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Vichayuth Chantan
08 Aug 2022
[This story first appeared in Koktail Magazine Issue 3.]
"Prae" Duangkamol Vephula Waagensen’s 360 sqm home is a part of The Pillar, a modern, tranquil condo located in Sukhumvit 71. The reason for choosing this place to live in begins even before we get the chance to walk in: “Location matters,” says Prae. “Here, it’s very peaceful but close to all the facilities you need for a family—a hospital, international schools, the highway—they’re all just a five-minute drive away.”
Prae is in fact the proud owner of the building, living in the two-storey penthouse—three, if you count the rooftop level—with her husband Peter and their two lovable yellow labradors, Oscar and Hercules. “I wanted the condo to have the feel of a house.” She elaborates, “There are three things I have put so much focus on: natural light, greenery, and being pet-friendly. I have two so I understand pet owners looking for homes, and that’s why the Pillar has no weight limit for pets. Whatever kind you love, bring them in.”
With the elevator opening straight to the living room, visitors are greeted with contemporary, Scandinavian-style interiors, characterised by their minimalist appearance yet practicality. “I wanted the place to be timeless, modern, and contemporary, but it had to be functional. It would feel like wasting space if it were not. This is always on my mind as I am picking things to add to each room,” says the homeowner.
To ensure that the aesthetics are on point, many of the main furniture pieces and decorations have been imported from Denmark. The rest is sourced from other foreign brands that fit well with the couple’s style. Prae walks us through some of the inventory: Poltrona Frau sofas, Georg Jensen vases, and Louis Poulsen lamps. “The one there with the family photos,” she points to the table, “is a limited edition designed by Poul Henninsen.”
However, the most notable conversation pieces have to be the speakers placed throughout the living room. “They’re all Bang & Olufsen’s, from Denmark.” This is when Prae decides to put on some music from her iPad for the rest of the home tour and when we realise that the chic, hexagonal wall decorations above the lounge chairs are speakers—a prime example of her beautiful-yet-functional policy. Other speakers are deliberately positioned to ensure that music can be easily heard at each of the key stations: the dining area, the kitchen, the sofas in the living, and so on.
Apart from the speakers, the walls are also adorned with the works of Chiang Mai-based artist Kitikong Tilokwattanotai. “The artist and I became friends after I bought a few of his paintings,” Prae explains. “I wanted something calming and soothing. I feel like his works fit what I was going for, as well as the place as a whole.”
It’s clear Prae and Peter took a very hands-on approach in creating their home and have a way of turning their imagination into reality. She tells us that, for example, when designing the bathroom, they had a black and gold theme in mind.“ And checkerboard-patterned flooring is normally vintage but when paired with other colours and patterns, it becomes more contemporary,” Prae notes.
Walking along the chevron parquet-patterned wood floor, visitors will see the stunning all-white kitchen Prae’s Kitchen fans are so familiar with. The white-marbled countertops are neatly filled with a plethora of oils and spices, many of which came directly from her garden on the penthouse rooftop. But for those wondering about the kitchen: yes, it is as pretty in real life as it is on her Instagram posts.
As Prae gets ready to serve a delicious meal, she opens a cabinet filled with an impressive array of luxurious utensils. “The silverware is from Georg Jensen. These beautiful plates and bowls are from Royal Copenhagen, and I also have the works of Phannapast [Taychamaythakool] on some of the plates.” She also shows us a couple of beautiful decanters from Riedel, as she and Peter like to have wine sometimes. “We pick these items by ourselves, and I feel like when we pay attention to the details, it adds a little more sophistication to every meal.”
We take a quick peek at the rooftop, where besides the herb garden is a grill, a large table, and enough chairs to host a family reunion. Overlooking the view of the quiet corner of Sukhumvit, there’s not a better place for a backyard-style barbeque.
En route to see the upstairs, we catch a glimpse of the room adjacent to the stairs. Inside, a pool table sits in the middle of the room, and an impressive wall full of awards, including the Queen Sirikit Cup and the Ambassador’s Cup, catches the eye. “I play golf pretty often,” Prae explains succinctly.
Walking up the stairs to the second floor, you will find the family room with a cosy sofa and a home theatre set. On the walls are a vast collection of family portraits, old photos of each member, and other memorabilia. It is a neatly-organised assortment down the memory lane Prae and Peter pass every time they make their way to the bedroom.
The most notable feature of the bedroom is the floor-to-ceiling window with a gorgeous view of the neighbourhood. The rest of the room is also decorated Scandi-style, with a soft, snuggly bed from Flou, pillows from Ralph Lauren, and carpets of different sizes and colours scattered throughout.
Carpets seem to be a recurring theme in Prae’s house—there’s at least one in every single room, including the restrooms. “Carpets make a house feel warm and cosy”, she says. “This one’s actually from IKEA. I love designers, branded items and all that, but at the end of the day, it’s about mixing and matching whatever works best for the space. In fact, the shelves and cabinets you saw in the living room are all from IKEA.”
“This living space is a collective effort of me and my husband,” says Prae. “We have our friends over quite often, so the house is a display of our individuality and how we live our daily lives. That’s why everything was handpicked, from the furniture, down to the light sockets. As it’s completed, we feel that warm feeling that everything here is ours, and if you really feel at home, you don’t really need to go anywhere.”
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