A corner terrace house defined by quiet luxury

Home Type: Corner terrace house

Floor Area: 5,000sqft

Text by Olha Romaniuk

A newly TOP-ed 5,000-square-foot corner terrace house in the Novena area became a blank canvas and a starting point from which interior design firm atelier here crafted refined interiors that, at once, contrasted and complemented one another. The owners, a married couple with two teenage children, wanted to bring in their beloved designer furniture staples to sit comfortably in their new house. They also requested for a design aesthetic that would complement the daylight flooding the home’s social spaces, as well as present an air of understated sophistication and elegance offered by darker tones.

To achieve the seeming contradiction, atelier here has implemented a two-tone dark and light palette that runs through the entire corner terrace house and culminates in the open-plan living room and kitchen/dining area where opposing materials sit side by side in a striking composition. The living room utilises primarily light hues with a mix of pale wood wall cladding, a light wood console topped by a sliver of calacatta marble, a cream fabric sofa and soft rugs. Darker tones are introduced via leather armchairs that bridge the distance between the television console and the sofa.

In contrast to the living room, the kitchen and dining area together form a stately composition of dark and bold materials. “With one entire side facing full-height glass doors, there is a lot of light entering the house and we were not afraid to go dark for the dry kitchen area,” says Kelvin Lim, the design director of atelier here.

To create a striking backdrop of cabinets, Kelvin has paired dark wood cabinetry with an equally dark Italian marble backsplash, while using copper backing for the higher shelves to accentuate the height of the joinery and provide a sophisticated accent to the handsome setting. Finishing the kitchen island with the same Italian marble so it would appear like a monolithic block, Kelvin has appended a custom solid wood dining table to one end to balance out the moody colours in the kitchen. Above the island, and making a refined statement, are two translucent blown glass lamps from David Chipperfield.

In the master bedroom, to fashion a serene atmosphere conducive to relaxation, Kelvin went with a rich and deep colour scheme. Incorporating cabinets around the headboard provided the opportunity to create a snug alcove. The recessed nook is softly illuminated by two copper wall sconces. Grey marble gently accentuates the entire feature for a touch of elegance.

In the family lounge on the second floor, Kelvin created a custom wall of shelves to accommodate the owners’ books and collectibles. These shelves were crafted using natural wood veneers to establish a warm and inviting atmosphere, complemented by a base covered in volcanic stone cladding.