Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Touches of Walnut Add Warmth to This Family Terrace
Clever space-planning gave this split-level terrace house more room for family, relaxation, and entertaining
When Lawrence Puah and his fellow designers, Ash Ashiquin and Jenny Phumphida, of Akihaus Design Studio, were tasked to redesign this terrace house for a family of five, they paid a lot of attention to how the homeowners were going to use every part of the house. As the family loves to entertain, the design director was mindful of the flow between spaces, and sought to provide the homeowners with a stylish home that is spacious but still cosy and intimate.
“The homeowners have great taste when it comes to lighting and furniture. Most of the furniture, like the dining table from Xtra, were picked out by them,” he adds.
Puah points out that one of the challenges that came with renovating and reconfiguring this house is tackling the lack of internal light, and working around split levels.
The use of full-height windows and mirrors in the home, help promote better airflow, and allow for natural light to reach those internal areas that need it.
The use of full-height windows and mirrors in the home, help promote better airflow, and allow for natural light to reach those internal areas that need it.
Up a short flight of stairs, on a half-floor, is the study and family room. This room is designed like a secondary living room – an additional space for conversation when entertaining. As this room overlooks the living room, when the windows are open, guests can still interact with one another despite being in another part of the house.
Tucked away from the living area, the dining space is set up like a restaurant’s exclusive private dining room.
The use of tinted mirrors on the built-in cabinet showcasing the homeowners’ collection of liquor adds to the ambience of the room – a casual but elegant setting for meals and conversation.
The use of tinted mirrors on the built-in cabinet showcasing the homeowners’ collection of liquor adds to the ambience of the room – a casual but elegant setting for meals and conversation.
Cleverly designed, one of the panels with the tinted mirror cladding actually hides the entrance to a powder room.
Situated right outside the dining space is the open-style kitchen.
The use of the same floor tiles in the dining room and kitchen visually enlarges both spaces. Wanting to establish a good sense of continuity, Puah applied the same colour palette throughout the rest of the house, too.
The use of the same floor tiles in the dining room and kitchen visually enlarges both spaces. Wanting to establish a good sense of continuity, Puah applied the same colour palette throughout the rest of the house, too.
As such, the walnut brown and black theme continues in the cookspace, but with the addition of the bright red bar stools for a pop of colour.
The colour palette and use of walnut continues in the bedrooms, too. Here in the master bedroom, with its lush tropical view, the walnut finish on the walls and door creates a sophisticated resort ambience for the owners.
Finishing off the cohesive walnut and tinted mirror effect, homogeneous tiles that resemble wood were chosen for the bathroom; a look that is understated, but luxurious.
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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.
Who Lives Here: A married couple working in the banking industry, their two young children and a mother-in-law
Location: Upper Bukit Timah
Type of Property: A terrace house with 4 bedrooms, 1 study/ family room and 4 bathrooms
Size: 2,920 square feet, including land area (approx. 271 square metres)
A striking colour palette of walnut brown contrasted with black, sets the tone of the house.
“They like strong colours, and love the rich tone of walnut wood. The overall look can look masculine but the homeowners, even the missus, love it,” says Puah.