ELIZA HAMIZAH chats with the homeowners of this laidback home, which has been personalised with travel photos and ceramicware.
ELIZA HAMIZAH chats with the homeowners of this laidback home, which has been personalised with travel photos and ceramicware.
Almost all built-ins, including the bedroom doors, have been clad in a wood veneer.
The homeowners purchased the slim wooden lamp from Taobao, and the round green lamp from Taiwanese brand Kimu.
Who lives here
A couple in their early 30s
Home Five-room BTO home in Punggol
Size 1,100sq ft
From left: The half-height terrazzo wall is a nice, unexpected touch; The homeowners commissioned Kaela Woods to design their round dining table.
Natural materials and muted hues give this home a down-to-earth and outdoorsy atmosphere. This mirrors the lifestyle of the homeowners, too — a couple who enjoys wakeboarding, holidaying at places-less-travelled, and most recently, gardening.
While some door handles were from Taobao, the intricate handles on the wooden island were designed by interior designer Sujono.
Their only prerequisites were that the house be clad in terrazzo and wood. A simple request on paper, but not many interior designers could understand the “feel-good” look they wanted. However, with Sujono Lim of interior design firm Parenthesis, it took only the first meeting, and an out-of-the-ordinary floorplan, for the couple to be convinced.
The couple opted for all-white walls, preferring that colours come from accessories such as rugs, pots, and photographs.
Sujono had proposed an open plan with two-toned floor; the living room and bedrooms would feature a light wood flooring, and the rest a speckled terrazzo floor. The area comprising the study room and kitchen were also configured in a symmetrical setting. Both spaces feature a set of ribbed glass sliding doors, while a long wooden island — customised as a loose piece of furniture — sits between them. The renovation cost totalled to $65,000.
A wall was erected in the common bathroom, to separate wet from the drier area. Sujono also suggested purchasing a compact bathroom sink from Ikea, to which he later added a quartz top.
“We like the raw texture of plywood, but Sujono proposed a veneer that could achieve the look we wanted while being more durable. Everything else he proposed, such as the bathroom tiles and open kitchen shelving where we can display our Japanese ceramic goods, [met our criteria],” say the couple.
The study table, which is actually an Ikea kitchen top, was has been with the couple for years.
The homeowners had a knack for decorating, too. They used photographs from their trip to Ethiopia and India, souvenirs such as a weave basket from Morocco, and plants to add texture and vibrancy to the home.
“Sujono did a great job with the space planning. The home is spacious for our friends to hang out in, we can easily refer to recipes on the wooden island as we cook in the kitchen and, when we work in the study room, the ridged glass provides us privacy without blocking out too much light,” shares the couple.
For a consistent look, the cabinetry in the master bedroom also features a wood-look cladding.
We wanted a spacious home ideal for family gatherings and when friends come over for drinks and boardgame nights.
Clockwise from top: The couple has a collection of rocks from Iceland, Ladakh and New Zealand, we well as wooden sticks from Hokkaido. They love nature- and mountain-filled places; A full-height mirror incorporated in the master wardrobe visually expands the space further; The study room, where the couple has recently been spending time to practise kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold inlay), is where a lot of interesting knick knacks can be found.
Photography VERONICA TAY
Art direction NONIE CHEN
