Thailand-based interior design practice Bareo has won the 2026 BIP Global Interior Design Award for Best Residential Interiors in the Penthouse and Luxury Villa categories.
The BIP Global Interior Design Awards recognise projects that demonstrate excellence in design through innovation, creativity and functionality. The programme celebrates spaces distinguished by outstanding design quality, originality, and enduring value.
The Lanna Ecstasy, a duplex penthouse in Chiang Mai, won for Heritage & Cultural Design, while Villa Le Rac, a bespoke luxury villa, won for Custom & Bespoke Design.
Although conceived from different starting points, both projects demonstrate how carefully considered interiors derive their identity from context, whether cultural or deeply personal.
The Lanna Ecstasy reinterprets cultural identity through contemporary interiors
Designing with heritage often presents a delicate balance. When handled superficially, tradition becomes ornament. When approached with greater rigour, it can shape the way a space is organised, experienced, and inhabited. The Lanna Ecstasy belongs firmly to the latter.
Occupying the upper floors of a duplex penthouse in Chiang Mai, the project reinterprets the architectural traditions of the historic Lanna Kingdom through a contemporary residential interior that values proportion, craftsmanship, and materiality over literal historical references. Rather than recreating familiar motifs, Bareo distilled regional influences into a series of carefully considered design interventions that strengthen both the function and character of the home, creating a strong sense of place that was central to the jury’s decision.
The transformation began with the reorganisation of the existing plan. Replacing the original U-shaped staircase with a linear alternative fundamentally improved circulation, opened long internal views, and established a more fluid relationship between the living, dining, and kitchen spaces. The intervention also allowed the penthouse to capitalise on its elevated setting, reinforcing openness and panoramic living without compromising intimacy, an approach the jury recognised for significantly enhancing functionality and liveability.
The jury also highlighted the project’s handling of cultural detail. Traditional Ham Yon ventilation elements were reinterpreted as components of the home’s contemporary mechanical systems, illustrating how vernacular architectural principles can continue to perform practical functions within modern interiors. Bespoke entrance doors combine carved timber, laminated glass, and woven stainless steel into an elegant composition that balances craftsmanship, privacy, and symbolism without becoming overtly decorative.
The clearest demonstration of the project’s design discipline lies in its response to technical constraints. Instead of concealing an intrusive plumbing shaft within the kitchen, Bareo exposed the building services and reclad them in sculptural copper-finished stainless steel, transforming an unavoidable engineering condition into one of the residence’s defining architectural features.
Throughout the interior, custom-designed furniture, traditional timber detailing, handcrafted lacquer work, and gold-leaf artistry reinforce a cohesive design language in which every element contributes to the same architectural intent. The jury regarded this ability to transform architectural constraints into defining design features as one of the project’s distinguishing achievements.
The jury highlighted the project’s ability to reinterpret Lanna and Thai architectural traditions through intelligent spatial planning, bespoke craftsmanship, and a restrained contemporary design language. Rather than treating heritage as something to preserve behind glass, the project demonstrates how it can continue to evolve through everyday living, balancing cultural authenticity with contemporary luxury.
Villa Le Rac: A bespoke interpretation of luxury living
While The Lanna Ecstasy derives its identity from place, Villa Le Rac is shaped by the lives, memories, and routines of its occupants.
The residence presents a quieter interpretation of luxury, one shaped less by visual spectacle than by the relationships, routines, and evolving needs of a family. Every major design decision reflects that ambition, resulting in an interior where architecture, furniture, and materiality work together to support daily life while expressing a distinct sense of individuality. This highly personalised approach was fundamental to the project’s recognition for Custom & Bespoke Design.
A sculptural semi-spiral staircase anchors the spatial experience, establishing both a visual focal point and a stronger connection between levels.
Bespoke furniture, including the custom-designed ONDAL chair, together with integrated display systems, extends that personalised approach, allowing everyday objects and family collections to become part of the architecture rather than separate decorative additions. These bespoke interventions create a residential environment tailored to its occupants.
Material selection follows the same philosophy. Yakisugi timber, natural stone, carefully crafted joinery, and integrated lighting create interiors with warmth, texture, and longevity, while architectural features such as the prism partition introduce visual interest without disrupting the home’s calm character.
The result is a sequence of spaces that feel distinct in their atmospheres yet remain unified by a consistent design language, reflecting the careful balance of craftsmanship, material refinement, and architectural clarity recognised by the jury.
The jury recognised Villa Le Rac for demonstrating how bespoke residential design can be both emotionally meaningful and architecturally rigorous. Its thoughtful spatial planning, refined craftsmanship, and carefully integrated custom elements create a home that balances intimacy with openness, supporting shared family experiences alongside moments of privacy.
It presents a more enduring interpretation of luxury, one defined by individuality, comfort, and long-term residential value, offering a compelling alternative to more conventional expressions of high-end residential design.
Although the projects respond to different design questions, both are guided by the same underlying discipline. While The Lanna Ecstasy draws on the cultural legacy of northern Thailand to shape a contemporary penthouse, Villa Le Rac builds its identity around the everyday lives of its owners.
Together, they illustrate that the most compelling residential interiors are not defined by a recognisable aesthetic, but by the precision with which every design decision responds to its context, whether cultural or personal.
“Design is the art of solving problems. Great design solves them intelligently, beautifully, and in ways that leave a lasting impression.”
Worawut Thammakulangkul, Founder, Bareo
About Bareo
Bareo Co., Ltd. is a Thai interior design and turnkey services firm founded by architect Worawut Thamkulangkul in 1991. Initially focused on Thailand’s mid-range residential market, the company gained early recognition for its unconventional show-home interiors, including its work for Noble Park, which was featured on the cover of Baan & Suan magazine in 1993.
Bareo provides an integrated service covering design, furniture production, and installation. Its operations include a 3,000-square-metre furniture factory supported by more than 50 full-time professional carpenters. Over three decades, the firm has delivered residential, commercial, healthcare, and workplace interiors, while its design team has received multiple international industry awards.
Contact Details
Bareo Co., Ltd.
118 Intrawas Road, Bang Ramad Taling Chan, Bangkok
Thailand
Tel: +6624081341 / 0838999989
