Turning a Balinese-style house into a modern resort home

WHAT would you do if you bought a resale detached house on a 4,300 square foot (sq ft) of land? Opt for relatively minor addition and alteration works, or go for broke and do a complete rebuild?

For the Tans, the original plan for their Namly View property was to do simple renovations. After all, they bought the house precisely because Tan liked the developer’s original tropical Balinese design that was once all the rage. His two adult daughters, however, had a different idea. They wanted a drastic change – a modern resort look.

No prizes for guessing who got their way.

The family, who are in the lifestyle apparel business, went for the middle ground and did a reconstruction instead. This meant the young ladies got their wish but their parents didn’t break the bank either.

At a budget of S$1.1 million, they certainly got bang for their buck. The house was transformed by Kelvin Bing of Renaissance Planners & Designers into a home that caters to the needs of the family as a whole and delivers what each member wants.

“Because we are a small family, we didn’t mind retaining the floor area or just increasing it by a bit,” says Tan of the 4,800 sq ft built-in space that comprises two storeys, an attic and a bomb shelter in the basement.

One of the first things Bing did was to level up the different heights of the ground floor space, so the house now sits on a single, flat footprint. This also made the usable space bigger.

Given the penchant of Tan’s wife for a naturally well-lit home, Bing made sure the glass sliding doors around the living and dining areas were as tall as possible. The kitchen was also opened up so the space flowed seamlessly into the dining area, with a neutral colour scheme adding to the sense of brightness.

The house came with a granny room that’s useful for the dreaded day when going up and down the stairs becomes a literal pain. But it also means its occupiers will be confined to the ground floor. That was not an option for the couple, especially as Tan is a fitness buff who wakes for runs at around 5 am.

SEE ALSO

Design solution: How new and interesting spaces were created in this family home

Design inspiration: This terrace house in Upper East Coast brings light in and keeps heat out

So the granny room had to go, freeing up space next to the dining table for a lounge area. Meanwhile, a lift was installed, allowing the couple access to every floor of the house, whatever their future knee conditions may be. It also comes in handy for the frequent-flying family who would otherwise have to haul their luggage up and down the stairs.

Up in the attic, the entire floor is used as the couple’s extended master bedroom. It starts with a large bathroom featuring a freestanding bathtub on one end, and runs right through to a study area at the other.

While some people prefer to keep natural light out while they’re sleeping, this isn’t the case for the Tans. At the request of Tan’s wife, the wall facing the bed does not go all the way up to the ceiling. Instead, it is topped off with glass panels. This means there is natural illumination coming from the skylight above the corridor just outside the bedroom.

The master bedroom is book-ended by terraces, one of which overlooks their pool downstairs as well as unblocked views of greenery and landed homes beyond.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, the daughters’ rooms are a study in contrast and reflect the taste and personality of each one. While both come with generously-sized dressing rooms, the elder daughter’s version sports a contemporary design in a dark colour scheme, while her sister’s room has a European flavour in light hues.

Also on the second floor is a “wall” that doubles up as a showcase for the elder daughter’s collection of whiskies and tequila. Rare bottles from Dalmore, Macallan, Hibiki and Glenfiddich, as well as tequila from Clase Azul and 818’s Eight Reserve Limited Edition stand like museum pieces in a lighted display cabinet.

And then, in a surprising touch, one section of said wall swivels open to reveal an entertainment room, which is fully equipped for a rollicking good time. The requisite bells and whistles are in place for movies and karaoke, including a wet bar.

The couple, however, love nature and the outdoors, and much prefer hanging out at the dining area, with the calming waters of the pool just beyond. “When it rains, it’s really nice,” says Tan. “It’s beautiful to see the rain falling on the pool, the trees.”

Most importantly, he says, the house “meets all our expectations”.

And that’s saying something, given tropical Balinese was what drew him to it in the first place.