House Tours: Skylights and vibrant furnishings soften the look of industrial-themed terrace homes
By Home & Decor Team -
The young family that were moving into this 3,627sqf double-storey terrace house in Jalan Chempedak envisioned an industrial-inspired space bathed in natural light. Director of Architology Interiors Bu Shukun designed the home along the lines of ‘refined rawness’, keeping to a palette of woods, cement and bricks, while ensuring the space doesn’t look like a café or public building.
As the home was built on an incline, the first storey was levelled out, and the gap beneath the main entrance was turned into storage compartments.
Inside, the sprawling ground level is a single open space that's airy and enjoys an abundance of light thanks to the skylight above its staircase and a main entrance that can be opened up fully.
A refrigerator was built into the cabinets behind the kitchen island, keeping this space functional and stylish.
A foolproof way to offset the rough finishes of an industrial space is by introducing elements of nature, such as wood and greenery.
Large vividly coloured paintings and a white brick treatment prevent this large expanse of wall from looking stark.
Despite his lack of training in architecture, events management professional Elvin Lim was hard-set on personally redesigning his home, a 3,680sqf two-level inter-terrace house at Serangoon Gardens. With the help of graphic designers and a stack of design and architecture magazines, he turned a narrow house into a contemporary minimalist sanctuary, anchored by a colossal concrete feature wall. Renovations amounted to $670K, excluding furnishings.
To soften the sharp industrial look of the open-concept common area, soft, minimalist furnishings are introduced. A punch of colour also livens up the neutral backdrop, adding some warmth to the family space.
Coupled with a skylight, the floor-to-ceiling windows let in large splashes of sunlight as well. Remote-controlled shutters are vital when privacy is needed or when the equatorial heat proves to be too much to handle.
While keeping to the contemporary palette of grey and white, the dry kitchen plays with varying finishes (from the glossy cabinets to the stainless steel built-in appliances) to circumvent a one-dimensional look.
The dining area breaks the mould with a cheery painting, outlandish accessories such as the Alessi candelabra and Tom Dixon’s Jack Light, and wooden furniture with leather upholstery.
Elvin opted for warmer tones in the bedroom. Unlike the rest of the residence, this personal space sports dark wooden floors and a charcoal-black accent wall, personalised with a Union Flag and a quirky coat stand by Tom Dixon.