3 Generations Under One Roof
Episode 1: 3 Generations Under One Roof
Psst… have you been watching this exciting show on Channel 8 called “House Everything?” It’s the latest reality TV show that features Starry Homestead as the chosen interior design consultant for its participants. In case you missed it, here is a recreation of the episode.
The first episode showcases an HDB flat that houses three generations of family members, including five adults, one kid and one infant. The youngest daughter of the owner, Madam Tan, requested the House Everything? team to tidy up their home.
From clutter to contemporary living – an unbelievable transformation for the family of seven!
The Scenario
Prior to the overhaul, the apartment was cluttered with things such as food, books, toys, baby necessities and other personal items. With insufficient cabinets for storage, these objects were kept in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, and even on the dining table. As a result, the family had no proper place to dine together and limited walking space in the living room. There were also concerns about the safety of the kids and the elderly living in the chaos. Their make-shift pantry, which was an old encyclopaedia bookshelf, had a water boiler and old cables hanging loosely and was easily accessible to the kids, thus making it dangerous. And due to poor lighting, the interior has a rather dark and cheerless feel.
The Requirements
The family hopes to have a proper dining area for the family to bond over meals, a “kids’ zone” in the living room and a place for the elderly to enjoy their TV time.
The Solution
With some re-organising and creative interior designing, the flat is transformed from an outdated, cluttered space into a cheery Modern Scandinavian-style living.
The first order of business is to create plenty of storage space in the living room. Wall-to-wall built-in cabinets and shelves are constructed to help store the forty years of accumulated personal items for the family of seven. Pastel hues such as beige and light blue as well as light wood are selected for the walls, ceiling and floor to make the rooms feel larger, brighter and airier.
More storage space is created to meet the family’s need.
A dining area with a house-shaped wall feature is carved out in the living room. Coupled with an extendable dining table, the family can now sit down and enjoy meals together.
The wall of the dining area is the shape of a house to symbolise a close-knitted family.
At the corner of the room, a kid’s play zone is created using visual separation from the main living space. The suspension for a hanging cradle, which was previously placed in the middle of the living room, was also moved to the corner. This allows the children a safe area to play or study in and, at the same time, offers adults easy access to nursing or other child-minding activities. The built-in cabinets here also include a pull-out desk that doubles as a settee for guests. To make this place cosier, simply spread out a mattress and a perfect corner just for the little ones is ready!
Time for games and stories!
The Bonus
Among the items accumulated in the home, a 40-year-old coffee table that was handed down from Madam Tan’s late father is uncovered. Realising that she still has an emotional attachment to it, Starry Homestead’s team decides to refurbish the table instead of throwing it away. As a result, the table is reconditioned with tiles and old photographs from the family photo album.
Some things like a gift from one’s father are just not meant to be thrown away.
For more information about the modern Scandinavian-style interior concept, please contact the designer of this episode, Ms Emily Voon at tel. no. 6778 6866.
