Post-Renovation, This 20-Year-Old Terrace is Now Bigger and Airier

The interior is now larger and brighter as a result of the ground floor home extension!

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A married couple saw a lot of potential in a 20-year-old sub-sale unit they bought, but they also knew it would take a lot of work - and the right interior designer - to make it comfortable and liveable for their family of five. After meeting with a number of interior designers through Qanvast, they believed that IQI Concept would be the best candidate for this task.

Liew Zu-Vun, worked diligently with the couple to transform their dated property into a modern home filled with natural light. She tells us about her experience restoring the 3280 sqft terrace to its former glory while dealing with and overcoming numerous setbacks.

Qanvast: Hi, tell us about your client and the home in which they currently reside.

Liew Zu-Vun (LZ): Our client is a married couple in their early 40s with 3 lovely daughters. They found us through Qanvast, and from there we started working together to bring their dream home to life.

It’s a terrace house in Bandar Utama that’s over 20 years old, and they actually lived in an intermediate terrace unit close by prior to this. They purchased this house because it is a corner lot, which means they have the extra square footage, especially at the back and side to expand the house. The house is three stories tall and has five bedrooms and five bathrooms in total.

Qanvast: What were your client's requirements for this project renovation?

LZ: During our initial meeting, I discovered that the family enjoys reading and they emphasised creating a home that is simple, comfortable and functional. The client also wanted a bright and spacious living space as the property's original condition was quite drab, particularly in the centre of the house (due to its long layout).

The house was then designed using a combination of modern and minimalist design styles. We incorporated a variety of earthy or neutral tones such as warm tea hues, beige, grey, white, brown to create a visually light and airy space.

Qanvast: What kind of renovation work did you do to meet the client's needs?

LZ: Unlike newly developed properties, renovating an old home presents its own set of challenges. One of the main issues that we encountered was that the house was still powered by single-phase electricity. We had to request TNB to upgrade the electrical system from single phase to phase three, which resulted in some delays in the renovation process.

Explore: Hidden Issues You Must Address Before Renovating an Old Home

Aside from that, we had delays with on-site construction works due to the three-month Covid-19 lockdown and logistics delays (shortage of materials). The project began in October 2020 and was completed in September 2021, so the entire renovation process took nearly a year. Luckily, the client was understanding throughout the renovation process!

The property, like many other old houses, has a lot of small rooms or compartments and no sense of flow. To create a functional and modern space, we decided to open up and extend the ground floor space by knocking down the side and back walls. We were able to construct a wet kitchen (picture below), dry kitchen, an indoor laundry area, and a chill area thanks to the extra square footage.

The house did not originally come with a dry kitchen, so the addition of a dry kitchen (picture below) turned the interior space into a modern setting and the inclusion of a dry kitchen makes it easier for them to entertain guests whenever they host social gatherings. The dry kitchen features sleek built-in cabinetry that houses appliances and kitchenware, as well as a kitchen peninsula with a waterfall countertop.

The laundry room is a new addition to the house as well. It has an open-air feel thanks to the skylight installation, which floods the room with natural light. The space features open shelves, built-in cabinets with a sink and quartz countertop, and a washing machine.

The newly built ‘chill area’ next to the dining room is now the family's favourite area. We created this light-filled room because the family enjoys reading, and by doing so, we were able to turn every square foot on the ground floor into something useful. A small rug and a few throw pillows add to the cosiness of the space.

During the construction, there were also unforeseen obstacles that we did not anticipate. Initially, we intended to add large windows to allow more natural light into the home, but due to security concerns (the house faces a small road), we were unable to do so when extending the back and side of the house. As a solution, we installed skylights in the 'chill area' and laundry room to bring in more natural light into the home.

Due to the ground floor extension, it also became apparent that the first floor would have a flat roof. To make the most of the space that was available, the client decided to convert this area into a balcony, which is accessible through one of the daughter's bedrooms on the first floor.

We concentrated on changing the layout of the ground floor of the house because the first and second floors—which housed the bedrooms—were already quite functional in terms of setup. However, the rooms were heavily dated with parquet flooring, old bathroom tiles, old lighting, and stained walls. To revamp these rooms, we installed new lighting, changed the flooring, installed wardrobes, repainted the walls and furnished the rooms with modern furnishing.

Their preteen daughters claimed the two bedrooms on the first floor and a shared bathroom. We also created a built-in bench by the window that allows them to have a cosy spot for reading. Aside from that, we also added a wardrobe area for the 3 daughters to share on the second floor.

The master bedroom is outfitted with modern furniture and plenty of wardrobe space, allowing the homeowners to keep the room uncluttered and neat, which is essential for achieving a minimalist aesthetics. The clean white linens on the bed create a bright and airy atmosphere, while the white walls and ceiling, grey accent wall, and timber floor give the room a relaxing vibe.

Qanvast: What are your thoughts on working on this project?

LZ: The renovation was a great learning curve for us in terms of doing extension works and also dealing with the authorities to get work construction approval.

We are very grateful to have such an understanding/thoughtful client to have gone through this experience together and he also gave us very constructive feedback on how we can improve ourselves. We’re also happy that our client is very pleased with his newly renovated home!

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