In one of the villa projects I worked on, I had the opportunity to design the entrance area, which also included a storage room and a staff room. At first, itseemed like a small part of the project, but I soon realized that this space carried many responsibilities. It was not only the first impression for guests, but also afunctional area that supports the daily operations of the villa.When designing the staff room, I thought carefully about how the space would actually be used. Although I do not often work closely with villa staff, I have observed enough of the daily routines in a villa to understand some of their needs.

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Because of that, I did not design the space only for staff activities, but alsoconsidered situations that often happen in villas. For example, guests sometimescheck out but still need a place to leave their luggage before they depart. To accommodate this, I designed a dedicated area where guests’ belongings couldbe safely stored. This space is separated with a partition wall that in the future willbe finished with stone, giving it a more solid and refined appearance.

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At the same time, I also wanted the staff to have a comfortable place wherethey could sit and relax during their break time. Instead of using a conventional door, I chose to close the space with bamboo krey. This creates a softer and more breathable boundary while still providing a sense of privacy.The storage room itself is located at the main entrance, which made its design more important than a typical service space. The door is designed using a woodlattice, a detail that reflects one of the main materials used throughout the house. In this way, even the storage room becomes part of the architectural language of the villa and contributes to the first impression that guests experience when theyarrive.Inside the storage room, I designed wooden shelves for storing items such as linen, cleaning supplies, and other operational necessities. While searching forreferences, I came across a unique wood joint detail on Pinterest that caught my attention.

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It was a joint that I had rarely seen used in shelving before, and I wanted to explore whether it could be integrated into the design. My intention was to create shelves that felt elegant and thoughtfully crafted, even though theywere meant for storage. However, inspiration alone was not enough. I also had to consider whether the joint would be structurally strong enough to hold the weight of the stored items. Because of this, I discussed the idea with the wood craftsman to understand whether the detail could realistically be built and whether it would function well in daily use.

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This process reminded me that design details must always balancebeauty with practicality. The lattice doors and wooden elements in the entrance area were also something I explored together with the architect. Through research and discussion,we studied how these details could be integrated into the overall design of thehouse so that the materials and patterns felt consistent throughout the project.This entrance project reminded me that even the most functional spacesdeserve thoughtful design. Storage rooms, staff rooms, and small architecturaldetails may not always be the focus of attention, but they still play an important role in how a place functions and feels. For me, caring about these small details is part of growing as a designer.