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Houzz Tour: Architectural Lines and Patterns Dress up This Family Home
The 5-bedroom inter-terrace is a neat and elegant residence for three generations
Chiquit Brammall
2 October 2019
Design journalist and freelance editor. Dollhouse architect. Serial renter.
With the owners’ preference for a “simple yet elegant, minimalist approach” to their renovation, designers Alvin Ling and Katrin de Leon of The Scientist Pte Ltd proposed a fusion of minimalism with classic textures and patterns.
House at a Glance
Who Lives Here: Husband and wife in their early 40s, their three sons, a grandfather, a sister, and a helper
Location: Serangoon Gardens
Type of Property: Three-and-a-half storey inter-terrace house
Size: Approximately 4,800 square feet, with five bedrooms
Project duration: 12 months
Designers: Alvin Ling and Katrin de Leon of The Scientist Pte Ltd
The owners – husband is an entrepreneur, and wife an executive – “wanted to reside in a house with a ‘hotel’ ambience,” say the designers. The owners are art enthusiasts, and appreciate clean-lined, modern design. They engaged The Scientist to advise on the exterior finishes as well as furniture selection, not just the interiors renovation, to maintain a cohesive look for their home from the outside in.
Who Lives Here: Husband and wife in their early 40s, their three sons, a grandfather, a sister, and a helper
Location: Serangoon Gardens
Type of Property: Three-and-a-half storey inter-terrace house
Size: Approximately 4,800 square feet, with five bedrooms
Project duration: 12 months
Designers: Alvin Ling and Katrin de Leon of The Scientist Pte Ltd
The owners – husband is an entrepreneur, and wife an executive – “wanted to reside in a house with a ‘hotel’ ambience,” say the designers. The owners are art enthusiasts, and appreciate clean-lined, modern design. They engaged The Scientist to advise on the exterior finishes as well as furniture selection, not just the interiors renovation, to maintain a cohesive look for their home from the outside in.
The inter-terrace house has three floors and an attic.
On the ground floor are the social spaces – living room, open-plan dining and kitchen area – and the helper’s bedroom and service yard.
Following a monochromatic palette, with a brief for down-to-earth yet luxurious finishes, the designers selected the flooring materials with the owners. For the ground floor, they chose white marble slabs with contrasting veining. The designers paired this with a vertical screen painted black and the TV feature wall with similar vertical lines.
“We introduced a divider between the living room and dining room that is see-through so it adds depth and character to the space, without making the space look small,” says Ling.
Marble flooring: Hafary
On the ground floor are the social spaces – living room, open-plan dining and kitchen area – and the helper’s bedroom and service yard.
Following a monochromatic palette, with a brief for down-to-earth yet luxurious finishes, the designers selected the flooring materials with the owners. For the ground floor, they chose white marble slabs with contrasting veining. The designers paired this with a vertical screen painted black and the TV feature wall with similar vertical lines.
“We introduced a divider between the living room and dining room that is see-through so it adds depth and character to the space, without making the space look small,” says Ling.
Marble flooring: Hafary
The screen/divider semi-conceals the stairwell from the living room.
The stairwell infuses a freshness to the monochromatic scheme with a pocket garden under the stairs, and the stairs’ rich, honey-hued wood steps. A clear glass landing and guardrail allows the owners to view the garden from the upper floors.
A feature wall in a chevron pattern, made of laminate, adds tactile visual interest to this space, and extends through the dining and kitchen area.
The stairwell infuses a freshness to the monochromatic scheme with a pocket garden under the stairs, and the stairs’ rich, honey-hued wood steps. A clear glass landing and guardrail allows the owners to view the garden from the upper floors.
A feature wall in a chevron pattern, made of laminate, adds tactile visual interest to this space, and extends through the dining and kitchen area.
“Since the owners were art enthusiasts, we gave them the freedom to choose their own furniture. We made sure to advise them on the colour choice and material before actual purchase,” says Ling.
“We used ‘mood’ lighting throughout the house, which is not too bright nor too dim. The general lighting fixtures we selected were ceiling-recessed to highlight, but not obstruct the carpentry and feature walls”, the designers explain.
Lighting: Verde Light
Lighting: Verde Light
The father and sister of one of the owners occupy the second floor. They each have their own bedroom, and enjoy a family room on their floor, too.
“The bedrooms were designed to match the personality of the occupant,” says Ling. All the beds were custom-made to include storage, in keeping with the owners’ desire for minimalism.
“The bedrooms were designed to match the personality of the occupant,” says Ling. All the beds were custom-made to include storage, in keeping with the owners’ desire for minimalism.
The couple’s three boys have the third floor: a shared bedroom…
…playroom and study room.
The master suite is located in the attic floor. Here, the owners enjoy their minimalist leanings with a sparsely furnished bedroom…
…and a walk-in wardrobe.
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Tell us
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See more of this project
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
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