Home Tour: $800,000 Interior for a rebuilt semi-detached home at Charlton Road
With an abundance of natural light and ventilation, and spaces that flow easily, this home is the perfect place for this young family to bond and to grow.
By Lynn Tan -
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Who Lives Here: A couple in their 40s and their toddler
Home: A semi-detached home at Charlton Road
Size: 3,308 sq ft (Land area); 4,020 sq ft (Built-up area)
Interior Designer: Collective Designs
When this couple in their 40s purchased this semi-detached home dating back to the 1970s and ‘80s, it did not take much deliberation to decide on demolishing the old house and rebuilding it. The choice of interior designer was also an easy decision. They went with Collective Designs, who came highly recommended by the husband’s parents who are former clients of the homegrown studio.
Head of design, Jane Febrina led the Collective Design team in handling the full interior design for the home, including the space planning, ceiling design, built ins and specifying finishes. The team worked closely with the appointed architect and engineer who took care of the architectural and structural works.
Design style and spatial planning
The clients are a family-oriented and health conscious family who prioritise practicality and timelessness over frivolous ornamentation. They also appreciate pleasing proportions, harmonious palettes and tactile materials. With this in mind, Jane focused on creating a home that is airy, has plenty of natural light and ventilation, served by easy circulation and exudes a quiet elegance.
In going about conceptualising a practical and comfortable home that would grow with the couple and their young child, Jane devoted much time and effort into thinking about how to make the home feel spacious yet proportional. “The house was built from ground zero, so we could plan the areas properly without wasting space,” she says.
One of her strategies was to future proof the home by designing flexible and open spaces that can be easily subdivided later on without major work. “Though the overall footprint is generous, the design deliberately avoids over maximising the number of enclosed rooms. Instead, spaces are kept open and adaptable, allowing the family to fully enjoy the expanse now while keeping flexibility for future reconfiguration,” she elaborates.
Given the home’s squarish footprint, Jane used the staircase as a spatial datum around which the spaces flow. It also creates a visual axis through the home, defining two distinct zones.
Living room, dining room and kitchen
The living room, dining room and kitchen form a synergistic trio. The living room design excels in its simplicity and proves that less is indeed more. A sleek, platform style television console set against a fluted half-height feature wall extends across the width of the space, emphasising the lateral expanse.
A six seater dining table reinforces the linearity of the space while still respecting the overall flow, which continues seamlessly into the open plan kitchen. The kitchen forms the heart of the home and is anchored by a large island. Everything else- from the cabinets and countertops to the oven and hob, flow easily and effortlessly around this central feature.
Master suite
Occupying one section of the second storey, the master suit comprises the bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and master bathroom. More than just a bedroom, it offers the homeowners a sanctuary within the home that is light-filled and calming.
The walk-in wardrobe connects directly to the master bathroom. This is not only functionally practical, but also further heightens the sense of spatial fluidity that permeates every space in the home. The various wardrobe and storage provisions were carefully considered and integrated to maintain an uncluttered and spacious appearance.
The separate shower and WC compartments are generously sized and evoke a luxury resort feel. The use of mosaics on the floors and walls adds visual interest juxtaposed against the grey marble in the rest of the bathroom.
Bathrooms
“Even a small corner, like the guest bathroom, can hold an element of surprise. That is where design becomes memorable,” Jane believes. The guest bathroom on the first storey makes an impression with its terrazzo walls that injects a playful contrast with the rest of the home. The remaining elements in the bathroom have been kept neutral to avoid overwhelming the compact space. Another bathroom with wood-look flooring conveys a warmer and more relaxed tone.
The project took one-and-a-half years from design to completion and cost about $800,000 for the interior renovation. The family moved into their new home in mid-2023.