rear portion of the house was
also renovated to face the pool
and garden with a barbeque
area. Most of the spaces were
maintained for the first floor,
and for the second floor, we
added a new family room area
with French bay windows and
lounge day beds for added
relaxation, as well as a music
room for the husband.”
To enhance the lightness of
the space, Tan used good quality
simple finishes like terrazzo for
the flooring and pristine white
for all the built-ins. He then
re-polished the timber floors
on the first and second floor.
The house, which now responds
naturally to its surrounding
of the garden through large
unobstructed doors, allows for
a well ventilated space both in
and out of doors. Tan waxes
lyrical about how this quality
has become his favourite
part of the project. “I like the
ground floor living spaces that
blend into the outside pool
and garden. The thick walled
doorways are equally spaced
and when the sliding glass
doors open, you don’t see any
obstructions from inside of
the house. I’ve managed to
salvage a very traditional design
and modernised it as best as
possible. The French windows,
with steps as book shelves,
also add warmth to the family
room on the second floor. I was
glad that the family was very
receptive to the stairway with no
railings, which makes the space
more open and very clean.”
Despite being limited
due to budget restraints and
facade restrictions rules, Tan
nonetheless made an effort
to imbue the project with the
meticulous detailing. “There are
some little details in the building
which I love, like the main
entrance door with a little door
panel to let more light through;
sort of like a door within a doorTOP
The pristine
all-white
kitchen has
plenty of space
to conceal
messiness while
looking stylish
to boot.
LEFT
The living room
now opens up
to the outdoors
via sliding
doors.