Cover This Good Class Bungalow’s living room offers views of the Bensley-designed pool area and a sunken outdoor seating area
This Good Class Bungalow’s living room offers views of the Bensley-designed pool area and a sunken outdoor seating area
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This Good Class Bungalow with an enviable design pedigree has been revamped into a restful hideaway filled with artwork
Located near the Novena area, this Good Class Bungalow (GCB) had been designed like a bona fide five-star resort. Built in the early aughts, its 11,490 sq ft, two-storey-plus-basement structure was the brainchild of Maps Design, while the rest of its 15,770 sq ft plot had been landscaped by none other than Bill Bensley—the two names belong in the upper echelon of international hospitality specialists.
After renting it out for many years, the owner of the property made the decision to move into the house with his wife and two children. To transform the abode’s interiors to suit his family’s needs, the homeowner engaged award-winning interior design firm Architology Interiors.
“We had designed their previous home,” shares Architology Interiors co-founder Terrence Quah, who helmed the project. “It means a lot to us that they trusted us to do it again.” The previous interiors were deliberately left bare for the tenants to fill with their own furniture. For his family, the homeowner envisioned spaces that were tailored to cater to his family’s lifestyle, as well as their love of entertainment and art.
Read more: A Bukit Timah Good Class Bungalow inspired by art
Above The home has an unobstructed view of the neighbouring one, where the owner’s brother’s family lives
The home has an unobstructed view of the neighbouring one, where the owner’s brother’s family lives
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The Architology Interiors team delivered on that front by taking a meticulous approach across all aspects of the interior, from reconfiguring the floor plans right down to the tiniest details, including creating bespoke niches to display specific artworks and curating a palette to match their worth.
Viewed from the street, the house appears to stand atop a lush hill dotted with tiered stone walls. Both vehicular and pedestrian access are via the basement level, which is finished in natural stone. Past the double front doors, one faces an airy foyer with a zen garden vibe.
Here, an oval bench takes pride of place; sprouting from its timber structure are sculptural Bocci lights that resemble tree branches. “It’s inspired by a Chinese proverb that the owner loves: ‘The best ten-year plan is to plant trees; the best plan for the rest of your life is to plant people’. It alludes to educating people to meet long-term goals as opposed to fulfilling immediate needs, which aligns with the owner’s family values,” explains Quah.
Above A custom oval bench with Bocci light installations welcomes visitors at the basement entrance
Above The subterranean entrance foyer's curvilinear form adds a welcoming sense
A custom oval bench with Bocci light installations welcomes visitors at the basement entrance
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The contrast between the basement’s rectilinear planes and dark finishes, and the foyer’s curvaceous walls and light material tones is an experience in and of itself. These curvy walls, which look like scalloped edges on the construction drawing’s floor plan, are a continuous design feature throughout the house. “It’s a strategy to cultivate warmth in the design,” says Quah.
Above Clad in pale, jade-hued onyx, the basement powder room is a key design highlight with its own outdoor access
Clad in pale, jade-hued onyx, the basement powder room is a key design highlight with its own outdoor access
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Originally a large, empty space that the owner didn’t quite know what to do with, the refurbished basement level is now dedicated to entertaining and, as such, has been designed to impress. Behind the foyer are a golf simulator room, a climate-controlled wine cellar and a home theatre equipped with the latest gaming and karaoke gadgets. These two areas enjoy natural daylight thanks to an adjacent open-air water feature designed by Bensley. Quah simplified the fountain and also made it visually accessible from the powder room.
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Above A close-up detail of the powder room's green onyx floor and fluted wall
Above The climate-controlled wine cellar is also decorated with playful art pieces
A close-up detail of the powder room's green onyx floor and fluted wall
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Sporting oblong details and clad in pale-green onyx slabs that resemble jade, the powder room is one of the standout design features of the home. Quah enlarged its original footprint by merging the tiny former bathroom with the adjacent corridor, and dressed it up as a boutique powder room. Another Bocci light installation overhead, this time featuring artificial plants, and natural light with a water view, bathes the space in biophilic warmth.
Above The Dior Vespa parked in the lift corridor sets a playful tone
The Dior Vespa parked in the lift corridor sets a playful tone
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Quah used the family’s extensive art collection to create arresting vignettes throughout the home. This collection largely comprises contemporary pieces, objets d’art from luxury fashion houses, as well as limited-edition figurines and sculptures.
On the ground floor, the first thing one emerging from the stairs or the elevator notices is a Vespa decked in Dior regalia parked across the corridor; to the left is a stylish bathroom with an arched ceiling and a surfboard scribbled with Dior graffiti.
