Tropical Villa Open to Nature & Pool | $1 Million Stunning Riverfront Home | Architecture
Can you imagine, in the peace and quiet of Chiang Mai, Thailand, sits a home surrounded by nature, and it costs just around $1 million. The builder took up the challenge of transforming this irregularly shaped piece of land — from this to this.
“Most thing that, I think it is the most challenge of this land — how to use the environment that you have around your land to be inside the home. But you need to still make the privacy and environment,” shared Su Tast from Aurum Development.
My name is Alex Lee, and I am from Design Seed. Design Seed has now ventured to Chiang Mai in Thailand.
This episode is in collaboration with Aurum Development Company, builders of luxury homes that create living spaces shaped around lifestyles.
From the street, the home presents itself with a quiet restraint. But inside, the layout reveals an unconventional inverted home, facing away from the street and embracing nature — where life begins and ends with the sunrise and sunset, where space is oriented around a central swimming pool.
“Hello, my name is Su Tast. I used to be a builder, and I contact with a lot of architecture. Now I have the developer company named Aurum. The most purpose that we do this business, I want to sell the happiness. The happiness of the client is the most important thing that I tell my team.”
“So I think this one I want to make it like a house — to do the best house that uses the environment to engage everything of the house.”
“When you see this piece of land, the shape is not easy to design, but they have the strong point of the land. They have only one neighbour. The left side, the right side is the canal. The front side is the road, and the width of the land is around 75m.”
The entrance invites you in with a dramatic pause. With a façade completed entirely with natural stone, the natural material creates a timeless look — the perfect beginning of a home designed for retreat.
“For the Canalo, I want this house is be one of the nature. All of the materials I use — stone, steel, wood. I don’t use the colour for painting. I use the feeling of the material to set it in the nature.”
The angled entrance of the car park sets the tone immediately. By shifting the entryway away from a straight line of sight, this creates privacy. You’re never looking directly into the heart of the home. Instead, the approach draws you inward layer by layer.
“The main entrance that I design, I design is like the cave. When you go to the cave, you will have the surprise thing — next surprise, next surprise, next surprise. Explore the views, explore the feeling.”
“This house is really close to the river. The front side I make it like the forest. I plant a lot of trees in the front side, so I use the nature to be the screen of the house. When you go to upstairs, you can see all of the mountain,” explained Su Tast.
The entrance opens to a spiral staircase set against a framed backdrop of lush greenery. It is a stunning arrival where architecture and nature define the heart of the home.
The stairs lead to a study designed to balance focus with nature. Furnished in dark wooden tones, the room carries a natural warmth. Greenery breathes life into the space with the scenic views of the landscape and pool.
Leading towards the bedrooms, instead of the rooms facing the street, a corridor was placed at the front — a simple gesture that transformed what was an ordinary transition into a living canvas. The hallway itself becomes an experiential art gallery, with a skylight that replaces the standard ceiling. The hallway itself is painted with the changing light of the day.
“When you go from the front side, the shape of the house, the façade of the house look like the wall, cannot see anything inside. But when you go inside, you start to contact with the environment. Every room, every terrace, every place in the house contact with the environment.”
At the end of the hallway, the master suite unfolds as a private retreat. A small wooden balcony stands out against the home’s black façade in a subtle yet striking statement.
The highlight of the master bedroom is this large balcony. A spacious outdoor lounge is perfectly angled to frame uninterrupted views of the horizon — a simple move that maximizes privacy while allowing the home to open fully to a lush landscape where mornings begin quietly and evening ends with the sky’s changing light. This is a sanctuary that marries perfectly nature and architecture.
A spacious walk-in wardrobe sets the tone of quiet luxury as it leads into the master bathroom. Here the space unfolds as a true retreat with a full-size jacuzzi. Above, daylight pours in from a skylight, casting a warm glow over the red tiles and creating striking contrast against the black marble.
The bedrooms in this home are furnished with textured walls and sleek curved carpentry. Unlike most homes where ceilings follow a standard design, each room from here has its own curated atmosphere.
Cove lighting, diffused lighting, and even integrated carpentry lighting shape the mood and depth of every bedroom, turning every ceiling into a subtle design feature.
Each room extends outwards to its own private balcony. The views of the landscape are intimate yet refreshing.
This has to be one of my favourite spots in this home. Can you imagine having a guest room that has its own private pool villa? On the ground floor, this guest room has more than one stunning view. From the front, it opens directly onto the swimming pool, while to the side, a river runs parallel — surrounded by lush greenery.
This is a unique addition to the home, as a secluded retreat and a private entertainment space.
The living area embraces an open-plan layout. Full-length windows maintain a seamless outdoor-indoor connection. The pool becomes a living backdrop, transforming daily moments into a scene of calm and leisure.
“The fence that I do, I don’t do the normal fence. We try to contact with the environment — the sounds, the frames, the mountain, everything that you can use from the environment.”
From the living area, a subtle step marks the transition into the dining space — clearly defining the two zones while keeping them visually connected. Adjacent to the dining area sits a spacious dry kitchen, anchored by a striking black marble countertop. Its rich shade complements the palette of wood and stone used throughout the home. Curated with natural materials, the kitchen is a space that feels both modern and timeless.
Behind a sliding door, the wet kitchen is tucked neatly away — practical, efficient, and out of sight when not in use. It allows the dry kitchen and dining area to remain refined and uncluttered.
Outdoors, the home opens to a stretch of green lawn. A river nearby adds calmness to the scene, anchoring the house in nature. It is not an everyday opportunity to have a house that is alongside a natural river just at the backyard. From the garden to the water’s edge, the landscape completes the unique story of this house.
In this home’s simplicity lies poetry in its serenity and open spaces. This is a home shaped by nature and by passage of time itself.
Check out this couple’s cosy retirement home in Chiang Mai by the same developer!
Check out the full video below!
Available For Sale
price USD 1.3 million (THB 43.9 million)
Book an exclusive tour to check out this riverfront luxury villa in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Location: Wang Tan Village, Hang Dong, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Fully Furnished Luxury Villa
- Land Size: 255 sq. w.
- Usable area: 946 sq. m.
- Parking: 4 cars
- 5 bedrooms
- 7 bathrooms
- Living Area & Dining - Pantry Zone
- Thai Kitchen & Laundry Area
- Saltwater Pool System 14 x 4m
- Party Zone & Bar
- Garden & Outdoor Terrace
- Maid Room with Bathroom
- Internet Access Points Throughout
- Security: 6 CCTV Cameras & Digital Door Lock
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