Darkness and Light

WHENEVER a terrace house project falls into the lap of an architect or interior designer, the brief is the same regardless of whether it's located in the prime district or city outskirts: "give us more light". By virtue of such houses getting light only from the back or front, designers then have to come up with solutions, usually by putting in a skylight.

But not the Chans, owners of this two-storey terrace house with a basement, off Toh Tuck Road. Not only did they not ask for more light, they actually asked for the opposite.

"We are not afraid of dark colours as we wanted the home to feel cosy," says Mr Chan. The couple are both in the banking industry and have two young children.

Design studio akiHaus' director, Lawrence Puah, was keen to take on the couple's unusual request. "Many homeowners approach designers to create distinctive bespoke homes for themselves, but as creatures of habit, they unwittingly set limitations for themselves," say…