Scandinavian-Inspired Kids Haven Wins Qanvast Design Award

An interior designer has the difficult task of creating a home that meets the needs and tastes of everyone who lives in it. Successful balancing of this aspect ensures that everyone will enjoy the new space.

This charming three-story family home designed by Pocket Square is a great example. It recently won a Qanvast Design Award, which recognises outstanding renovation projects completed by reputable interior design firms.

We spoke with Nick Tan, the project manager who oversaw the renovation of this 3,300 square foot family-friendly home to meet the needs of his clients.

Qanvast (Q): Hi, can you tell us about your clients and what were their requirements for this project?

Nick Tan (NT): This three-storey, 3,300-square-foot Superlink is owned by a married couple with two young daughters. The couple desired more space for their family to grow and a bigger space for their children to play, so they moved from a condominium unit to this spacious landed home.

Because the wife enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her family, she requested an open kitchen concept where she can cook or prepare food in the kitchen while still being able to see the common area.

Q: What kind of renovations was carried out to meet the needs of the client?

NT: To meet the family’s needs, we designed an open-concept common area on the ground floor that connects the living room, dining room, and kitchen. We also created a kids’ playroom next to the staircase.

As the homeowners wanted to utilise the backyard, we converted this space into an outdoor kids’ play area by installing a new fence and decked the floor with timber that extends all the way to the walls and added an outdoor shower.

Previously, the property included a maid’s room located next to the kitchen. Since they do not require a maid’s room, we removed the existing walls in the maid’s room and converted the room into a spacious laundry area.

To avoid visual clutter, we installed plenty of hidden and cleverly placed storage spaces throughout the house without cramping up the space, especially in the common area. This includes storage compartments on the side and below the kids' play area, next to the staircase, and in the living room. The built-in TV console also comes with plenty of hidden storage space behind the tic-tac doors.

We pushed the dining area to the sidewalls and added bench seating to create a larger walkway path to the kitchen to make the common area feel more spacious.

All of our furniture and built-ins are free of sharp edges in order to create a family-friendly environment. Aside from that, we introduced marble tops to soften the space. These can be found in the stairwell railing, outdoor shoe bench, children's room, and family room study/work desks.

The staircase leading to the first and second floors has been completely renovated. We replaced the existing metal railing on the staircase with timber and marble railing, which includes LED lighting beneath the railing to illuminate the staircase with soft light.

The bedrooms are on the first floor, and the family room is on the second floor. For this space, our client requested a small semi-outdoor area. To accomplish this, we removed the existing walls to create a large opening and added a safety railing so that their children can also enjoy an outdoor play area on the second floor.

Q: Were there any last-minute changes made during the renovation process?

NT: Making the car porch RC roof into a playground for the kids is one of the last-minute changes. To do so, we converted one of the existing windows into a door, allowing access to the outdoor balcony. Once the balcony was accessible, we installed artificial turfing, solid wood steps, and safety railings so the kids could play safely in this large outdoor space.

Q: What are your thoughts on the final result of this project?

NT: Despite some last-minute changes (mentioned above), I believe this project was a success in terms of meeting the project's budget, timeline, and client requirements.

The icing on the cake was when the owners mentioned that they are "enjoying" their new home. They even asked for a photo with me after handing over the keys, which was a first for me!

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