Cover The home’s spacious living area is bathed in natural light thanks to the blending of indoor and outdoor spaces, an effect further enhanced by the use of natural materials such as stone and wood
The home’s spacious living area is bathed in natural light thanks to the blending of indoor and outdoor spaces, an effect further enhanced by the use of natural materials such as stone and wood
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K2SD Group transforms a 1970s landed house in Katong, revealing the home’s original beauty and unlocking the full potential of its spacious interiors
Ultimately revealing itself as the designer’s dream home, this corner terrace house in Singapore’s heritage-rich Katong neighbourhood wasn’t in an ideal condition when Kelly Kawahara Cheah, founder of K2SD Group, first stumbled upon it. With a land size of 4,000 sq ft and generously built-up interiors below a pitched roof, the home appeared aged, with spaces that were oddly compartmentalised.
Yet from the moment she stepped inside, Cheah saw immense potential, envisioning the transformation that could breathe fresh air into the property. Known for her ability to envision design beyond the surface, she could see the hidden beauty in the house that others may overlook.
“I saw the pitched roof on the outside and a false ceiling on the inside, and I could imagine that we would uncover something incredible.”
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A view of the foyer separating the public and private zones, as well as the dining area located below the newly added mezzanine floor
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“My vision was to preserve the original, inherent beauty of the house while expressing my own ethos,” Cheah says. “In this pursuit, I had to carefully assess the structural integrity of the building to maintain the wooden roof purlins and the double-volume space that had been previously concealed.”
Once the false ceiling was removed, an airy 4.5-metre-high space was revealed, supported by a stunning wooden structure reflective of the 1970s architecture. Now restored to preserve the historical design language, each original purlin in the structure, no matter how imperfect, was retained, in Cheah’s eyes an act of architectural integrity.
To maximise the newfound height, a mezzanine floor was constructed within the double-volume space, overlooking the living hall below.
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The highlight of the bedroom is the Phillip Jeffries Boho Block wall covering, handcrafted from banana leaves
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Reimagining the layout of the interiors was similarly crucial to the architect, who envisioned the property as her family home, requiring spacious communal areas that would yet offer separation from the private quarters. Taking inspiration from traditional Japanese residences, she divided the abode into private and public zones.
“In a traditional Japanese house, the i-ma (private zone) and the kyaku-ma (public zone) are divided into two quarters through a central hallway, allowing the public spaces to be frequented by guests without interfering with the private quarters of the family,” Cheah tells us.
Drawing on the home’s broad nine-metre frontage, Cheah expressed the spaciousness of the house by removing all walls and introducing a single planar element, a six-metre-long wall clad in raw stone. This feature shapes the vista of a near-century-old bodhi tree right across the house.
As the designer shares: “Every space in the home is designed with openness towards the exterior. I wanted a sanctuary amid this city of vibrancy—a place of respite.”
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The indoors and outdoors blur into meditative spaces when the aluminium screen slides open
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Revealing the play of materiality with the historical surfaces was key to elevating this home, bringing out the raw appeal of the wood, stone and textured concrete. “With my love of material play, the selection of new materials in their purest form was deliberate,” Cheah says, an approach that aligns seamlessly with the restoration of the wood purlins, as beautiful as they are imperfect.
Ultimately, Cheah’s objective was to retain and restore the beauty of the existing house, albeit using contemporary materials as well as strategies to infuse the design with thoughtful personalisation.
The avoidance of a complete, modern redesign was intentional: “Much of history and culture have been destroyed—we tear down houses for the sake of new ones,” she muses. “With this restoration, we honour the essence of the space, through unveiling and expressing the characteristics of the original 1970s architecture.”
K2SD Group
33 Mohamed Sultan Road, #03-04
Tel: 6917 7275
k2sd.co
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Credits
Images: Courtesy of K2SD Group