Above This bathroom pairs a graphic Dior surfboard with Gessi fittings
Above The pebble-like Gessi tap and natural stone washbasin lend a touch of luxe to bathroom
This bathroom pairs a graphic Dior surfboard with Gessi fittings
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The other end of the corridor leads to a spacious living room with a 270-degree view of the pool and the landscape beyond. Lining the wall are shelves displaying the owner’s collection of rare Bearbrick figures; their colours lend a cheerful quality to the room. A Philip Colbert lobster figure in one corner delights the young and the young-at-heart, while a pair of pulsating Parachilna Oïphorique origami lights draws those with a discerning eye for design.
A Minotti sofa set complements the bold art pieces, creating a lively yet comfortable atmosphere. Quah explains: “It’s really about managing the aesthetic and trying to get a balance,” highlighting the careful consideration that went into placing each piece.
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Above This modular Minotti sofa turns what would otherwise have been a gallery space into a grand living room
This modular Minotti sofa turns what would otherwise have been a gallery space into a grand living room
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One of the biggest challenges to solve was the jacuzzi adjacent to the living room. Envisioned as a grand entertaining feature, it was designed to accommodate 20 people—a feature way too extravagant as the house already had a sizeable pool with Bensley’s signature submerged canopied seating area.
Quah proposed creating a moat and a sunken seating area instead, enhancing the outdoor living experience while maintaining a sense of luxury. The new design fosters a more intimate setting, perfect for family gatherings or quiet evenings under the stars. It also creates a straight axis with the dining room and kitchen, creating a dramatic symmetrical view of the indoor-outdoor communal spaces.
Above Finished in deep-green stone, this sunken seating area with a moat was formerly a jacuzzi that could fit 20 people, now reimagined to extend its functionality
Above The Good Class Bungalow's double-height dining room opens up to the sunken outdoor area
Finished in deep-green stone, this sunken seating area with a moat was formerly a jacuzzi that could fit 20 people, now reimagined to extend its functionality
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Above Pivoting screens allow one to adjust the degree of privacy needed in the sunken seating area
Pivoting screens allow one to adjust the degree of privacy needed in the sunken seating area
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The upper level is where the private areas are. One side of the home is dedicated to the master suite, which comprises a bedroom with an attached tatami room, and the bathroom with spacious his-and-hers walk-in wardrobes. Fluted panels finished in floral wallpaper hide the master bed from outside view. On the other side is the bed headboard, which features an attractive wallpaper complete with hand-applied gold detailing.
Above The master suite of the Good Class Bungalow incorporates a sun-drenched tatami room
The master suite of the Good Class Bungalow incorporates a sun-drenched tatami room
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The tatami room is a tranquil space designed to host not only formal tea ceremonies, but also meditation and moments of contemplation. The operable blinds surrounding the room eliminate the glare and cast poetic shadows onto the tatami that change throughout the day.
Behind it, a handsome study desk taken from the owner’s previous home presides over the room. This custom piece was made in a remote area of the Philippines that produces some of the best shagreen—leather made from stingray hide that sports a distinct pearly texture—in the region. A display case showcasing a school of fish from Lalique allows one to spy on the corridor from the study.
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Above The poetic shadowplay at the master suite's tatami room
The poetic shadowplay at the master suite's tatami room
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There is a sense of theatricality in the bathroom, courtesy of the freestanding bathtub with Eichholtz Murano chandeliers in a smoke finish above it. Dark carpentry and an island dresser with a dark green marble top are the highlights of the husband’s walk-in wardrobe, while white marble and curved panels with linen textures make for a feminine dressing area for the wife.
With its thoughtful additions and alterations, this Good Class Bungalow certainly exemplifies Architology Interiors’ flair for creating perfectly bespoke spaces for the homeowner’s family and their precious art collection that befit its pedigreed residential standing.
Above This vanity area is clad in delicately veined white marble and features furnishings with circular elements
Above A freestanding bathtub and a trio of chandeliers epitomise luxury in the master bathroom
This vanity area is clad in delicately veined white marble and features furnishings with circular elements
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Credits
Photography: Terrence Quah
Jakarta-born, Bandung-raised and Singapore-based, Asih Jenie trained in Visual Communication Design at Bandung Institute of Technology and Architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University. She brings both rigour and heart to design journalism, infused with a distinct Southeast Asian voice.
As a child, she doodled on the edges of her schoolbooks and never outgrew her fascination with all things well-made and well-told. Her 15-year career spans editorial roles and bylines in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia, across spatial design titles such as Dwell Asia, Cubes, Design Anthology, Habitus Living, and Home & Decor.
After a brief stint in public relations, she returned to publishing in 2023 to lead Tatler Homes Singapore, where she continues to tell stories about how we shape the spaces that shape us.
