grandpa’s house?” The owner of this new establishment in Taichung City, Taiwan, began by acquiring a Japanese-style, two-story bungalow—formerly a longstanding residence—and dubbing it Home Home. He commissioned Taichung design studio Big Sense to infuse the house with a combination of familiarity and freshness: this is a grandfather with style. Let’s take a look.

Photography by Hey! Cheese.

the café is sandwiched between an old house and a high rise and could stil 17
Above: The café is sandwiched between an old house and a high-rise and could still be mistaken for a private home. It was formerly closed off from the street; the Big Sense team removed the front gates and “welcomed everyone with a lot of green plants.” The latticed house signals something new is afoot, and serves as an enclosure for the outdoor dining area. It presents the first of several porthole windows that are an integral part of the remodel.
the big sense team went with wood paneled doors and homey white curtains in the 18
Above: The Big Sense team went with wood-paneled doors and homey white curtains in the entry.
mother in law&#8\2\17;s tongue and hanging ferns surround an outdoor dining 19
Above: Mother-in-law’s tongue and hanging ferns surround an outdoor dining table shaded by an awning.
the brass front door pulls are made from industrial piping. (for something simi 20
Above: The brass front door pulls are made from industrial piping. (For something similar, see DIY: How to Make a Copper Pipe Curtain Rod for $35.)
a salvaged window grill is hung in a niche alongside tables for two with  21
Above: A salvaged window grill is hung in a niche alongside tables for two with  griddles for making Home Home’s signature breakfast: pancakes that look like mini soufflés. In the market for Windsor chairs? See 10 Easy Pieces: The Windsor Chair Revisited.
the designers largely preserved the interior layout as it was—while intr 22
Above: The designers largely preserved the interior layout as it was—while introducing upgraded finishes, including terrazzo floors. Wood accents throughout help telegraph coziness.
to enlarge the compact spaces, big sense exposed the ceiling rafters and painte 23
Above: To enlarge the compact spaces, Big Sense exposed the ceiling rafters and painted the roof charcoal gray, which reappears on the circular windows. Thanks to these portholes, the designers note, the rooms have a new connection with each other and the waitstaff can easily keep an eye on things.
a long communal table stands in front of an original floor to ceiling window. t 24
Above: A long communal table stands in front of an original floor-to-ceiling window. The Crystal Bulb and Pendant lights are by British designer Lee Broom.
 &#8\2\20;the sunlight in the afternoon deliberately falls on the the 25
Above: “The sunlight in the afternoon deliberately falls on the the gray terrazzo floor,” writes Big Sense.
a playful view from one dining room into the other. 26
Above: A playful view from one dining room into the other.
circles meet squares in the bathroom floor tiles. the basin and faucet are by b 27
Above: Circles meet squares in the bathroom floor tiles. The basin and faucet are by Boffi.

The café is located at 63 Da He Rd., West District, Taichung City, Taiwan; for more go to Home Home.

For inspiring restaurants around the world, consult our Design Travel archives. Here are three more favorites:

(Visited 1,168 times, 2 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

10 Easy Pieces: Stovetop Steamer Pots and Baskets

February 5, 2020
Next Post

New Colorful Dinnerware from Alice Waters + Heath Ceramics, All for a Good Cause

February 5, 2020

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Home Home in Taiwan A Rustic Bungalow Converted to a Cozy House Caf portrait 7 28

remodelista

Order our new book Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home ⬇️

Home Home in Taiwan A Rustic Bungalow Converted to a Cozy House Caf portrait 7 29

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack