A terrace house for harmonious multi-gen living

Home Type: 2-storey terrace house

Floor Area: 3,640sqft

Text by Disa Tan

With a large family inhabiting the same household, ensuring everyone has privacy and ample space to get together can be challenging. Fortunately for this three-generation family living in Sembawang, their landed home can accommodate everyone’s diverse living needs following a much-needed design overhaul by Samantha Ng, Senior Designer at AP Concept.

For the four-month renovation, Samantha focused on designing distinct spaces for each family member and catering spacious communal zones for the family to enjoy each other’s company. A contemporary style takes over the home’s first level which has an open-concept living and dining zone, a wet and dry kitchen, and a common bedroom.

To carve out a larger dining area to fit an eight-seater table comfortably, Samantha and her team extended the front of the house. She says: “The expanded dining zone will cater well to their growing family. The roof was also redone with glass panels to introduce a sense of alfresco dining.”

The grandparents occupy the common bedroom on the first level and to provide adequate privacy, Samantha designed a full-height feature wall to conceal the entrance. The unassuming fixture decked in dark wood-patterned laminate finish also hides the entrance to the common bathroom.

To create a relaxing ambience, Samantha introduced elements of nature into their bedroom and the attached bathroom features a timeless palette of wood- and stone-look finishes.

Under the stairs, Samantha designed a stunning see-through glass showcase, with mirrored backing and recessed lighting to illuminate the display cases and give it a boutique-like appeal.

Convenience is a few steps away from the living area with a pantry and beverage bar located in the dry kitchen nearby. Knowing this will be a popular spot for the family to mingle and get their favourite refreshments, Samatha cladded the countertop in Vulcan sintered stone for extra durability.

She then equipped the rest of the wet kitchen with ample storage to keep the cookspace neat and organised. Since the family cooks quite regularly, installing a sliding glass door is essential to prevent heavy cooking smells from wafting into the communal zones. One stand-out feature is the skylight, which draws more natural light into the L-shaped kitchen space

While the colour scheme on the first level is brighter to project a more convivial atmosphere, the second storey housing the bedrooms takes on a darker colour palette. It marks a shift from the communal zones to the private areas. The existing parquet flooring has been repolished to enhance the moodier aesthetic.

The dark colour scheme is most prominent in the master bedroom, which features a wardrobe and cabinets in inky hues. To prevent the room from looking gloomy, Samantha added textured glass panels and glossy laminate finishes for a polished touch. At the back of the room, the sleeping area is set on a raised platform to emphasise the height of the pitched roof and create an airy atmosphere.

Laminate coverings that emulate the appearance of dark concrete scale the walls of the sleeping area. Samantha says: “We wanted to convey the look of luxury in this private rest area and therefore used a darker and more expressive tone to create an intimate and atmospheric effect.” A similar colour palette of luxury stone finishes has been inserted into the master bathroom to evoke a sense of sophistication.

Designing a space for different generations to live together is no easy feat. Still, Samantha has made it possible in this family terrace house with both style and practicality considered in equal measure.