FM.X Interior Design completed a private hut in the countryside Fujian, China to escape noisy environment of the city, built with floor-to-ceiling glazing and height with natural materials and furnitures.

Named Returning Hut, the residence occupies 390 square meters area and includes living room, video room, two bedrooms, children room, storage and a large bathroom featuring a natural stone in the two-storey house.

Living room features a long table made of natural stone, which is also called tea-table 

''Living in the hustle and bustle of city, working hard day and night for life and career, when stop and look back, the blue sky, green grass, beautiful mountains and open fields of childhood still linger in people’s mind,'' said FM.X Interior Design.

''So people are eager to get away from the multifarious city, and return back to the long-lost nature to freely breathe the fresh air. Mr. Zhang, the owner, grew up in the countryside thinks that both apartments and villas nowadays are too small in size. Story height of commercial housing is becoming lower and lower and makes people feel uncomfortable.''

Living room

''The site of this project is very quiet, he loves this piece of land. Due to his longing for natural environment and original life, he has been wishing to own a paradise-like house in a valley far away from the city where he and his families could enjoy a quiet and leisurely life,'' added the studio.

Living room with floor-to-ceiling glazing overlooking beautiful garden

The site is located on a wild hillside surrounded by mountains and forests and facing the sea. Its geomorphic feature is unique and the surrounding environment is tranquil and peaceful. Built at the foot of the mountain and beside the forest, the hut hides in the valleys and retains and uses to the greatest degree the natural rocks and trees. 

Living room from the staircase 

This makes it blends well into the surrounding natural scenery. Though it is just inches away from the downtown, it brings people who live in it an experience of living secluded from the world, just as the verse puts: why I live far away from where others dwell? Because you hear no secular noise. 

The design style of the interior space is simple, elegant and natural; it shows respect for nature and gives people a feeling of cutting off from the noisy city and returning back to real tranquility and peace. The plain wall is mainly made of natural materials such as bluestone, slate and solid wood etc. and without excess decoration. It reflects the essence of space and materials and presents a space where nature coexists with human. 

Through reasonable functional planning and use of simple lines and structures, and together with adopting simple and natural furniture as decoration in the space, a simple but cozy and warm living space is built.

Entrance of the house

Affected by factors such as construction conditions on the hillside, the special structures and construction period, etc., construction craft failed to reach the desired result and there are some flaws. Yet, on the whole, the completed hut reflects the life attitude pursued both by the owner and designer: return to nature, be humble, simple, unadorned and pure. 

Master bedroom covered by wood and looks at master bathroom wrapped by fully glass 

The essence of design is to weaken design, which means that the designer should forget about the design and even return to a state of void. When the formal language of design recedes, the inherent concern in humanity for life in the universe becomes apparent. Humans, as intelligent beings, observe what is beyond matters and directly tug at human hearts. 

View from master bathroom with natural stone overlooking master bedroom 

This is a type of life which is simple, humble, natural, unadorned, and pure. Thus, it’s important to preserve and apply natural mountains, rocks and trees to the largest extent possible, so that accidentalness and inevitability will merge into one. 

Eminent Monk Da De say: ''Live in the mountain, and you will attain the Buddha Fruit. Live in the city, and the city will turn into a hell.'' By attaching thoughts to mountains and rocks and forgetting all mundane things, all mortal beings can become Buddha. ?

Second bedroom

Site plan

Floor plans

Project facts

Design director: XU Fu-Min 

Design company: FM.X Interior Design 

Design scope: Architecture and Interior Design 

Project type: Residence 

Location: Fujian, China 

Area: 390 sqm 

Completion time: 2015 

All images © WU Yong-Chang

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