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Houzz Tour: A Spacious Bungalow Achieves A Sense of Cosiness
The styling team maximised the large footprint by creating various lounging and entertaining areas
Verlaine Marquez
4 December 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
“This project was our sixth collaboration with the client!” says Caroline Chin-Geyler, head stylist of Arete Culture. It’s no surprise then that the Scandinavian owners basically handed the keys of this bungalow to the team and gave them free rein on the styling project. Their only request was that the home honour the hygge (cosy) tradition and celebrate the many years they have spent living in England and Singapore.
Being very familiar with the owners’ preference for Asian-themed furniture and keepsakes made it easy for Chin-Geyler and her team to come up with a look for this house that would complement the family’s lifestyle. “This is by far the largest home they have lived in Singapore and in a prominent neighbourhood, no less. So we wanted to create a home that is sophisticated and slightly more contemporary than their previous homes,” she says.
Being very familiar with the owners’ preference for Asian-themed furniture and keepsakes made it easy for Chin-Geyler and her team to come up with a look for this house that would complement the family’s lifestyle. “This is by far the largest home they have lived in Singapore and in a prominent neighbourhood, no less. So we wanted to create a home that is sophisticated and slightly more contemporary than their previous homes,” she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A Scandinavian family – father is a management consultant, mother is a leadership coach and university lecturer, kids are three tweens who love soccer, rugby, and drama, and a Garfield-lookalike cat
Location: Chatsworth
Size: Grounds – 18,000 square feet (1,672 square metres); Built-up – 6,000 square feet (557 square metres)
Project duration: 28.5 hours
This landed home has a large floor space, so the main priority was “to segregate areas in a way that would maximise space while retaining a sense of spaciousness,” says Chin-Geyler.
The home has a large covered verandah, composed of three main areas: the al fresco lounge, the outdoor dining, and the area near the sliding doors. “The owners wanted this space to come to life so that they can enjoy it with family and friends,” she shares.
Who lives here: A Scandinavian family – father is a management consultant, mother is a leadership coach and university lecturer, kids are three tweens who love soccer, rugby, and drama, and a Garfield-lookalike cat
Location: Chatsworth
Size: Grounds – 18,000 square feet (1,672 square metres); Built-up – 6,000 square feet (557 square metres)
Project duration: 28.5 hours
This landed home has a large floor space, so the main priority was “to segregate areas in a way that would maximise space while retaining a sense of spaciousness,” says Chin-Geyler.
The home has a large covered verandah, composed of three main areas: the al fresco lounge, the outdoor dining, and the area near the sliding doors. “The owners wanted this space to come to life so that they can enjoy it with family and friends,” she shares.
A modern geometric outdoor rug anchors the neutral-toned al fresco lounge. “This is the main attraction of the sitting area. We wanted something slightly modern yet classic and punchy,” says Chin-Geyler.
“We also brought in ambient light sources because the only light source is overhead, and we want to achieve that soft glow in the evenings or when they entertain,” she adds.
The outdoor dining area overlooks the pool. “We kept the setup very straightforward with a synthetic wicker dining set and a glass top for practicality,” says Chin-Geyler. Accessories in blue and green add a cool touch, and help achieve that indoor-outdoor transition.
Aside from serving as additional lounging area, the space by the sliding door entryway is also meant to be functional. The bench is for putting on/taking off shoes.
“We used an Asian-inflected cabinet outdoors as accent. Pieces like this are often more precious, but their age offers lots of personality,” says Chin-Geyler.
“We used an Asian-inflected cabinet outdoors as accent. Pieces like this are often more precious, but their age offers lots of personality,” says Chin-Geyler.
A tall porcelain vase adds drama and height, while a mix of faux and real greenery softens the blocky furniture pieces. Two yellow poufs inject a dash of colour to the welcoming entryway.
Stepping into the sizeable main living area, the overall look is understated elegance. “We didn’t want the space to feel too formal so the seating options are all different and configured in a way that would facilitate conversation,” she says.
The owners already had all the furniture when Chin-Geyler’s team went to work on the house. In fact, the team had to move some furniture from the second level down to the first floor to fill the large space.
The owners already had all the furniture when Chin-Geyler’s team went to work on the house. In fact, the team had to move some furniture from the second level down to the first floor to fill the large space.
While the main lounge has pops of green, orange and blue, there is less colour and pattern here compared to the other areas. “We used more cream tones because we wanted to lighten the space to balance the dark-toned floor. We focused on incorporating texture for cosiness and luxuriousness,” she says. The soft wool-silk rug that has an antiqued geometric pattern grounds the entire look.
The bar and pool area (the rug marks the spot where the pool table will go), meanwhile, was set up to be a more informal lounge. “The key focus here was ensuring there would be enough walkway around the table. We put sofas at opposite ends to create a more cocooning feel, like a den, as well as to encourage conversation,” says Chin-Geyler.
Ambient lighting was brought in to cosy up the space and offer alternative light options once night falls.
The more traditional dark wood dining set was balanced with classic pieces with a twist. For example, they chose a rustic chandelier with rope accents to light the space, and accentuated a distressed console table with a symmetrical lamp setup.
The area rug also introduces warm textural interest while retaining the modern geometrical accents seen in the other parts of the home.
The area rug also introduces warm textural interest while retaining the modern geometrical accents seen in the other parts of the home.
The same colour palette as the common areas is seen in the master bedroom, but in more subdued tones. Matching nightstands and lamps render a sense of balance and formality.
“We divided the space by creating a seating area. Having such ample space in the bedroom is a luxury and a separate seating area is reminiscent of hotel suite setups,” says Chin-Geyler.
“We divided the space by creating a seating area. Having such ample space in the bedroom is a luxury and a separate seating area is reminiscent of hotel suite setups,” says Chin-Geyler.
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What is your favourite feature in this home? Share in the Comments below.
What is your favourite feature in this home? Share in the Comments below.
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