A mishmash of styles comes together in this eclectic home that also acts as a gallery of prized artworks
1 September 2016
Home Type: Terrace House
Floor Area: 4,500 sqft
Joshua and his wife are ardent collectors of art, so it was only natural that they wanted to have space in their terrace house to display their collection. Although artwork did not dictate the look nor the design, it’s easy to see that it influenced the direction that interior design firm Free Space Intent took.
“The initial idea was to keep the home as basic as possible,” says Joshua, “but it turned out to be an evolving process. We preferred it to be this way though, because the entire journey felt more organic and the house seemed to grow along with the design.” With no fixed template or strict design rules to abide by, Raymond Seow from Free Space Intent could take creative liberties, albeit in a collaborative fashion with the homeowners.
Getting the look to come together was no easy feat, and a lot of trial and error was involved. “At the end of the day, I had to make sure that the different styles match and complement one another. Getting an eclectic look doesn’t meant hat you can do whatever you want. There’s still method to the madness.”
Joshua’s expanding collection of art can be found on all three floors of the house and ranges from the colourful pop art in the kid’s playroom to the traditional Chinese calligraphy in the living room. The design team deliberately created spaces where the art can shine. Examples include the slate-coloured walls on the first floor and the open layout of the rooms on the upper levels. In fact, the topmost floor was designed to be a gallery of sorts, with a large expanse of walls and an open floor plan that is perfect for displaying and enjoying art.
The designer encouraged Joshua to be bold with his choices of furniture, a key reason that contributes to the eclectic nature of this home. Each furniture piece has its own style. For example, the ground floor alone houses a Chesterfield sofa, a teak coffee table that contributes to the earthy look, a Mid-century-style dining set and a futuristic Ross Lovegrove sculptural pendant lamp to top it off.
“I love seeing the house come to life and being a part of that creative process. It’s great to see how the interior design constantly evolves, and how the end product is completely different from what we had envisioned in the first place. But most of all, I like how this is the home that we’ve put our heart into.”
Like what you just read? Similar articles below
Curated art, bespoke furnishings and striking textures bring many elements of wow to this modern luxury apartment in the heart of town.
Though the design was instigated pre Covid, Ovolo South Yarra in Melbourne is seriously the embodiment of a lockdown antithesis.
