Home Tour: $500,000 Renovation for a family's semi-detached house in Frankel Estate

Acquiring a property that is a few decades old, many homeowners would consider demolishing the existing house and rebuilding. James, a director in the travel industry, and his wife Yan Yi, who is an executive coach, both in their 50s, recognised that their semi-detached house in Frankel Estate built in the '90s possessed good bones. They decided to retain the structure, but have the interior gutted in order to accommodate their lifestyle and needs, as well as those of their two daughters aged 17 and 15. 

Who lives here: A family of 4 and their two cats
Home: A semi-detached house at Frankel Estate
Size: 3,990 sq ft (land area)
Interior designer: Museum Squad

Museum Squad interior design

The renovation project was entrusted to interior designer Alex Kwan, principal of Museum Squad. Having worked on the family’s previous penthouse home, Alex is well-acquainted with their tastes and preferences and the couple gave him the freedom to design their new home.

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Hacked all walls

With the exception of the existing staircase and the timber flooring in the bedrooms, almost everything non-structural was hacked. Most of the non-load bearing walls on the first storey were demolished and the external fenestrations were enlarged as the family wanted a home with a spacious and open feel and which allowed as much light as possible into the interior.

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Outdoor patio

The programmatic functions are clearly zoned by floors and enable the family to foster even closer bonds. The first storey, where the outdoor patio, pool, living area, dining room, pantry, dry and wet kitchens are located, is where cooking, eating, gathering and socialising take place. The family room and bedrooms are housed on the second storey, which accords these spaces a greater degree of privacy. Yan Yi’s home office and co-working space occupy the third storey.

At the front of the house, the former car porch has been converted into an outdoor patio just beside the new lap pool. Together with the prevalent use of wood- from the furniture and cabinet doors to the ceiling and fan, these set the tone for the rest of the house, which epitomises open-concept living where the boundaries between indoors and outdoors are blurred. 

The threshold between the patio and living area is delineated by large, almost full height sliding glass doors that can be opened up to allow the two spaces to flow seamlessly. The clean lines and neutral colour palette comprising natural hues and wood elements are immediately evident upon entering the living area. The juxtaposition and layering of other textures and materials such as stone, slate and steel around the house lend an extra dimension of spatial depth. 

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East Meets West interior design

The home also exudes a blend of east-meets-west that reflects the family’s heritage. Homeowner James is part Spanish, French and British, and has called Asia home for over three decades, while Yan Yi is of Malaysian Chinese descent.

A Chinese calligraphy gifted by Yan Yi’s father takes pride of place on the living room wall. A Lamyong (the decorative part of a Thai temple’s multi-tiered roof), an old Hong Kong street sign and myriad other pieces with strong ethnic flavours can be found in various parts of the house.

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Wet kitchen

One of the couple’s requests to interior designer Alex was to incorporate a garden along the length of the property. Running adjacent to the living and dining areas all the way to the wet kitchen at the rear, the garden allows the occupants to feel close to nature even from within the home. 

Central to the dining area and dry kitchen is an island around which all the cooking, dining and entertaining activities revolve. It reflects the family’s love for cooking and baking, and for hosting family and friends. Beyond an archway from the original house that the girls insisted be retained, lies the pantry and wet kitchen. The open-concept pantry resembles a grocer’s and has a built-in ladder for easy access to the higher shelves. 

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Master bedroom

The master bedroom is a light-filled space thanks to tall windows that envelope what used to be the balcony. Interior designer Alex had the balcony enclosed and transformed into an inviting reading nook within the master bedroom where the couple enjoys spending time together.

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Work loft

Perched at the top of the home is a work loft that serves as Yan Yi’s home office and co-working space. The pitched roof gives the space a lofty and airy feel, accentuated by plenty of natural light that enters through windows and fixed glass panels on the gable end. During the renovation, the team discovered a space that was hidden behind a wall panel and turned it into a cosy, chill-out area within the attic.  

$500,000 Renovation budget

The renovation, which was carried out in 2021 during the pandemic, took about a year to complete due to the various restrictions and delays. The cost came up to about $500,000. 

The couple appreciates how comfortable the home is, how it is made to be lived in rather than as a showcase. “We would probably have preferred a smaller house and a bigger garden, but we worked with what we had and are happy with how it turned out,” says Yan Yi. 

The home encompasses a mix of classic designer pieces, inherited or gifted pieces from family, and thrifted pieces that they have salvaged or bought second-hand. It may be a challenge to maintain the clean and minimalistic style, but the couple says, “We will continue to tweak with pieces that have meaning, function and beauty for us.”

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