Stephen Goh and Angela Tantry founded Metaphor Studio in 1998, starting out from a home office. The duo have since expanded the design team and the firmʼs repertoire of residential and hospitality projects.
Stephen Goh and Angela Tantry founded Metaphor Studio in 1998, starting out from a home office. The duo have since expanded the design team and the firmʼs repertoire of residential and hospitality projects. For Metaphor Studio, design is not only an intellectual exercise, but also a holistic approach to creating meaningful spaces.
PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Angela Tantry (left)
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Stephen Goh (not pictured)
ASSISTANT PROJECT DESIGNER
Ahmad Fauzi (right)
CONTACT
331A Beach Road
Tel: 6291-9786
http://www.metaphor-studio.com
enquiry@metaphor-studio.com
PROJECT
Three-storey terrace house in Seletar
SIZE
3,680sqf
Home to a multigenerational family — a couple, their three school-going children, and an elderly parent — this terrace house was designed to cater to the specific needs of family members and the changing requirements of the future.
The brief called for a timeless design. The team chose an urban contemporary look that is both modern and luxurious. The primary materials of choice are wood and polished stainless steel, as well as marble finishes and black tinted mirrors.
As practicality was a top priority, the home boasts lots of storage spaces that are cleverly concealed behind wall panels, giving the home a sleek and seamless look. There is sufficient storage in all the bedrooms, too, and there are even cabinets in transitional areas such as the stairwell. There are also full-height cabinets along the stairwell on every floor.
Designed with the intention to make the best use of space, many components in the home have dual functionality. For example, the marble feature wall doubles as a TV console and a partition between the living room and staircase. “The open-concept dry kitchen functions as the backdrop for the living space on the ground level, too,” says Stephen.
Stephen and Angela took advantage of the air well in the house to allow light and ventilation to stream into the house. To ensure ease of communication between family members, the bedrooms and passageways are visually connected to the dining area.
The homeowners also wanted to ensure that the family spends time together in this large house, and requested one of the bedrooms to be converted into an entertainment room where everyone can gather.
No doubt a cleverly designed home, both visual and practical needs are addressed and meet the requirements of the family.
PROJECT
Four-bedroom condominium apartment in River Valley
SIZE
2,475sqf
As the family pad to a couple and their daughter, this four-bedroom walk-up apartment has plenty of space to accommodate their lifestyle needs. However, “they found the original layout to be too rigid and compartmentalised. They wanted a new layout that would enhance the visual connectedness between spaces”, Angela shares.
The resale apartment had to be overhauled. The design aimed to bring the family members together, regardless of where they were at home. To achieve this, the dining area is now visually connected to the living room, despite having clear demarcation.
Walls separating the kitchen from the rest of the home have been removed. To address the potential problem of fumes and odour spreading during heavy cooking, Stephen and Angela incorporated a glass sliding door near the hob. They also built full-height storage cabinets that run across the length of the kitchen. The kitchen layout, with the sink located on the island that sits in the middle, ensures there is also enough room for food preparation. Light-wood tones pair well with jet-black accents on the backsplash for an overall seamless look.
In the living area, a feature wall made of wood-look slate strips adds a tactile quality to the space. Soft furnishings, such as a red rug, help frame the space and add a splash of colour to the otherwise neutral palette.
In the daughterʼs bedroom, the designers replaced the wall along the corridor with a glass partition, allowing natural light to illuminate further into the home, while offering visual continuity and openness. Blinds were installed to ensure privacy, too.
The design of the master bedroom consists of dark hues and light wood, echoing the colour palette in the kitchen. This room has various customised built-in solutions, such as the TV feature wall, and headboard.
With its distinct design language, Metaphor Studio explored the use of space to bring comfort and style to this apartment.
