Arto and Sirin Artinian are the happy homeowners of this luxuriously appointed home
This month we head to Nichada Park, an exclusive upscale residential compound on the outskirts of northern Bangkok, to visit the contemporary home of Arto Artinian, owner of jewellery boutique Maison Artinian at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and his wife Sirin. Artinian is an Armenian who has made Bangkok his home and is the honorary consul for Armenia and founder of the Armenian-Thai Chamber of Commerce. The couple, who have been happily married for 15 years, moved into the property around 18 months ago with their two teenage children and Artinian’s mother.
We enter the expansive residence through a pair of beautiful wooden doors flanked by Christmas wreaths to celebrate the festive season this month. Almost three metres in height, the portal makes a bold statement from the get-go. This is a home that incorporates seriously sophisticated architectural design.
Constructed on one-and-a-half rai of land, the asymmetric U-shaped building surrounded by a large lawned garden complete with swimming pool is visible the minute we make our way inside because almost all the external walls to the rear of the house comprise floor-to-ceiling windows. These not only let in an abundance of natural light but also create an overwhelming sense of space and continuity between the outdoors and interior.
Christmas decorations are a yearly tradition in this Orthodox household
“One of the most important features of this house is the architecture,” says Artinian. “We really wanted to have a home with a large garden that we can physically enjoy and also see from the inside. And even though we get a lot of sunlight indoors, the house is designed with a covered veranda so it never gets hot in the living room.” This meticulous attention to detail, as we soon discover, is reflected throughout the entire property. With a clear vision of what he wanted, everything from the architecture to the interior décor reflects the homeowner’s personal tastes.
The entire ground floor area is paved with gleaming grey-veined white marble tiles, which add to the illumination of the interior and the cool feel of the space. In fact, cooling grey in different shades is the dominant colour within the property. “We used Italian marble indoors but some of the stone on the exterior walls is local,” says Artinian. “As you can see, we like simple, toned down colour schemes, nothing flashy.” Touches of colour are added where needed through wall-mounted paintings, many the work of Armenian artists.
A must-have for Arto Artinian is this large cellar showcasing his wine collectio
The chic home showcases an open layout on the ground floor with a central living area where two white and one dark grey sofas frame a glass coffee table. The setting is given vibrancy with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. In the left wing of the house is another cosy seating area, also festively decorated, where the family likes to enjoy breakfast together. Here a Kashmiri carpet adds colour. Adjacent to this is a luxurious pantry with an island counter and top-of-the-range appliances from Germany. From here one door leads to the main kitchen and another to a home cinema hidden behind the family area.
“Most of the rooms are designed to give a view of the garden,” says Artinian.
A large black 10-seater dining table from Euro Creations is located on the right wing. Next to it a small marble bar and wine cellar are visible through glass doors. “The wine cellar was a must for me,” he laughs. “I didn’t want just any wine cellar but one that I could display as an extension of the interior, hence the glass windows.”
The outdoor area beside the swimming pool oozes a more eclectic industrial vibe. Equipped with a marble pantry boasting a pizza oven and barbecue station, it is an inviting spot in which to entertain friends and family. “We have guests over regularly and I like to make my own pizzas and barbecue,” smiles the homeowner. Here there is also a long wooden table custom-made in Chiang Mai and more Christmas decorations giving a festive vibe. After a long day’s work, this is where you will find Artinian unwinding with a good cigar. A guest bedroom with its own chic bathroom is located in this wing. “It has its own access and offers guests privacy,” he says. “It also has a great view of the pool and garden and feels like staying in a small resort.”
On the second floor, the master bedroom is kept simple yet classy. Light grey curtains and a cream coloured king-sized bed bookended by two small bedside tables keep the minimalist space clutter-free. Facing the bed is a flat-screen television mounted on the wall. The other rooms on this floor include the children’s bedrooms and Artinian’s mother’s room. His young daughter’s room is the epitome of a girl’s bedroom with a profusion of pink, including walls, furniture and carpet. One noticeable feature is that all the bedrooms in the house, five including the guest bedroom, enjoy great views of the garden. “But I think my daughter’s room has the best view because it is right at the centre,” laughs Artinian.
This is a luxurious sanctuary that undeniably reflects the homeowner’s distinguished taste. With the help of a feng shui master, Artinian says the U-shape of the house and allocation of living areas were all carefully laid out to be conducive to a good energy flow throughout the home. Both from the inside and outside, this is an impressive residence. If you walk to the far end of the garden and look back you get a panoramic view of the entire house, which allows you to truly appreciate not only the scale of the property but also the infrastructure’s clean lines and expansive windows—design cues that point to the architectural style of Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus school of the 1930s. “We definitely didn’t want to have a beautiful home that’s just for show,” says Artinian. “We spend a lot of time here because it is a functional and comfortable family space far removed from the buzz of the city centre.”
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