This four-storey terrace house occupies in prominent corner plot near a crossroads is home to a three-generation of a family who enjoy the busy atmosphere.
The Kareems, business owners in their 50s, live in this family home with their son and daughter, both in their 20s, and Mrs Kareem’s mother. They bought the property in 2020 from a developer, and hired Hans Chua, project director at Erstudio, to remodel it into a home reflecting their personalities, says Mr Kareem.
As everyone works in the family business, they wanted a beautiful and cosy home where they could spend time as a family after a long day in the office.
The main entrance leads into a foyer with a concealed shoe cabinet that can store at least 100 pairs of shoes.
Following that is the family zone, consisting of the living and dining rooms, dry and wet kitchens, pantry, powder room and helpers’ room.
To create a cosy, lounge atmosphere, Hans chose dark wood panels to contrast with the light-coloured floor.
This spacious, fully-equipped kitchen is where Mrs Kareem gets to showcase her culinary skills.
On the second level is a spacious formal living and dining room where the family enjoys entertaining and hosting guests within the constraints of safe management measures.
Making it brighter and airier is a four-storey glass wall on one side of the stairwell that lets in plenty of sunlight.
Through this glass facade, along with balconies and windows, the family gets a bird’s eye view of everything going on around them.
Mrs. Kareem shares that passers-by have been stopping to admire and even take pictures of their house from the time they moved in in January this year. This makes them very proud of their home.
Besides the formal living room, there is also a semi-outdoor terrace with views of the traffic junction. Mrs Kareem’s mother spends her late mornings relaxing and watching the world go by here.
The two upper levels are the private zone. In addition to the guest room, there are also bedrooms for the couple and Mrs. Kareem’s mother, who wanted her room to have her favourite light turquoise blue, which Han incorporated into the headboard.
For the husband and wife, he proposed a champagne and gold theme.
“We love the timeless quality that makes it possible for us to live here for years and not tire of it,” says Mrs Kareem.
As with all the furnishings, the couple believes in investing in quality durable pieces that can last for years, and take pride in maintaining their family home.
Mrs Kareen refers to the fourth floor as the “Kingdom of Children.”
Her daughter’s room, decorated with wood and her choice of pink and olive green with gold accents, opens onto a semi-outdoor balcony, which Hans envisioned as an ideal place for her to paint.
On the opposite side, her son’s bedroom has a more masculine theme. Hans elaborates,
“We went with the Manhattan concept, pairing dark walnut with tan leather.”
As he is a gaming enthusiast, he also gets a dedicated gaming area within his bedroom.
Interior renovations came to $550,000. Despite the pandemic’s workforce challenges, Hans and his team completed the project in 16 weeks.
“We believe in creating timeless designs with a neutral palette so the furnishings can bring out the personalities of the homeowners. The house will then grow along with its owners,” Hans explains.