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Photos: Wansuk Kim, Texture on Texture
Idrag my suitcase through a confounding web of tiny lanes, eyes peeled for a sign. After a few false turns, I finally spot a discreet “Habre” on a brick wall, the name of the hanok located in Seoul’s up-and-coming Seochon neighbourhood. This will be my home for the next two nights.
Crossing the main threshold of the traditional Korean dwelling into the peaceful inner courtyard, my frazzled, lost self immediately feels calmer as I pause to admire the compact, zen-like stone paved garden featuring one small tree and a few small shrubs.
Interior courtyard of Habre. (Photo: Jong-geun Lee)
The interiors have been painstakingly restored to feature the architectural hallmarks of South Korea’s traditional hanok buildings, such as exposed timber beams, sliding door panels, and heated wood flooring.
The latter, a hallmark of traditional hanoks due to the bitter winters in Korea, are an indulgent touch in a modern space, which is decked out with Google Home, equipped with heating, air conditioning, as well as light and music controls.
Vintage Scandinavian wallpaper enlivens the Habre sleeping nook. (Photo: Jong-geun Lee)
And for a fresh decor twist, Habre is tastefully inspired by Scandinavian aesthetics, such as floral themed Swedish wallpaper and streamlined Danish furnishings, most of which are vintage. With a dining area and kitchenette as well as a cosy elevated nook for the bed, this hideaway already feels like home, which is exactly the point of it all.
Hanoks reimagined
Seasoned travellers often rave about the charms of staying in traditional ryokan or converted machiyas (townhouses) in Japan. But in South Korea, hanok stays, while not unheard of, are not as commonplace among international jetsetters, in part due to a lack of access to information.
Enter Stayfolio, a Seoul-based online platform that offers a curated selection of accommodations that go beyond conventional hotels such as hanoks, guesthouses, and even glampsites. It takes the AirBnb concept to the next level by focusing on the design sensibilities of the boltholes it lists. There are some 350 properties in South Korea on its platform and a growing database in the region including Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Habre’s traditional hanok exterior. (Photo: Jong-geun Lee)
Stayfolio’s homebase is Seochon, where it offers a total of 16 stays — 11 of which are managed and operated by the company. This neighbourhood is fondly called the West Village due to its orientation relative to Seoul’s iconic Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Habre, which means ‘country villa’ in Swedish, is the latest addition to its portfolio here.
Living like a stylish local
Some 500 years ago, Seochon was where court officials and scholars of the Joseon Dynasty used to live, and its winding alleyways are a vestige of its colourful history. Today, the neighbourhood has experienced a revival as creatives and bohemians have begun moving into the nostalgic hanoks and old buildings to set up studios and hip cafes.
Once settled into my chic digs, I am able to fully appreciate the perks of being embedded within this trendy yet hyperlocal neighbourhood. While the Gyeongbokgung Palace environs are often bustling with hanbok-clad tourists, the tiny Seochon streets are significantly more peaceful in an insider-y kind of way.
Cosy hangouts in Seochon for quiet tete-a-tetes. (Photo: Wansuk Kim)
Ajummas (aunties in Korean) huddle in little cliques on quiet corners to gossip, and stylishly dressed Seoulites duck in and out of indie cafes — many of which are also housed in converted hanoks — for a tete-a-tete over a cuppa.
A Seochon must-visit, the atmospheric Bar Cham — ranked 28 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and known for its innovative cocktails based on Korean spirits — often draws a long waiting list. But since Habre is just a stone’s throw away, I simply stroll up about 10 minutes before the cocktail bar opens at 6pm and snag a coveted bar seat with relative ease.
Bar Cham. (Photo: Karen Tee)
Treasure hunters will also enjoy wandering the winding streets which are dotted with art galleries and indie stores offering wares like stylish stationery and ceramics, handmade jewelry, and vintage clothing. Stayfolio offers guests a map of the neighbourhood but it is possibly more fun to simply get utterly lost in the twists and turns of the streets before somehow finding your way out again.
Historic homes
Nuwa interior. (Photo: Texture on Texture)
Habre is not the only remodelled Stayfolio hanok in the area.
There is Nuwa (above), the first hanok restoration project that was completed in 2018; its interiors comprise modernised elements of traditional Korean design such as a low dining table, stone countertops and an open bathtub. I also love the hideaway vibes of Losthouse, which features Korean sliding doors, a low daybed, and even a screening room.
But what makes Habre stand out from contemporary Korean hanoks is its Scandi-influenced aesthetic. As it turns out, this was not an Instagram trend-influenced decision. Rather, the building’s owners, who have deep roots in Korea, also own a small summer retreat in Sweden.
When they could not travel during the pandemic lockdown, they decided to meld the hallmarks of their Swedish abode with their Korean hanok in a way that would showcase the commonalities of both cultures.
Habre’s kitchen is so very hygge. (Photo: Jong-geun Lee)
Indeed, Habre is so comfortable that I often find myself tempted to curl up on its very inviting bay window to live that picturesque cottage-core life. But explore I must, which is why I decamp to another Stayfolio property in the neighbourhood for one more night.
Called Jaeya, this is a red brick house from the 60s and 70s. This architectural style proliferated due to government policy back then to offer affordable housing. Post-Stayfolio’s makeover, the quadrangular interior — the result of building the house on an oddly angled plot of land — has been reimagined into an open concept studio spacious enough for a work desk, television area and ample storage.
I quickly develop a soft spot for the triangular kitchen and dining area located in a separate annexe building — another design quirk of these abodes. Light-filled, airy, and well-appointed with premium Korean appliances like a Balmuda toaster and coffee making apparatus, it offers a more informal space for meals away from the main suite.
The light-filled dining annex in Jaeya. (Photo: Renée Kemps)
Determined to maximise my time in this comfy hangout, I tuck into a takeaway dosirak lunch box of Korean delights from the nearby Tongin Traditional Market in my little kitchen while watching a K-drama on Netflix. It is all so effortless that it makes me feel like I could stay for a month.
Actually, scratch that; make it two.
