The perks of moving into a partially furnished house might mean lesser renovation works needed to ensure the space is move-in ready. But for the Chins, their new dwelling at Richards Avenue didn’t immediately feel quite like home.
“Kelvin and Hazel approached us in the hopes of sprucing up their interior. They wanted their home to speak of their style and personality, and for it to better suit their needs,” explains Cadine Lim, the interior designer from Prozfile at the helm of this project.
“Moreover, their 12 and 15-year-old children were at the stage in life where they are developing their own interests – and their doting parents wanted them to have a space that would accommodate that,” Cadine adds. Apart from looking into these requests, the designer had to consider feng shui requirements as well – as per the couple’s consultation with their feng shui master – when drafting the design of this abode.
In terms of aesthetics, the homeowners knew precisely what they wanted from the get-go. Both of them loved the eclectic style – so Cadine brought together a material palette that boasts a medley of textures such as wood, cement screed, metal and bricks. The juxtaposition of textures is most evident in the living area. An altar cum cabinet clad in stained wood adjoins a distinctive blue-hued TV console and a safe box that’s crafted from powder-coated steel plate. Placed together, these tailor-made pieces stand out brilliantly against a wall of whitewashed bricks.
Close by, black and white Peranakan tiles laid across the sides of the staircase inject visual drama into the common zone. Cadine lets in that Kelvin and Hazel love printed tiles and have dreamt of showcasing them in their new domicile. She proposed tiling them onto this area of the house – the perfect excuse for these gorgeous pieces to be displayed. In addition, the railings were replaced to mimic the clean lines of the patterned tiles for a more cohesive look.
The couple’s 12-year-old daughter’s domain on the second storey takes a more understated approach. While the whitewashed veneers that cover the wardrobe and desk adhere to a muted colour scheme, they are arranged in a configuration that keeps the look fresh and age-appropriate for the teenager. Both the interior’s clean aesthetic and setup help in keeping the surroundings clutter-free – allowing Megan to fully focus on her studies without distractions. Built-in storage lets her stow away her books and school supplies, while a generous worktop gives her the space to indulge in one of her hobbies – drawing.
The highlight for their 15-year-old son is the Lego room. The young gentleman owns a huge collection of this popular bricks toy alongside other collectables – and what better way to show off his sets than have them displayed proudly in a dedicated room? The combination of stained wood surfaces, metal accent pieces and the colour blue keeps this place in harmony with the common area on the first floor. What’s slightly different is the cement screed wall that brings a dash of rugged edge into his den.
The mood in the master suite is a tad more atmospheric with its design treatment of black and walnut tones. Cadine suggested using KD wood panels on the headboard wall for a more polished finish. To keep things looking sleek, she emphasised on simplicity and linear details when crafting the two bespoke storage pieces here. The narrow wood strips that run down the full stature of the wardrobe and go across the chest of drawers not only serve a practical purpose as pulls, but they also inject subtle visual interest into this sleep space.
Out of all the rooms in the dwelling, the couple’s en suite went through the most transformation. While a jacuzzi pool with skylights might sound like a dream come true, it actually made the bath area more constricted. What Cadine did was to seal up the pool and in its place, she created a luxurious semi-outdoor shower complete with wood-effect tiles. She also repositioned the WC to make way for more walking space in the lavatory.
By making design tweaks that took into account the Chin’s preferences, personality and requirements, Cadine managed to turn a house that was already lovely, to begin with utterly livable for the family of four.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the May 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Prozfile
