Perched above Chiang Mai, The Lanna Ecstasy is a duplex penthouse that reinterprets the city’s Lanna traditions for present-day living. Designed by Bareo, an interior design practice based in Thailand, the 350-square-metre residence draws from the region’s seven centuries of Lanna heritage while avoiding a literal recreation of traditional architecture.
Instead, the design translates Lanna principles through carefully considered proportions, handcrafted details, natural materials, and traditional references. Teakwood, stone, handcrafted details, and traditional motifs are woven into a home shaped around the rhythms of everyday life.
The residence was created for a client whose vision for his homes extended beyond aesthetics. Each residence in his portfolio was intended to reflect the identity of its location while remaining aligned with his lifestyle. His connection with Chiang Mai’s slower rhythm, understated elegance, and surrounding mountainous landscape influenced the design narrative.
Occupying the building’s uppermost levels, the 350-square-metre duplex penthouse presented both an opportunity and a challenge. Although generous in scale, the existing layout lacked spatial clarity and a clear sense of connection between spaces, requiring a fundamental rethinking of how the home could function.
Transforming a Chiang Mai penthouse through spatial redesign
The most significant challenge within The Lanna Ecstasy was a large U-shaped staircase positioned at the centre of the interior. Rather than enhancing the flow of the interior, the staircase interrupted circulation and limited the openness the residence could achieve.
The redesign began with resolving the layout limitations before introducing new interior elements. The original staircase was removed and replaced with a linear structure positioned along the wall, creating a more fluid connection between spaces while allowing movement, light, and visual continuity to extend throughout the residence.
This intervention changed how the different areas of the home were connected. The lower level was transformed into an open arrangement of living, dining, and kitchen spaces that transition naturally into one another. Instead of separating activities into enclosed rooms, the design creates a more flexible setting that supports both everyday living and social interaction.
The staircase transformation also created additional space on the upper level for leisure activities. A steel framework was introduced to reduce structural load, while solid wood finishes installed over cement board provide a tactile surface underfoot. Clear glass railing and black steel detailing complete the refined interpretation of the timber elements found throughout the residence.
A former service zone becomes the heart of the residence
One of the most significant transformations took place in the kitchen. Previously occupied by service areas, including a maid’s facility, the zone was reconfigured into a spacious culinary environment designed around the owner’s lifestyle.
A central plumbing shaft presented a major challenge within the new kitchen layout. Rather than concealing the building’s existing infrastructure, Bareo chose to expose the internal pipes and transform them into a design feature. Custom stainless-steel tubing finished in a copper tone was introduced around the shaft, turning a functional requirement into a sculptural element within the space.
The kitchen was designed around the owner’s passion for cooking, incorporating a full-function induction hob and the latest version of a Teppanyaki grill. To accommodate the expanded cooking area, an oversized custom hood was designed with a lift-up door that conceals the exhaust ducts while maintaining the interior’s overall material palette.
The exposed shaft became one of the defining details of the kitchen rather than a limitation within the layout.
Bringing Lanna heritage into contemporary interiors
References to Chiang Mai’s Lanna heritage appear throughout the residence through carefully adapted elements. Rather than replicating traditional Thai architecture, Bareo translated its principles into carefully considered details, materials, and planning decisions.
At the main entrance, double doors made from solid teakwood reinterpret traditional Thai wood panels. The carved openings, which would traditionally be filled with solid timber, were instead fitted with Thai-style wood fretwork and gold-fabric laminated glass sheets. The layered design creates a translucent effect, allowing residents to recognise the shape of visitors while maintaining privacy from outside.
Traditional craftsmanship appears throughout the residence in selected details. Warm teakwood surfaces, refined stone finishes, and layered textures give the interiors a sense of warmth and permanence.
A traditional Thai architectural element known as “Ham Yon” also became an important interior detail. Historically used in Thai houses as carved wooden ventilation pieces above doors and windows, Ham Yon was adapted for use within the penthouse. The carved elements were installed above the entrance doors and hallway openings, while also replacing conventional air-conditioning supply grilles.
Crafted details connect tradition with everyday living
Several bespoke elements reinforce the connection between the interiors and traditional Thai craftsmanship. In the dining area, a gold and black lacquer scripture cabinet forms a focal point, drawing inspiration from ancient Thai temple scriptures.
The cabinet was designed with a tapered shape and finished using a traditional gold-leaf technique applied by hand. Each sheet of gold leaf was individually placed to create the desired pattern, a process that took approximately two months to complete. The doors feature “Thep-panom”, or the Greeting Angel motif, intended to bless the owner with good luck, alongside traditional Thai border patterns.
The project also included custom-designed furniture created specifically to complement the interior. The Lanna dining chair, one of the standout pieces, was inspired by the Chinese horseshoe-back chair, a form that became popular in the Thai kingdom for more than a century. Bareo adapted the shape for dining use by refining the curves of the back and armrests to create a form suited to modern lifestyles while retaining its cultural reference.
The same attention to detail extends to other areas of the residence. A six-metre-high wall beside the staircase features a Thai traditional wood panel pattern finished in a two-tone colour scheme, complemented by the redesigned staircase.
Designing spaces for relaxation and everyday living
Beyond entertaining areas, The Lanna Ecstasy includes spaces dedicated to relaxation and leisure.
The upper level features a dedicated leisure space centred around the owner’s passion for pool. A professional-standard table overlooks the panoramic landscape of Chiang Mai’s mountains, creating a retreat where recreation and the surrounding environment remain closely connected.
Beside the staircase, an unused area was transformed into a multifunctional massage space. A large wooden platform was introduced with a bed cushion and triangular pillows, allowing the space to function as a relaxation area, sleeping surface, or setting for Thai massage.
The design also incorporates a ventilation solution within the massage platform. A removable oval-shaped cushion allows the user to lie face down during treatments, while a Thai carved ventilation piece beneath the cushion connects with the sculpture stand behind the bed to support fresh airflow during spa treatments.
In the bathrooms, material choices continue the balance between aesthetics and functionality. Amazonite marble was introduced on the shower floor, contrasting with black Marquina acrylic solid surfaces. The marble finish was selected with consideration for reducing slipperiness in the wet area.
A contemporary expression of Chiang Mai’s heritage
Throughout The Lanna Ecstasy, Bareo combines heritage-inspired details with thoughtful planning and detailing. These influences appear through craftsmanship, material choices, and functional elements rather than decorative imitation.
During the design process, several additional concepts, including biophilic installations and water features, were explored but ultimately set aside in favour of practicality, balance, and long-term liveability.
Completed in August 2023, the duplex penthouse presents a refined interpretation of Lanna identity, combining traditional craftsmanship with the requirements of modern living. Spatial reorganisation, handcrafted details, and a restrained material palette allow the residence to carry Chiang Mai’s Lanna influences into a home shaped by its location and the owner’s way of life.
The Lanna Ecstasy won the award for Best Residential Interiors Award – Penthouse in the 2026 BIP Global Interior Design Awards.
