A masterclass in hosting: Couple completes $100k renovation for their SkyTerrace @ Dawson 4-room HDB
“Together, when we designed the house, we designed it because we like to have people over, cook and host. That’s why we have an open concept and have the kitchen, dining and living room open-plan.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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If you were meeting the recently married couple, Sam and Max, for the first time, and they had invited you over for a home-cooked feast–cue the perfectly set dining table–a few things would become immediately, very obvious.
These homeowners love Christmas, they love to host, and they certainly love to cook! A home that is reminiscent of the European kind, with its (faux) fireplace where permanent holly hangs from, rich Italian stone finishes, warm wood textures and wainscoting walls, it very much is a space you want to celebrate the festive season.
“WE LOVE HOSTING. Last week, we had our 20th group that came over for a housewarming. I made some risotto,” Sam says, who is the home chef behind most meals–and one who loves to experiment in the kitchen. Max, on the other hand, is in charge of ensuring guests always have a drink in hand (and on cleaning duty). He plays sous chef when his wife needs him in the kitchen.
“Whenever we go overseas, we love to try a lot of local dishes,” details the couple. “Recently, on our honeymoon, we went to Florence in Italy and ate a lot of pasta dishes.”
Why hosting brings them joy
This wifey’s favourite part about hosting is seeing her guests eat the food that she has cooked, and gathering around the dining table to chitchat about life.
“We designed our house to create a space like this: One where our friends can come over at any time; if they’ve had a bad day, we’ll pull up some chairs and have some wine. I really love those moments,” she expresses.
Max adds that their main concept was to create a large space with a big dining table and sofa that caters for social moments.
“When hosting, it’s all about the plating. After cooking, we keep all the food we have made warm in the oven before we show it to everybody. When everyone’s here, we’ll plate it up so everybody gets to eat together at the same time,” the husband says.
“Because our kitchen is open and we have this big slab, we’ll tell everyone to line up, and then we’ll start taking out the dishes…One, two, three, four, five, six. Everyone always gasps at the amount of dishes coming out of the oven, saying you cooked this and that. It’s an amazing feeling,” tells Sam.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their early 30s who both work in finance. The wife is Singaporean, the husband is Malaysian, but grew up in Singapore
Home: 4-room HDB Resale
Size: 936 sq ft
Interior designer: Toby Fong from Altmosphere interior
During this complete gutting, the couple changed up a lot of the original home, which was quite old, including tiling and hacking works. They overlaid the original floors with herringbone–an inspiration that came about after a trip to Paris and many of Europe’s famous museums.
Without a question, the couple’s favourite time of year is Christmas, which is a month+ worth-long of celebrations. As has been a tradition for Sam for over a decade, during December, friends are always over, dinners are frequent, and swapping presents is totally a thing. The Christmas tree gets put up, and the festivities kick off in full swing.
“At this age and stage, we tend to get very busy. But at this time of year, no matter how busy we are, we set this period aside for when we all get together. No matter how long we haven’t seen each other, we will always meet in December,” informs Sam.
Christmas charm is something that very much inspired the design of this home.
When meeting with potential interior designers, part of the homeowners’ design brief was this idea and highlighting that this tradition was a major part of their lifestyle.
“When we met our interior designer, one of the first photos he showed us was the moment you open the door, the Christmas tree was at the end of the wall. Then the second photo was the living room with the fake fireplace,” recall the couple. “He said you can hang your Christmas socks here, and I was like, SOLD. The house he proposed looked similar to what we have right now.”
A quick tour around
Their moodboard was heavily leaning towards the European style, and nothing like the current Singaporean landscape of Japandi or modern luxe. Big splurges included their Italian stone slabs used throughout the home.
“We have no black in our home. Everything is whites and browns.” Even the fans are wooden (from a shop in Malaysia) for a seamless look, adding warmth and depth.
Chef’s kitchen – where the magic happens
Naturally, the kitchen is home cook Sam’s favourite space.
