madefor

merrymaking

h&d homes
text mavis ang
photos museworks

No gimmicky design here this

homes Scandinavian-inspired

space was built with function as a

Unafraid of pesky
neighbours, the
homeowners chose a
facade that features
large glass windows.
opposite The doubleheight foyer is bathed
in a generous amount
of light thanks to the
glass frontage.

thefacts

who lives here A couple in their early 40s home three-storey

terrace house near New Upper Changi Road size 2,900sqf

163

top priority.

ideaswelove
M in d th e G ap

strong architectural lines

the designer created a gap

along the dining room walls so

outline the simple yet striking

the homeowners can still look

out at the main entrance while
enjoying some privacy during

structure of this home.

their meals.

on friendly terms, the pair complemented each

other further as they speak the same design
language, making the 10-month process of
building a new structure from the ground up, a
lively and creative process.

right A large mirror

hangs opposite the
dining table, giving
the illusion of a larger
space and increasing
the amount of light
within the dining room.

Singing the Same Tune

After making specific requests for a doubleheight foyer and an open-concept bathroom for
the master bedroom, and emphasising the need
for clean lines and a functional design, Jordan
left Shawn to his devices to create a space that
would tie all the elements up neatly. I came up
with many, many ideas. And its very rare that

165

164

ix years had passed since the last

renovation of Jordan Ongs terrace house.
Also, due to the complicated electrical
system in the former single-storey home, airconditioning had been ruled out. He and his
partner Patrick Chan decided that they had
endured the humid weather long enough, and
that it was the right time to rebuild their home
to bring the indoor temperature down, and the
design up a notch.
In order to turn his design ideas into reality,
Jordan enlisted the help of Shawn Shum of
Museworks, the same designer who had handled
the renovation of his previous home. Already

The master bedroom

takes up the entire top
floor, and the bed area
can alternate between
a light-filled space
and a cosy corner for
resting with the help of
black-out curtains.

clients like all the proposals! says Shawn of

early discussions on the homes design. But in
the end, we decided on the concept of cuboids,
and having a box within a box. The many beams
and columns of the homes structure were then
cleverly camouflaged by Shawns minimal yet
striking design.
Jordan was also glad that with Shawns
past experience of working with them, the
designer was already familiar with their existing
collection of furniture and accessories and could
help integrate them back into the new place.
Jordan pointed out that he was exceptionally
pleased that the current bathroom design could
accommodate a Fiam mirror he has been keeping
in storage for ages. While Jordan and Patrick
have splurged on some designs, such as a pair
of Light Shade Shade chandeliers from Moooi

for the living room, Jordan insists that he isnt a

slave to brands, preferring clever designs over
showpieces that make a home more lived-in and
less like a showroom.

Blessed with the

luxury of space, the
homeowners indulged
in an open-concept
bathroom. below
More space had to be
allocated to the open
standing shower so it
would keep the water
from splashing out.

Keep it Open-Ended
Besides showcasing their tasteful furnishings,
the three-storey home was also meant to be a
very social kind of house, says Jordan. In order
to entertain various groups of people under the
same roof without isolating each mini-gathering,
the common areas are designed in a way that
keeps it segregated yet open.
On the ground floor, the dining area is
sectioned off from the living room by a divider
with a horizontal gap running through it. This
allows people lounging in either rooms to be
physically but not visually separated. And on

the second storey, the television room features

a large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks
the living room below. From this window, they
also have a view out to the street in front,
through another large window on the facade of
the house. We understand that some friends
feel more comfortable in their own cliques,
so we give them their own space, but at least
everyone can still see each other! says Jordan,
who occasionally hosts barbecue sessions on the
grassy balcony of his bedroom.
The reconstruction of Jordan and Patricks
home embodies the same qualities they admire
in Scandinavian design its simple, understated,
and fully functional. And thanks to Shawns
understanding of the couples lifestyle and
aesthetic tastes, the house, which cost $800,000
to construct, emerged as a contemporary space
that will stand the test of time and the
merrymaking in between.

where to go
Museworks tel: 9026-9119