Rustic Beauty
The house itself is now an assemblage of carefully curated elements, materials, colours and textures. The pitched roofs—with their curved clay roof tiles and exposed rafters—look right at home whether they’re in California, Provence, or Singapore. The boundary fence was constructed using jarrah wood from recycled railway sleepers, while the external walls have Turkish mocha travertine in a split finish wrapped around their corners, as a full stone façade would look too heavy in a tropical context.
Large expanses of French windows can be found around the first-storey envelope. Fabricated from anodised aluminium, the windows are reminiscent of the bronze frames in Provencal homes. These floor-to-ceiling fenestrations let in abundant natural light, and when opened, allow natural cross-ventilation throughout the entire home—the windows are also fitted with low-emissivity glass, which help mitigate heat penetration into the interior.
Apart from aesthetic requirements, the abode’s material palette also factors in the maintenance considerations. The interior flooring is predominantly eco-friendly engineered oak, which gives the home a sense of warmth. Some areas such as the kitchen and main staircase feature travertine flooring with a tumbled finish—it harks to the use of stone seen at Californian ranches and Provençal houses, while adding a rustic quality to the abode. White sandblasted wood panels used on cabinet doors create the weathered country look without the maintenance woes. The walls of the home are covered with a bioclimatic plaster that prevents the growth of mould and algae, and also helps to keep the interior cool.
Another element that contextualises the home is the homeowners’ collection of Southeast Asian art including pieces by Yusof Ghani and Abdul Multhalib Musa, as well as homegrown artists such as Chua Ek Kay and Thomas Yeo. “We love Southeast Asian art as we are living in this part of the world, so we should support these artists,” says the man of the house. Selected artworks and sculptures created by the elder daughter also take pride of place along the corridor and stairways, adding a personal touch to the family’s collection.