Houzz Tour: A Light-Filled Home Experiences The Best of Nature
This home creates a spatial dialogue between its interior spaces and its lush surroundings
Verlaine Marquez
29 November 2017
Houzz Singapore Contributor. Former editor for a home and design magazine for five years, and now a full-time freelance writer for various online and print publications for the past decade and counting. Part-time crafter, wannabe gardener, and breast cancer thriver.
Houzz Singapore Contributor. Former editor for a home and design magazine for five... More
The renovation of the existing two-storey semi-detached house was borne out of the need to give it a new lease on life. “After living here for 20 years, the client came to us to do a major revamp. With the children all grown up and the family’s lifestyle changed, the house needed to be updated to match their current needs,” says Kelvin Lim of boutique interior design studio Atelier Here.
The home’s main asset is its superb location. It is nestled between a park in the front and a forested hill to the rear. With the full trust of the owners, Lim designed the house in such a way that it brings in expansive views of the surrounding greenery. Interior-wise, the living spaces flow into each other to cater to the family’s active social life.
The home’s main asset is its superb location. It is nestled between a park in the front and a forested hill to the rear. With the full trust of the owners, Lim designed the house in such a way that it brings in expansive views of the surrounding greenery. Interior-wise, the living spaces flow into each other to cater to the family’s active social life.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 50s and their two adult children
Location: Ang Mo Kio
Size: 350 square meters (3,767 square feet)
Project duration: 4 months
Who lives here: A couple in their 50s and their two adult children
Location: Ang Mo Kio
Size: 350 square meters (3,767 square feet)
Project duration: 4 months
“The lady owner is a retiree living here with her husband and their two children who are both young working adults. She is a Catholic and devotes much of her time volunteering at her church. She hosts prayer sessions, cell group meetings and neighbourhood rosaries regularly at home,” Lim shares. As such, it was important for the owners to have spaces that are openly connected and can accommodate many guests.
Upon entering the main door, the family altar is the first space that guests see. Daylight flows through this pristine and quiet space, which is screened from the rest of the house by an 8-metre-long bookshelf.
A tree and a bronze domed altar provide a spatial as well as spiritual anchor to the long linear space. The water trough also adds to the serenity of the space, reflecting the light and reverberating the sound of trickling of water throughout the house.
A tree and a bronze domed altar provide a spatial as well as spiritual anchor to the long linear space. The water trough also adds to the serenity of the space, reflecting the light and reverberating the sound of trickling of water throughout the house.
The double-volume living area is revealed after passing the long bookshelf. “A white veil of grided sunscreen pixelates the park foliage into moving glimpses of greenery. Lit by daylight from the side garden, filtered light from the front and the skylight above, the nature of this space changes as the natural light it receives subtly shifts throughout the day,” says Lim.
The staircase stands in the middle of the living space, but the glass railings prevent it from being a visual distraction. Rather, it complements the rest of the glass panels that surround the space to create an airy lounging and entertaining zone.
Modern, streamlined and neutral-toned pieces were chosen to play up the height of the space and the predominantly off-white interior surfaces. The clean palette extends to the dry kitchen, which also serves as a social hub.
It is by design that the partitions of the bookshelf mimic the grided fragments of the house’s facade.
A couple of steps from the living room, right beside the dry kitchen is the dining room. “Facing a green wall, it is designed as a nook within the side garden, to blur the distinction between indoor and outdoor dining with the glass doors open,” Lim says.
A timber deck wraps around the living and dining spaces, further creating a visual link to the outdoors.
The designer situated the study along the bridge atrium on the second floor. The balcony cantilevers above the car porch, as if bringing the park into the interior. “The canopies of rain trees frame the intimate study, providing a seemingly private view of the lush greenery beyond,” Lim says.
“Colours and textures are kept minimal in a palette that is intentionally restrained. A suspended planter box provides the sole visual focus with its opening into the sky,” he says.
The third storey and a new gable roof are new additions, enabling the house to literally stand out among its neighbours. The daughter’s bedroom is on this floor and faces the park in front of the house.
This level is also designed with the family’s entertaining lifestyle in mind. The light-filled family lounge fulfills this requirement.
The lounge extends to the open roof terrace. It provides more space to accommodate large gatherings, and gives a spectacular view of the neighbourhood and the hill behind the house.
TELL US
What did you find most striking about this home? Share in the Comments below.
What did you find most striking about this home? Share in the Comments below.
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What a beautiful place! Just fell in love with it. Wish it was mine :-)
Stunning, although not very private which is a shame.
I just love the ceiling fans and that desk/wall light over the work surface: wonderful functional design.
Jealous !!!! - would love to see the actual layout plans ?