“I love my Italian sintered stone countertops. I wanted a thick downturn (downturned edge). It makes it look more premium, where a lot of sintered stone looks thin. We spent a lot of time designing the kitchen as I have a lot of gadgets for cooking. And I also have a specific way of how I cook, angle things and move around,” explains the avid cook.
Playing to their want for an open-plan feel, although it is somewhat sectioned off, there are plenty of open spaces between the kitchen and dining/living space. It’s *chef’s kiss for chatting when these homeowners have friends over and are in the kitchen, and guests are gathering in the dining or living areas.
Building a countertop between the kitchen and living/dining room, above this is a serving bar shelf lined with liquors of all sorts. The neutral-toned Italian travertine is used throughout the kitchen for both counters and backsplash. Bottom cabinets are finished off with a rich wood laminate, and the top ones are white for balance.
The couple chose a dual cook oven from Samsung, which allows Sam to set and cook the oven at two different temperatures. They opted for a sleek on-the-counter swivel water dispenser (so guests can access it from the bar) and have obvious chef-y brands, like the white Smeg knife set.
A social dining setting
Whilst Sam loves their kitchen, it’s the dining area which Max appreciates most.
“Here is where we relax with friends,” he says.
During the married couple’s honeymoon, some of their favourite things they ate were a traditional Italian carbonara and pistachio gelato. During one of their recent hosting events, they made a few Italian-inspired dishes for friends and family.
The travertine dining table was chosen to match the Italian stone. Chairs are customised from Taobao, and the double pendant light above the table, sitting on a golden metal beam, is from the online shopping platform, too.
An inviting living space
Having travelled to cities like Paris, London and Vienna, the couple loved the idea of wainscoting. It’s used across the living and dining room walls.
“We went to Vienna to visit the Christmas markets, and that’s where Max proposed,” Sam gushes.
The “fireplace” design was intentional, proposed to the homeowners by Toby.
“Because we wanted the Christmas theme, he incorporated the fireplace, and he made it very functional as the TV plugs are hidden in here and the TV box. Because of this, I refuse to remove the Christmas decorations.”
Due to the number of friends and family that come over at any one given time, Max and Sam required a huge sofa, and one that is modular. Customising it from a furniture shop in Malaysia, they love that you can move individual pieces around in different directions to face the dining area and kitchen!
“We wanted the space to be very interactive,” they explain.
European hotel-like master with a walk-in
The master bedroom oozes warmth and luxury, thanks to opting for wooden laminates as well as utilising more of their Italian stone slab for the bedroom dresser, as well as in the primary en suite.
Formerly, a small window was sectioned off and covered up in the bedroom, but Sam was set on having her designer reopen this, allowing for natural sunlight to envelope the space. This meant less wardrobe space. However, their interior designer suggested building a mini walk-in wardrobe with a dresser opposite it.
A custom-built headboard is installed with shelves and Italian stone sidetable finishes. The king-sized Woosa bed is a storage bed.
A luxe primary en suite
Max spent a lot of time thinking about the bathroom, which Sam jokes is his actual favourite room in their stylish abode.
Just like the master bedroom, you feel as if you’re stepping inside the bathroom of a beautiful European hotel. The primary matches the rest of the home’s design, choosing a tile that plays off tones of buttercream, ivory, and Bavarian cream neutrals. Wood laminates for the ceiling, as well as mirroring these same laminates for the vanity cabinet, add to its stylish and warm feeling. Having leftover Italian stone, this was used for the custom vanity and sink.
Welcome and a nearby study
As guests walk through the laminate-finished door and an archway with cove lighting, there’s a small opening into the kitchen if they want to peek in and smell what Sam is cooking up. Just down the way is the study, which was previously the dining room.
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A home for hosting
The design process took three months, and construction was complete within another three months.
This introvert and extrovert duo make an emblematic hosting duo. One who loves to cook and brings joy to others through her food, whilst her other half works his mingling magic, keeping friends and family entertained and the drinks topped up.
Their home is a symbol of the things that make them happy and what matters most to them. It showcases their experiences and love for each other, and doing the things that create jubilation for themselves and others.