Dream Houzz: Subeditor Wong Siow Yuen Designs Her Fantasy Home
Continuing our ongoing series, Houzz subeditor Siow Yuen shares the Houzz photos that make up her dream home
Kitchen
My decor style has changed as I age. I’ve left the hip red wall and mid-century chairs behind with my 30s, and now at 45, embrace my inner-Martha Stewart: moulding, Shaker-style cabinet doors, linen lampshades, bevelled mirrors and all. This kitchen is close to the look I envisage as a forever design.
My decor style has changed as I age. I’ve left the hip red wall and mid-century chairs behind with my 30s, and now at 45, embrace my inner-Martha Stewart: moulding, Shaker-style cabinet doors, linen lampshades, bevelled mirrors and all. This kitchen is close to the look I envisage as a forever design.
Given a choice, I’d choose baking over cooking. So to have baking equipment laid out like this, is a dream come true. Having a mix of drawers, vertical, horizontal and hanging storage is brilliant as baking equipment can be as small as a nozzle and as large and unwieldy as a baking sheet.
Most of our friends have kids so when we entertain, the adults eat at the ‘good’ table and the kids eat at the kitchen table. This banquette makes a beautiful eat-in area for the kitchen.
Home office
As a tiger mum who works from home, a large study/home office where the kids can do their school homework and mummy-assigned tasks is a must-have. I want to be able to keep all reading material, school books, magazines, household and work files in one place so the to-the-ceiling shelves will help with that. I’d toss out those black chairs and swap them for painted wooden swivel chairs.
As a tiger mum who works from home, a large study/home office where the kids can do their school homework and mummy-assigned tasks is a must-have. I want to be able to keep all reading material, school books, magazines, household and work files in one place so the to-the-ceiling shelves will help with that. I’d toss out those black chairs and swap them for painted wooden swivel chairs.
Hallway
Displaying family photos in a neat, cohesive manner like this is something I hope to achieve one day! Clever how the uniform white frames echo the white skirting and door frames.
Displaying family photos in a neat, cohesive manner like this is something I hope to achieve one day! Clever how the uniform white frames echo the white skirting and door frames.
Common bathroom
I’m a coward when it comes to colour so we end up with a muddy palette of neutrals. While many will say start with a small room like the guest bathroom, I still can’t bring myself to commit (my favourite colour is turquoise… but is it right for a room?) so a dalliance with pattern in monotones is all I can muster.
This bathroom has so much going on: striking marble, pleasingly symmetrical geometric prints, black framed lanterns and textured wallpaper.
I’m a coward when it comes to colour so we end up with a muddy palette of neutrals. While many will say start with a small room like the guest bathroom, I still can’t bring myself to commit (my favourite colour is turquoise… but is it right for a room?) so a dalliance with pattern in monotones is all I can muster.
This bathroom has so much going on: striking marble, pleasingly symmetrical geometric prints, black framed lanterns and textured wallpaper.
Garage
We are running out of space with five bicycles in the house, so a garage will take care of that. The workbench will serve my husband, myself and my middle son for our different interests (household repairs, painting and craft, and weapon-making/bicycle hacking respectively).
We are running out of space with five bicycles in the house, so a garage will take care of that. The workbench will serve my husband, myself and my middle son for our different interests (household repairs, painting and craft, and weapon-making/bicycle hacking respectively).
Laundry room
Call me boring but when I think about what I want in a dream home, my first thoughts revolve around the pragmatic: where can brooms, household cleaners, the vacuum, shoes, off-season clothes and recycling be hidden? A dedicated laundry room/storeroom like this would make me happy.
Call me boring but when I think about what I want in a dream home, my first thoughts revolve around the pragmatic: where can brooms, household cleaners, the vacuum, shoes, off-season clothes and recycling be hidden? A dedicated laundry room/storeroom like this would make me happy.
Home theatre
We are a family of homebodies who spend Friday nights and weekends watching movies and inane YouTube videos and listening to records. This luxuriously-fitted media room where all cabling is hidden (not the case now in our house) is fabulous.
We are a family of homebodies who spend Friday nights and weekends watching movies and inane YouTube videos and listening to records. This luxuriously-fitted media room where all cabling is hidden (not the case now in our house) is fabulous.
Kids’ bedroom
My second and third son who are close like twins, share a room and swear they will do so even after they get married. These bunk beds maximise space without giving the lower bunk user claustrophobia. And there’s storage under the upper bunk! I would select a striped or geometric wallpaper in yellow tones.
My second and third son who are close like twins, share a room and swear they will do so even after they get married. These bunk beds maximise space without giving the lower bunk user claustrophobia. And there’s storage under the upper bunk! I would select a striped or geometric wallpaper in yellow tones.
Walk-in wardrobe
A window in the walk-in brings light and ventilation so what else is there to say?
TELL US
What does your fantasy house look like? Share a link to your dream house ideabook in the Comments below.
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How to Create and Use Ideabooks
A window in the walk-in brings light and ventilation so what else is there to say?
TELL US
What does your fantasy house look like? Share a link to your dream house ideabook in the Comments below.
MORE
How to Create and Use Ideabooks
We used to live in a terrace house and while there are plenty of things to love about it, there were also a multitude of issues you don’t experience with high-rise living (leaky roofs, termites, fruit bats, security etc.). So this time, I would love to own a spacious apartment with a roof terrace so that we still have greenery. Is 3,500 square feet ( 325 square metres) of built-in space asking for too much?