Nowadays, people seem to be afraid of being regarded as idlers while the ancients had a totally different view. Su Shi once said, “Rivers, mountains, winds and the moon belong to no one, and idlers can enjoy them for free.” The ancient Chinese character “xian” (“idle”) means leaning against the door and watching the moonlight. At this moment, identity is completely ignored. All that matters is one’s inner heart.

Sanyea wants to free modern people from their mundane affairs. After feeling the romance of the sea, Sanyea turns to the mountains for a leisurely place to stay in. The dense forest allows Fusion to feel the beauty of nature as well. Therefore, Fusion and Sanyea work together to create a paradise for tourists. This is the origin of SANYEA-Forest Retreat I.

SANYEA-Forest Retreat II is a more secluded architecture in the forests. Fusion continues the main design concept of Forest Retreat I, extracting aesthetic symbols and elements from nature and decorating the space with excellent design. Fusion further emphasizes the sense of space to present a “home” of idleness and elegance far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here, we can spend as much time as we like to wind down.

Eaves of green tiles shelter people from gentle breezes and drizzles. The cladding and the inside decorations are mainly black and white, which contrast sharply and coexist harmoniously. It is like an ethereal Chinese ink painting, in which a few brushes can outline the earth, mountains, rivers, and everything in the world. The simpler the painting is, the more charm it shows. All kinds of ink-like black materials spread out in the white space, rendering a more stable and calmer atmosphere.

The beauty of Chinese artistic conception is pictorial. Not amazing at first sight, it needs to be carefully tasted and demands the combination of heaven, earth and man. Strolling in the spacious public area and different corners, visitors can always enjoy an unexpected, excellent view and have infinite associations.

The modern plain sofas, the solid irregularly-shaped coffee tables and the old Chinese furniture and ornaments complement each other, creating a profound charm. In the house, three or four antique official’s hat armchairs are set, a partially-broken old ceramic pot is used for decoration, and an old abandoned wooden beam is transformed into a floor lamp... How to preserve the stories and traces of time and how to combine them with the needs of modern people are what Fusion intends to answer through this project.

People’s sight extends to the distance following the dark lines of the ceiling, from the western kitchen to the opposite side, and then lands on a turning space to be explored. In the designers’ conception, the contrast of elements, such as black and white, high and low, sparse and dense, implies a new understanding of the division and construction of different spaces. Sunlight moves through these rooms over time, which adds a special filter to the space.

In the corridor, light pours down, enlightening people all of a sudden. The light outside the window leads people to go upstairs to the second floor. The light casting through the gaps is like a time pointer, moving slowly on the black wood surface as the sun moves. Everything seems to slow down, suggesting the comers to load off their minds and relax.

The sign “Calm Your Mind” is hung on the door, like a notice to comers. Just as Su Shi said, “The moon, bamboos and cypresses are everywhere, but there are no idle people like we two.” This is a place where friends can enjoy together a more intimate and leisurely time.

Black wood veneers on the walls create an ink-painting-like private atmosphere, and a black beam crosses the slanted white ceiling uniquely. Outside the windows, mountains, forests and the blue sky form diverse pictures. Light and shadow and indoor space and natural environment seem to be incompatible, but in fact, they complement each other.

The booths beside the dining tables offer the guests another choice. How relaxing it is to savor wine in the changing light.

In the guest rooms, gratings made up of screens and window edges divide the indoor and outdoor scenery into numerous scenes. The bedroom, the outdoor courtyard with pools, the distant buildings and the mountains are independent yet interconnected.

The guest rooms are mainly decorated with wooden furniture and soft wall paint extending to the outdoors. The dappled tree shadows and the shimmering pool strengthen guests’ refreshing feelings when they rest in the rooms.

Plain quality furniture and fabric, delicate hanging pictures, and a bamboo lamp show the calm lifestyle. Such an environment makes people look forward to a drizzle when they can brew a pot of tea under the eaves. Escaping from the cities to this retreat, you can slow down your pace and spend time enjoying the present. Those neglected and subtle perceptions begin to emerge. Thus, you realize the significance of “home” here.

Scrolling on our mobile phones, we marvel at others’ lives such as walking in the desert, dancing at sunset by the river, and appreciating the moon in the tree shadows, but it is hard for us to slow down the pace, or even make a cup of tea for ourselves in rainy days. We feel unnecessary to do these things just because we cannot gain benefits from them.

Mr. Zhou Zuoren once said, “Besides our daily necessities, we must have some useless recreation, so that life can be joyful.”In such beautiful scenery and such a comfortable place, why not be an idler and do something useless?