Countless number of places are overflowing with splendor, but only few may match beauty and grace of a place with legacy and history. A Korean traditional housing, hanok with ambience from many years of history is nestled in a small alley of Sogyeok-dong in Seoul. What could be a secret hideout in the midst of bustling city, this stay is named Ihosorak, a combination of a Sino-Korean word referring to the smallest unit, iho (이호(釐毫)) and a Sino-Korean word for simple pleasure, sorak (소락(小樂)).

Ihosorak was originally built in the 1940s and has modern reinterpretation added to open a space for a retreat from hustle and bustle of urban life. Making most of the wooden structure including columns and buttresses, the place invites guests into serenity of a Korean wooden housing. The floor with micro cement, paired with soft, white-colored wall gives a sophisticated and modern finish to the interior design idea. Once you are inside Ihosorak, you may slow down and bask in the sunlight coming through the round-shaped window, spare time for reading or spend some quality time, gazing the neatly designed garden. Furthermore, the host has carefully installed an outdoor bath surrounded by white royal azalea tress and mossy cobblestone to invite any guests into a soak in a hot bath to relieve their stress and retrieve peace of mind.

After a soothing bath, you may also try treating yourself with a warm cup of tea with teaware prepared by the host, feeling some breeze through window shades made with hemp cloth. And then you may stroll around Bukchon to get immersed in its unique and quiet atmosphere of the neighborhood with many years of history. Your stay Ihosorak, the place with elegance and tranquility, would definitely leave you with fresh energy from simple yet tangible pleasure.

Edited by STAYFOLIO
Designed by Jihoon Kim, Byeongsik Kang
Photo by Kihun (@arc_factory)