Rhom Makham, meaning ‘under the tamarind tree’, comprises two modern glass buildings, integrated with the beautiful natural environment that includes mature tamarind trees and ancient granite boulders. The minimalist design of vast, open-plan rooms, with 6 metre high ceilings, marble flooring, and floor to ceiling reflective glass walls, provides an incredible sense of space, while offering full immersion with the spectacular landscape. Immense rock formations are incorporated as interior features, and the native tamarind tree trunks are encapsulated in glass, with their canopies spreading out over the glass roof of the upper beach house.

The linear simplicity of the glass, aluminum, and cement structures evoke striking contrast to the lushness and colour of the surrounding tropical garden, sand, and sea, while the transparency of the towering glazed walls enables the buildings to disappear into the blue skies. For anyone who values space, modern minimalist design, and breathtaking nature, Rhom Makham is a must.

The lower, 200 m beach house includes two floating king-size bed platforms, each perched several metres up on the rocks, with superb sea views through the facing glass wall. The two bedrooms are separated by higher levels of boulders, with a dressing area between them. Both sleeping platforms are encapsulated in glass, with air-conditioning and opaque curtains for privacy and darkness.

A frosted glass dining table seats 8 on luxurious white fur designer chairs. In the centre of the lower loft, a large marble platform daybed is covered with fur, and overlooks the pool and sea view. A large, slate-tiled bathroom with oversized shower head also makes a feature of the soulful boulders, and opens onto a rock garden with sea views.

A private 13.5x3.5 metre swimming pool, surrounded by a teak deck fronts the house, raised from the quiet beach that overlooks Koh Samui’s famous Hin Ta Hin Yai landmark rock formation. Daybeds, hammocks, and an al-fresco dining set complete the idyllic beachfront setting. 

The 220 m upper beach house is elevated on top of the rocks, with its main floor level with the roof of the front beach house, which provides a 200m roof terrace, connected by a wooden bridge, and furnished with sun-beds. While the marble floors, glass walls, and towering ceilings prevail, the layout of the upper loft is more complex, with split levels, and defined areas. An air-conditioned, glass-partitioned bedroom is fitted with a king-size bed, opaque curtains, and overlooks the sea and garden views. In the middle of the upper loft, another king-size bed  with white drapes, doubles as a daybed and sleeping platform. A large Jacuzzi is set on a raised marble platform overlooking the sea, with an adjacent wooden deck. Leather designer chairs and Ottomans provide stylish seating, together with Thai day-beds, and a large, cozy chill-out nook, swathed in white fur. The chill-out nook is air-conditioned, and boxed in glass, providing an additional climate-controlled sleeping option.

A marble staircase leads up through the rocks and tamarind trees, to a glass roofed upper gallery, and a vast slate bathroom with a striking glass tub in the centre of the room that can be used for traditional Thai-style ladle bathing, and an open shower. A lower level features an office/working area, with a large glass desk and an iMac computer.                       

On the beachfront, adjacent to the lower beach house, are two separate buildings, each with marble floor and counters that provide a fully equipped kitchen, and a separate storage room. Daily breakfasts are prepared by the resident housekeeper, who can also cater to additional meals and seafood BBQs if required.

Recessed halogen lighting throughout the house includes floor and ceiling dimmable lights, and suspended lanterns. Sound is channeled through recessed ceiling speakers, and other entertainment features include DVD and cable TV. Rhom Makham’s Danish designer/owner sought to create a balance between the hard-edged materials of marble, steel, and natural rocks, and soft materials, providing spaces for relaxing, such as the comfortable large beds, the white furry floor beds, and soft dining chairs.

To capture and manipulate light and space has always been a quest for modern architecture; shaping houses to receive and display movements of the sun, moon and skies; creating lightness and transparency. Pioneer architects such as Mies van der Rohe, created new ideals for architecture; transparency, material lightness, free flowing spaces, minimal enclosure, spatial simplicity; ideals that has provided the inspirational background for Rhom Makham. Applying these ideals in the tropics was one of the main challenges for Rhom Makham. How to, for example, let in the hot tropical sunlight, while still keeping cool. A combination of natural cooling techniques was applied: the large Makham trees shade the roof; the big windows and doors let the sea breezes flow through the house; the expansive marble floors cool the rooms, and the immense internal boulders, some of which stand up to 5 metres high, act as natural coolants, and play an integral part to climate control in all rooms. This experimental combination of natural cooling techniques has proven to create a cool and pleasant living environment in a modern transparent setting.

Daily Villa Rates 2010

Rates are for the entire property, with discounts for reduced occupancy as follows:

4 bedroom sleeps 8.

2 bedroom sleeps up to 4.