Home tour: a Good Class Bungalow with a modern Asian interior that follows feng shui requirements

With its harmonious mix of materials and soothing neutral palette, this Good Class Bungalow in Singapore is the perfect setting for a family’s joyful gatherings

In the lush and exclusive Bukit Timah neighbourhood in Singapore stands a modern house with plenty of remarkable surprises to be found within its elegant interior. Located on hilly terrain, this Good Class Bungalow enjoys an elevated view of its verdant surroundings, and is home to a family of five.

The family’s recently acquired two-storey house was first constructed in the noughties and has a built-up area of 12,387 sq ft—ample space for all the amenities that the owners would need and more. The challenge was to create a sense of cosiness within this capacious property. The couple’s three adult children came across Designworx Interior Consultant’s portfolio online and were suitably impressed by the firm’s work, particularly as the studio is known for crafting beautiful interiors for sprawling properties including various bungalows and penthouses in Singapore.

“A big home is like a huge canvas that needs the right brushstrokes to create a cosy sanctuary instead of cold ‘trophy’ space,” explains Terri Tan, design director of Designworx Interior Consultant.

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Above The sliding glass doors can be stowed away to enhance this outdoor dining area’s proximity to nature

The brief given to the designer was simple: to create a timeless, understated, elegant and luxurious interior that also adheres to the family’s feng shui requirements. The owners favour an airy primary palette comprising white, light and neutral hues, while using accent hues in the individual bedrooms. The wife is also an avid cook and desired an open-concept culinary zone that would connect to an outdoor dining area.

The old flooring on the ground floor had to be replaced with white marble tiles, while the flooring of all the bedrooms and the study were to be clad in a new oak finish.
A basement den was created, and the kitchens and bathrooms were to be completely redone to suit the family’s needs.

“Taking a cue from the wife’s penchant for white and light tones, we created a design based on a neutral palette that is simple yet sophisticated through the use of combinations of texture and pattern play. These include touches of silver and gold, and reflective surfaces in the form of exquisite feature lights and tinted mirrors,” says Tan.

“For the living and dining areas, accent colours on the furnishings, bespoke rugs, chandeliers and sculptures helped energise the cosy yet luxurious interior.”

Above Naturalist elements are blended seamlessly into functional spaces with a modern aesthetic

Above A custom glass installation created in collaboration with SpectraOne floats above the Bentley Harlette swivel dining chairs and Visionnaire Jason dining table

The lofty dining room is among the home’s most spectacular spaces, befitting the family’s love of entertaining. The overall light palette is accompanied by auspicious shades such as the silver, blue and gold tones in the dining room that were recommended by the feng shui master; these are represented in the majestic aquatic-themed installation specially created in collaboration with Czech glass company SpectraOne.

“The swirl of glass ribbons and fishes in the double-volume space comprises an auspicious total of 108 pieces: 90 glass ribbons with streaks of gold mica, accompanied by nine gold fishes and nine silver fishes,” says Tan.

Suspended above the dining table, the ceiling-hung display is a spectacular showcase of the beauty of handblown glass. An accompanying set of 30 wall-hung fishes creates the appearance of marine life swimming upstream, resulting in an enthralling display. These are set against a large cylindrical column, painted in a shimmering champagne-gold special-effects paint; this column houses the powder room, which incorporates a dramatic airwell and the original curved granite wall that gives it a rugged touch.

A secondary outdoor dining area is found in between the kitchen and main dining room. “Having visual and physical connections between the dry kitchen and outdoor dining area was top of the wife’s wishlist,” explains Tan. “Part of the non-structural wall between the kitchen and outdoor dining was opened up to insert a pair of automated sliding glass doors to achieve this sense of openness. When the family entertains, the sliding doors can be kept open so that guests can easily traverse the dining room, outdoor dining area and the dry kitchen.”

Above Gold trimmings add a glamorous touch to the marble-clad master bathroom

Another technically challenging area was the basement, which houses the home’s entertainment facilities. This subterranean space incorporates the airwell and a planter; the existing airwell had to be sealed to create an acoustically optimal environment. The home theatre doubles as a karaoke room and is designed with sparkling fibre optic lights to recreate the magic of “movie viewing under the stars”. Fitted with arcade machines and various gaming amenities, this leisure zone is where the children enjoy spending time together and with their guests.

“The entertainment room and movie theatre were the most fun to design,” says Tan. “The son preferred a more vibrant vibe for the entertainment room so we introduced a series of colour-changing wall-to-ceiling LED lights. He came up with the tagline ‘Home is where the good vibes are’ for the neon signage, which we thought was perfect for the space.”

The design firm’s attention to detail is as apparent in the bedrooms situated on the second storey. Aside from ensuring that the rooms’ orientation adhered to feng shui principles, the bedrooms feature wardrobe areas fitted with custom cabinetry from Poliform to accommodate the family’s collection of clothes and collectibles.

Above Earthy tones create a cocooning atmosphere in the same bedroom, which features a Visionnaire Bastian bed frame

Above The addition of a sitting nook cosies up this corner of the home

These spaces feature colours and finishes hand-picked by each inhabitant. The couple’s bedroom continues their preference for a lighter scheme, while their children’s rooms cater to their individual tastes. The elder daughter’s room, for instance, showcases her preference for lighter colours, touches of pink and curved elements, while the younger daughter favours a modern classic look with furnishings in shades of silver and grey. In the son’s room, a darker palette holds sway to create a moody and cosy feel.

To give the home its unique character, various personalised details were carefully incorporated. “Another way to give sizeable spaces a lively, cosy vibe is to add the owner’s signature or personality to the decor by displaying art pieces, travel treasures and collectibles,” says Tan.

Such artistic elements include the jade sculptures and petrified wood pieces that the owners acquired in China during their holidays before the renovation began. “It was easy to weave these into the interior as the feng shui requirements for these items were already fixed during the initial design phase,” shares Tan. “However, the challenge was they were in crates in the owner’s warehouse, so we did not realise their sheer size and weight until they were delivered to the site. We had to fabricate a wider pedestal for the jade lingzhi mushroom sculpture so the overall display proportion was just right.”

The renovation, which took a total of two years to complete, was a beautifully collaborative process that represents the family’s passions and way of life. “The family knew quite clearly what they liked and disliked, and were prompt with their feedback and comments; they would frequently check in with us to make sure the marble varieties, building materials, furniture and curtain selection that they were keen on would work well with overall interior concept,” shares Tan, smiling at the result.

Designworx Interior Consultant | 237 Alexandra Rd, #03-15/#06-10 The Alexcier | 6479 6838

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Home tour: A Good Class Bungalow with a modern Asian interior