Twelve
Gables

Summary of Features

Features

Grand Entrance

Grand Salon

The Twelve Gables - Front View

Twelve Gables, located at the foot of Doi Khom Mountain in Thailand, uses East and West in stunning perfection. Designed by acclaimed architect David DeLong, the home has been called "a contemporary masterpiece, sensitive to both the traditional artistry of Thailand and to the functional requirements of gracious living today."

The owner, an international banking consultant, commissioned DeLong to create the home as a showcase for his museum-quality collection of Asian art and antiques. DeLong added a Frank Lloyd Wright-style linearity to the traditionally Thai series of linked pavilions raised on pillars. The predominantly teak house was designed and positioned with reference to Buddhist dictates, and a religious ceremony accompanied the start of construction.

Grand Salon

Wright's groundbreaking Prairie style is evident in the home's interior, which features lofty ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, with vestibules functioning as display areas for artwork. The grounds hold a large and elegantly landscaped garden framed by a brick wall and an antique teak gate. The internationally famed residence has been featured in Architectural Digest, the Japanese edition of Fligaro, and two books - Lanna Style and Contemporary Thai.

The Grand Salon: While the home has three formal entrances, most people enter via the imperial-style staircase that leads directly to the grand salon - a spectacular room measuring 40 by 50 feet, with a sweeping, steeply curved teak ceiling peaking at 45 feet. DeLong conceived of the room as a vast and luxurious screened porch opening on four sides to capture both breezes and views. The ceiling's great height, he explains, help cool the room.

The Dining Room

Surrounding Pavilions: A library, located north of the grand salon, features a peaked teak ceiling, an imposing fireplace and exquisite folding doors. A formal dining room, with seating for up to 32 guests, is situated on the home's opposite side, south of the grand salon. Both the library and the dining room measure 20 by 30 feet and open to continuous decks overlooking gardens on both sides.

Two master suites open off anterooms beyond the library. Each one features a private porch, a bedroom with three exposures, a vestibule and a separate entrance, a windowed dressing room with large closets, and spacious, luxurious bath. The opposite end of the house holds an additional bedroom suite and a study, both with private vestibules and porches. A butler's pantry and service corridor link the generously sized kitchen with the dining room.

Additional Highlights: An expansive terrace located beneath the central portion of the house provides sheltered areas for entertaining and parking. A vestibule at the north end of the terrace leads to a billiards room, a guest room, and a bath. A generous six-room staff suite is located at the south end. All main-level rooms except the grand salon are centrally air-conditioned, with specially designed teak screens concealing the vents. Main-level ceilings and floors are also made of teak, and wall panels are both teak and silk. Custom-made teak furniture, designed by DeLong and displaying both Asian and Wrightian influences, is included in the sale of the property. Price upon request.*

For further information, contact Peter Filgur at +66.1.915.4982 or use our contact form.

*Reprinted from Christie's Great Estates