RAY OF LIGHT

There are lots of greenery and welcoming spaces in this home, thanks to the open-plan layout and thoughtful design of its interiors. Domenica Tan visits this family pad to learn more about the renovation process.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Gather round

Careful consideration was taken to design common areas, especially the dining area, which the homeowners positioned in the centre of the house as a gathering space. This main spatial structure resembles the design of a central courtyard, allowing family members to easily interact. The skylight ensures natural light floods in, so as to illuminate the depths of the interior, right down to the first floor.

My Reading Room
Who lives here
A family of four and elderly parents 
home Intermediate terrace house in Serangoon Garden 
size Land area 2,073sqf
Built-up area
3,248sqf
WOODWORK WONDERS
Of course, storage considerations are a must. Notice a room under the staircase on the first floor? The integration of a camouflaged door with the wall is a seamless way to maintain the overall aesthetics, while maximising storage areas in the home. A wall-panelling design also helps frame the kitchen entranceway.
Unlike typical intermediate terrace houses that often have dark, gloomy interiors as natural light is unable to penetrate the home, this threestorey house in Serangoon Garden is welcoming, spacious, brightly lit and full of greenery – thanks to clever strategies that were put in place, following a collaboration between Produce Workshop and Ta.le Architects. 
As homeowners chris chen and Hartina Yeo have two children – a four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son – and are staying with two elderly parents, they needed space to cater to the family’s needs. This led to their decision to upsize from an apartment to a terrace house. engaging the help of architects and designers from the two firms, additions and alterations were made to the existing structure of the newly bought home, to ensure more efficient use of the space. as part of the $552,500 renovation cost, changes were made to the facade, and the rear and roof of the house were extended. 
My Reading Room

GOLDEN BROWN

Timber is a material that’s consistently used throughout the home, from the carpentry in the living room, to wall panels, stair treads and even the ceiling boards. The natural golden brown hue of the material adds warmth, while creating a cosy ambience.

My Reading Room
NATURAL ILLUMINATION
There is little reliance on artificial lighting, including in the bathroom, as most of the spaces enjoy natural light in the day. 
My Reading Room

Materials in the home were also chosen for their textural quality. With the aim of creating eye-catching feature walls on two sides of the house, the team at Produce Workshop decided to lay concrete paving bricks in a Flemish pattern. These contrast starkly with the polished marble floors on the first level to give the interiors an edgy yet contemporary touch.

The bedrooms
exude a warm,
cosy ambience
thanks to the
wood tones on
the walls and
floor.
The bedrooms exude a warm, cosy ambience thanks to the wood tones on the walls and floor.
As part of the
passive design
strategies put
in place, cross
ventilation
keeps the
house cool and
comfortable to
live in.
As part of the passive design strategies put in place, cross ventilation keeps the house cool and comfortable to live in.
My Reading Room
SHINE BRIGHT
Carving out a skylight in the middle of the house not only ensures natural light penetrates, but also helps frame the central “courtyard”. 
photography Veronica Tay assisted by phyllicia Wang art direction nonie chen
My Reading Room