Houzz Tour: This Family Home Takes on a Landscape Concept
Undulating lines, plush textures and muted colours make this apartment a soothing sanctuary
Verlaine Marquez
2 July 2016
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 iconic residential landmark D’Leedon, the first condominium project in Singapore of Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient and world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid’s firm, has its towers appearing to ‘grow’ organically from the sunken gardens, like flowers in a park. Inspired by this groundbreaking design, architect Lim Ai Tiong, principal designer of Lim Ai Tiong Design, committed to extend the architectural concept to the interior of this four-bedroom condo unit. Flowing lines and curves create a dramatic silhouette, resembling a sprawling landscape across the spaces.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mr Wen Wei, Mdm Beng Koon, and their two young daughters
Location: D’Leedon Condominium, Singapore
Size: 232 square metres (2,500 square feet)
Project duration: 1 year
The designer’s concept is a “landscape that ‘grows’ from the main entrance into the interior spaces,” using curvaceous lines and sensuous textures. Lim admits the design was very tedious and time-consuming to execute. “They are three-dimensional curves, curving at both the X and Y axis. A lot of time was spent on drawings and models to perfect the curves. The actual lines were drawn on both the walls and the ceilings on site and fine-tuned. Skeletons of the curves were then constructed before the curved surfaces were finally built. There was a lot of fine-tuning along the way,” he shares.
Lim was also resolved to minimise the hacking of walls and changing of existing materials since the unit is new. “I don’t believe in wastefulness in design. The idea is to enhance the look,” he adds.
The hard work paid off – the owners appreciated the design very much, and it won the Bronze award in the Residential category of I-DEA (Interior Design Excellence Awards) 2015 by Interior Design Confederation Singapore.
Who lives here: Mr Wen Wei, Mdm Beng Koon, and their two young daughters
Location: D’Leedon Condominium, Singapore
Size: 232 square metres (2,500 square feet)
Project duration: 1 year
The designer’s concept is a “landscape that ‘grows’ from the main entrance into the interior spaces,” using curvaceous lines and sensuous textures. Lim admits the design was very tedious and time-consuming to execute. “They are three-dimensional curves, curving at both the X and Y axis. A lot of time was spent on drawings and models to perfect the curves. The actual lines were drawn on both the walls and the ceilings on site and fine-tuned. Skeletons of the curves were then constructed before the curved surfaces were finally built. There was a lot of fine-tuning along the way,” he shares.
Lim was also resolved to minimise the hacking of walls and changing of existing materials since the unit is new. “I don’t believe in wastefulness in design. The idea is to enhance the look,” he adds.
The hard work paid off – the owners appreciated the design very much, and it won the Bronze award in the Residential category of I-DEA (Interior Design Excellence Awards) 2015 by Interior Design Confederation Singapore.
The communal areas are arranged in a free-flowing layout to take advantage of the open-plan space. The kitchen is enclosed in glass to keep cooking aromas at bay, albeit maintaining a clear connection to the rest of the entertaining space.
Placed against white walls, the sweeping timbers, made of timber veneers, are backlit to highlight the fluidity of the lines. “These accent lights also create an interesting effect of reflections of ‘landscape’ on the floors and glass,” says Lim.
Sofa and dining chairs: Marquis; Dining table and coffee table: Air Division
Placed against white walls, the sweeping timbers, made of timber veneers, are backlit to highlight the fluidity of the lines. “These accent lights also create an interesting effect of reflections of ‘landscape’ on the floors and glass,” says Lim.
Sofa and dining chairs: Marquis; Dining table and coffee table: Air Division
Right behind the living area is the study room. The original right-angled walls of the room were replaced with customised curved glass. “It was imported as no one can manufacture it locally,” says Lim. Privacy can be achieved by drawing close the plush curtains, which also accentuates the curves of the glass.
The overall colour scheme is kept to whites and warm neutrals. Only a few accessories can be seen throughout the house. When asked whether this minimalist approach to decorating was deliberate to emphasise the curving features, Lim says: “I went back to the unit just a few weeks back (almost a year after we completed the place) and it looked exactly the same! I think the owners understand and respect the ‘landscape’ design a lot and they do not want to ‘contaminate’ the design.”
The bedrooms take on a reverse scheme: the sweeping features are in white, which are clad in wallpaper – “to give some textural feel to it,” says Lim. Just like in the communal areas, hidden lights enhance the curving lines and add a cosy ambience to the master bedroom.
The concept of landscape continues into the bathrooms as well. Tiled surfaces echo the colours of the timber features, while glass and mirrors are used extensively to visually expand the space.
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Love how the curves and layering breaks up the monotony of straight lines and boxy-rooms that usually comes with apartments! Great work, Lim Ai Tiong Design!