The Chic Home: Lawyers' luxe semi-detached house
The lawyers who own this home wanted a style that exudes luxury and elegance. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
SINGAPORE – When lawyers Wilbur Lim and Hazell Ng bought this semi-detached home, they knew they wanted a luxurious style in neutral hues for a classic look.
'We took inspiration from hotels we have visited in different places, such as The Peninsula in Shanghai and Tokyo, and boutique hotels like Hotel Sacher Salzburg and The Hotel Maria, Helsinki,' says Ms Ng.
As the property was in good condition and the family wanted to move in quickly, they decided to retain the existing structure and renovate, instead of demolishing and rebuilding the house.
The couple, who are in their 30s and have two daughters aged seven and five, decided to work with Lemonfridge Studio based on a friend's referral and the positive reviews they had read online.
They adopted a hands-on approach for the design and renovation, and were closely involved with the selection of materials and fittings. They viewed and selected the marble slabs for every part of the house.
'We chose a huge slab of Calacatta Viola Italian marble and engaged a third party to fabricate a dining table from it. The dining table, including its legs and base, was carved from the same slab. It is extremely heavy and required about eight workers to lift,' says Mr Lim.
A display niche with an arch and mirrored backdrop beside the dining table reflects the home's modern French style.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
A display niche with an arch and mirrored backdrop beside the dining table reflects the modern French style of the home interior. The pantry area incorporates concealed storage behind walls with French mouldings.
The European theme is also evident in the living room, with Venus White marble complemented by mouldings, cornices, black fluted panels and gold trims.
The master bedroom is a cosy and inviting space designed for rest and relaxation. A settee has been integrated with the bay window, along with built-in shelving at one end for the couple's books and collectibles.
The master bedroom's television set is embedded in a freestanding divider in the middle of the room.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The centrepiece of the room is a freestanding divider. The side facing the bed houses a television set, while the other side showcases a Hermes scarf from the owners' extensive collection of scarves.
The walk-in wardrobe has plenty of room for clothes, handbags and accessories.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Access to the walk-in wardrobe is through a pair of arched French doors on one side of the master bedroom. The walls are lined with expansive closets, drawers and shelves.
As fans of Labubu, Space Molly and Royal Molly – all creations of Chinese toy brand Pop Mart – the couple also wanted space to display their prized collection.
As fans of Labubu, Space Molly and Royal Molly, the couple wanted space to display their prized collection.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Another set of French doors leads to the attached master bathroom through an arched portal. The couple removed the walls to expand the master bathroom to about three times its original size.
The master bathroom has a set of French doors.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'The children love a good soak in the bathtub after a swim in our pool, so we wanted sufficient space for that. It is also important for us to have large vanity areas on both sides of the bathroom,' says Ms Ng.
The selection of laminates and the placement of French mouldings on each wall and door reveal just how exacting the couple were when it came to the carpentry.
The couple wanted large vanity areas on both sides of their bathroom.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
For the master bathroom's vanity, they selected handles with a dark marble finish for the drawers to complement the Volakas and White Portoro marble.
The girls' bedroom is whimsical yet timeless, with soft cream and pink hues for a touch of femininity.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The girls share a bedroom with bunk beds. The arch motif ties in with the rest of the home and a soft, L-shaped headboard in blush pink adds princess-like femininity.
A series of outdoor features and spaces complement the interior of the home. The swimming pool shimmers with its white, iridescent Ezarri Diamond mosaic tiles imported from Spain.
There is also a sky terrace in the attic inspired by the Shakusui-en, an 800-year-old pond garden in the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto. The couple's version features a Japanese Zen garden with mood lighting that sets the perfect ambience for outdoor dining or hosting.
The couple say the renovation took a few months to complete and they moved into the home in December 2023.
The cost of renovating the interiors, which included removing the walls and replacing the existing flooring with marble, came up to about $500,000. An additional $350,000 was spent on the reconstruction of the pool, as well as the fittings and materials.
This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to homeanddecor.com.sg for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.
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