Home Tour: A son’s $240,000 renovation for his parents’ old terrace house in Joo Chiat
By Brenda Lim -
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Interior designer Joann Yee recalls receiving the renovation brief for this terrace house in the East of Singapore - the call came from a man, who wanted to renovate his family terrace house to the fashions of a black and white Colonial-style bungalow.
The terrace house, however, was over 60 years old and was a challenge to renovate. It showed signs of age, fragile structure, and spalling concrete. “So, we were very careful,” Joann adds.
To pull off that Colonial-style interior design, the homeowner chose to retain some of the original fixtures, namely the window grilles, stair railings, and staircase mosaic tiles - reportedly from the post-war times. The original marble flooring was polished multiple times to restore its shine from the heydays.
Who Lives Here: A son and his elderly parents
Home: 60-year-old terrace house
Size: 3,365 sq ft
Interior Designer: Joann Yee from Ovon Design
A fluted glass arch door subtly modernises the colonial aesthetic while linking indoors to outdoors.
The upstairs dry pantry, finished in green accents, reflects the homeowner’s favourite colour.
Colonial Interior Design
The homeowner’s brief was black and white colonial-style with a touch of glamour - think marble and wooden furniture, and black and white bamboo blinds. Luckily, the family held lots of antique furniture from decades past - these were brought forward to complete the old-school colonial look.
Interior designer Joann also designed and custom-made many fixtures in the house to fit the style. For example, the fluted arched glass doors in the kitchen are in a slightly different shape from what you typically see, and the kitchen chimney hood is actually cleverly disguised carpentry with a standard hood.
Yet, custom-making fixtures for the house wasn’t the most difficult part of this renovation.
The homeowner was not in Singapore throughout the renovation. Instead, he was managing the renovation project remotely via WhatsApp from overseas, with interior designer Joann sending photos and updates for all decisions - including tile and colour selections.
“Throughout this renovation, the homeowner was not in Singapore,” Joann recounts. “All the while I was [corresponding] with him over WhatsApp, from the beginning until he came back.”
There was so much trust between the homeowner and interior designer. “Design-wise, he allowed me to plan freely. He totally left it to me,” Joann adds.
The kitchen’s custom carpentry and colonial touches frame a clear line of sight to the yard.
A marble-finish island doubles as a dining table, illuminated by charming pendant lamps.
A bespoke fluted glass arch door opens to the yard, balancing light with privacy.
Colonial Kitchen Design
Stepping into the kitchen, you’re welcomed by a fluted glass arch door looking out to the yard. The arch door, however, looks a little wider and more rectangular as compared to the run-off-the-mill curved and arched doorways. “That was intentional. I didn’t want to make it look cute,” says Joann.
As you take a seat at the kitchen island dining table, you’re basked with natural sunlight streaming in from the skylight. Both the dining table and the kitchen countertop are done with a glossy, marble like finish from Dekton.
The open-plan living area is grounded by polished marble floors and solid dark wood antiques.
Muted green mosaic tiles on the staircase were retained as a sentimental feature of the family’s heritage.
Intricate original railings from the post-war era were preserved as part of the home’s history.
Terrace House Staircase Design
The green mosaic floor tiles lining the staircase were original to the house. While it stands out from the colonial interior design theme, these unique tiles were a feature of the house that the family members held dear to and wanted to retain. The intricately patterned stair railings were also retained from the original home.
At the top of the stairs is a dry pantry on the second floor. The homeowner requested an “Instagram worthy” look for this dry pantry area, which featured green elements, aligning with his preference for the colour green. Turns out, this was the homeowner’s favourite spot when he came back to Singapore for the final renovation check in. “When he came back, he loved this one the most,” Joann chirps.
Palm-print wallpaper, an ornate mirror, and a Chinese ceramic sink highlight the glamour in this bathroom.
White tiles with black grout, paired with a black shower head and heater, create striking colonial-style contrast.
Master Bathroom Design
Interior designer Joann took particular pride in the master bathroom design.
“What I’m particularly proud of is the master bathroom, downstairs,” Joann adds while noting that it was highly appreciated by others who understood the colonial interior design niche. “If you see the black and white with the wallpaper design, the key design [motif] is also the palm tree,”
The homeowner’s love for greens - found in the palm tree and banana leaf designs - were incorporated into the master bathroom’s waterproof wallpaper, bedroom cushions, and table lamps.
Also taking into account that the users of the bathroom were elderly, Joann thoughtfully designed and built-in a sit down shower for them. She also put in a small window above the bathroom door for better ventilation, and made sure it fit well with the style of the home.
A calm, old-world retreat anchored by heavy wood furnishings and colonial accents.
Black-and-white bamboo blinds and dark wood furniture channel the classic colonial bungalow vibe.
White tiles and black fittings deliver a crisp, monochrome colonial look.
$240,000 Renovation Cost
The renovation took approximately seven months and the family moved back into their renovated terrace house in December 2024. The base renovation spanning flooring, hacking, tiling works, plumbing, carpentry, feature wall, false ceiling, aircon, electrical wiring, wallpaper, lighting, and decoration ran up to $240,000 approximately.