Home Tour: A Good Class Bungalow in Singapore future-proofed for a multigenerational family

On the second floor, the family branches out into distinct yet connected wings. The son, his wife and their child have their own self-sufficient apartment, complete with a living and dining area, junior master suite, and his-and-hers walk-in wardrobe. It’s a space that allows for intimacy without isolation—they can host their own friends without intruding on the rest of the household.

The daughter’s wing follows a similar approach. Although she has her own home, she and her family visit so frequently that they were given a dedicated, future-ready space—one that can become a permanent home should they decide to move in later.

One of the family’s most cherished details is how the youngest child’s bedroom overlooks the double-volume living room, allowing her to call out to her grandparents or parents from above. The design fosters moments of connection in everyday life—laughter and conversation flow effortlessly between the different floors, reinforcing the home’s role as a nurturing environment across generations.

Towering above it all, the attic level belongs to the first-generation parents—a penthouse-like retreat that includes a lounge, master suite, and a study that doubles as the family’s business headquarters. “They see each other for work every day, and this space becomes their ‘headquarters’ for them to meet and brainstorm,” says Tan. This isn’t just a personal sanctuary—it’s the command centre for their legacy, reinforcing the house’s role as the physical heart of both family and business.

The Art of Entertaining

With deep roots in a multigenerational family business in which relationships and networking are central, hospitality is ingrained in the homeowners’ way of life. Entertaining—be they grand celebrations or intimate gatherings—is a natural extension of their daily routine. From sprawling social areas that encourage connection to private retreats that provide moments of solitude, each space is thoughtfully arranged to accommodate the ebb and flow of communal living.

“A home goes beyond a place for shelter and day-to-day meals. It is a place to connect within the family and take socialising with close friends to the next level while in the comfort of home,” says Tan. The basement level embodies this philosophy, functioning as a private luxury club where both conviviality and indulgence coexist effortlessly.

A mahjong lounge, a poker room, a karaoke den—each space tailored for spirited nights. A spa, a gym, a massage therapy suite—an entire wellness wing carved out for rejuvenation. Even at its most indulgent, the abode remains practical: ventilation shafts and skylights bathe the basement in natural light, ensuring that it never feels like an afterthought.

The entertainment spaces are also designed to foster social interaction, as and when desired. Tan shares one of the lady of the house’s favourite moments at the entertainment level: “When she has different groups of friends playing mahjong or singing karaoke, she enjoys seeing what happens within the other group.” The rooms are positioned next to each other with a partition that can be closed for privacy or left open to create a sense of connection, reinforcing the home’s fluid approach to entertaining.

But here’s where the design intelligence shines: no matter how grand the parties below, the rest of the family remain undisturbed. The soundproofed, subterranean complex ensures that one person can be hosting a champagne-fuelled soirée while another enjoys a solitary evening reading by the pool, undisturbed.

Even guests have been considered with precision: guest suites exist only on the basement and first floors, ensuring that while visitors are welcome, the family’s private spaces remain their own.

The Poetry of Restraint

Luxury in this home is defined by thoughtful choices rather than excess. Every material, fixture, and curve of a chair or depth of a sofa has been carefully selected to enhance comfort and refinement without overwhelming the senses. The Bend sofa by B&B Italia is sculptural yet functional, its varying seat depths accommodate all.

The Luxor dining table by Fiam Italia, with its transparent silhouette, makes the space feel airy and expansive. Meanwhile, the Trio Mozaik chandelier from Designheure serves as a floating sculpture of light that enhances the ambience without overpowering the room.

Every detail has earned its place, down to the custom-built furniture with hidden storage, ensuring that the home is both beautiful and effortless to maintain. Practicality extends into the everyday details—one such example is the custom-designed swivel TV that allows different areas of the home to share a screen without the need for multiple sets. This subtle yet intelligent solution enhances both functionality and aesthetics, reinforcing the home’s commitment to thoughtful design.

Even the onyx-clad feature wall in the formal living room is a study in restraint. “We chose onyx for its subtle, white jade textures, and we wanted to use it to complement the tone-on-tone wall textures we have around the area we intended to put the onyx, so that the different textures are softly contrasted but are not in your face,” notes Tan.

While most designers would opt for dramatic backlighting, Studio If chose a more sophisticated approach—allowing the stone’s natural texture to take precedence, a quiet yet powerful statement of luxury.

sophisticated pragmatism

The home’s more glamorous spaces are, of course, balanced with a highly functional back-of-house infrastructure that assures smooth daily operations and ease of maintenance. This includes spaces with specific functions, including a dedicated seafood drop-off and preparation zone to ensure that the owners’ love of fresh seafood never disrupts the main kitchen.

Motorised mesh screens provide both shade and protection from wildlife, a necessary consideration given the house’s proximity to nature parks. The design also had to account for an unexpected challenge—bats. As the basement is naturally ventilated with many openings, bats would occasionally enter and leave droppings in certain areas. To mitigate this, the team installed discreet interior gates in key corridors, preventing them from reaching the deeper parts of the house while maintaining the home’s open, breathable design.

Even logistics are choreographed with precision. Distances within the home are carefully calibrated, ensuring that no one—especially the ageing first-generation parents—has to walk unnecessarily long distances to get what they need. “We needed to make sure they could get to the things they needed seamlessly. If we could get them to move around the house without having to rely on the lift as much as possible, that would be the most sustainable as well,” says Tan.

At its core, this residence embodies a philosophy of purposeful design—one that considers both legacy and adaptability, allowing the home to remain as relevant and enriching for future generations as it is today.

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