Fashion influences and meticulous details come together in this chic abode
Taking a leaf from fashion boutiques, this home has been highly customised to match its owners’ tastes and way of life
Dubbed the Eave House, this project by Ming Architects and KGID exudes quiet elegance. It comprises a white volume perched on a darkened plinth, accented with crisp roof and car porch canopies. The firm’s founder and architect Tan Cher Ming, inspired by the site’s unique shape, detailed these elements with a triangulated, chamfered form. It gives the house a graceful, f loating disposition that also visually accentuates the site’s width.
The owners, who live here with their two young children, wanted the house to evoke qualities similar to their old apartment. It was paramount that the design fosters family bonding and amplifies good light and ventilation.
TROPICAL LIVING
Several features add to this ventilating effect; these include screens that run the entire length of the master bedroom suite that filter light, air and views. On the first storey’s front elevation, dark-stained timber cladding reduces heat gain from the noon sun. Mesh panels prevent insects from entering and address water safety concerns. Fans in every room reduce air-conditioning usage.
With clever planning, the site’s unusual form becomes a boon. Tan positions rooms and living spaces in the regular areas, and inserts gardens and the staircase into leftover parts. The staircase corner is particularly delightful, privy to greenery aspects by triple-storey glazing. “Natural light comes in during the day and we can see the planters, which is a pretty sight as we walk up and down the stairs,” says the wife.
LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Tan orchestrates many encounters that promote this indoor-outdoor theme. When the living area’s glazing is pushed open, the 18-metre-long pool and surrounding plants provide pleasant vistas.
Another instance is the walk-in shoe cabinet located next to the entrance. This space and a few other areas in the house have been specially designed and styled by Karen and Kelvin Gan, the designer couple behind KGID, who had crafted the interiors of their former home.
“We wanted it to be stylish and practical for keeping all our shoes neatly upon entering the house. I especially love the look of it at night when the onyx is lit,” says the wife. Here, two rows of glass shelves frame a Japanese bonsai at the end window. It’s a very enjoyable space to be in, which elevates even the utilitarian act of choosing the day’s footwear. Laminated glass doors with a 180-degree turning radius accord it a boutique feel—not surprising, as the wife is a fan of fashion brand Chanel and wanted to channel the vibe of its boutiques in her home.
SPATIAL HARMONY
In the open-plan living and dining area, white Statuario marble f looring creates an expansive feel. Large sliding panels, detailed graphically by KGID with a stucco effect, Marquina marble and black powder-coated trims, conceal a playroom when closed. The f lexibility and f luidity is very useful; this is how the adults can mingle and dine while keeping a close watch over the young ones.