This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a modern-day luxury home that manages to combine both old-school opulence and contemporary cosiness under the same roof. Superior air ventilation incorporated into the interior of this property allows it to feel larger and more spacious. A stark contrast to the dark and cramped image of a pre-war house. The house is equipped with three bedrooms, which are hosted on the upper levels. Sticking to the modern European theme, the first bedroom features a soft, neutral palette, enhanced with soft blue furnishing & a semi open wardrobe. The second bedroom comes with a softer, baby blue accent, a sleek, custom-made wardrobe / dressing table as a nifty space saving highlight, as well as a hotel-like bathroom with arabescato marble feature wall. Warm, earthy tones blanketed the final bedroom with a restful atmosphere, a clear glass door wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom.
Company: NEVERMORE
Project: The Irrawady House
Project Location: Penang, Malaysia
What was the client’s brief?
For this project, our objective is very clear, we wanted to make the 15 foot wide pre-war terrace house open plan, to break away from the traditional pre-war house layout. Therefore we divided the space into 2 zones; the common area for the ground level and then personal and private spaces for the first floor. With this chosen layout we were able to maximise the usage and fulfil all the needs and requirements of the clients.
On the ground floor, as we enter from the main entrance, we are greeted with the pantry and bar counter clad in beautiful Italian marble, complete with a pair of Reza Feiz’s Bride’s Veil bar stool; the space serves as a pantry / bar to offer space for storage and entertainment as one of the client’s needs and requirements for the design.
The living space is housed further in the middle of the house; to be some distance away off the main road. The dining is located beside the living space right under the skylight; where ample day light is cast into the interior; perfect for energy saving through-out the day. As for the kitchen, all necessary facilities of a fully equipped kitchen are held within the smallest possible footprint at the end of the open layout. A hidden door leads towards the back yard which consist of the laundry and powder room. The room also features a sculpture-like spiral staircase fabricated in mild steel and finished with special rust.
On the first floor, with the chosen layout, we are able to maximise the bedroom sizes, equip with bathroom for each room which typical pre-war houses do not have. Generous panes of glass are utilised to turn ordinarily opaque walls transparent, providing generous views in some surprising places. In one of the bedrooms, the bath is rendered in the manner of a boutique showcase, with generous stretch of windows putting the freestanding tub on display in the air-well with a fully imported Italian arabescato marble feature wall as the backdrop. For the guest bedroom, we wanted created a sense of privacy, it is located 10 feet away from the other bedroom and can only be access via the spiral staircase located at the far end of the house. The monochromatic basis of this bedroom is enhanced for eye pleasing variety with the introduction of greater range of wood tones in fabrics and architectural finishes.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
The elongated living room is connected with the kitchen, dining area and open bar area as the decor features a modern twist to classical European designs. Fitted with a daring open staircase, this bold design is further enhanced with the selection of large circular pendants & imported Italian marble counter. Gold finishes are thrown in to the interior design to elevate the overall look with a hint of glitz. Meanwhile, the living room, dining area and kitchen enjoy the warm glow derived from the skylight feature, giving the space a natural comfort, bathed in natural light.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Dealing with structural issues which related to the creation of the column-less, open plan interior within a typical pre-war terrace house; to resolve this, we came up with an “i” beam steel support to withstand the weight of the cast concrete flooring on the first floor. Also, the spiral staircase was not installed without difficulty as it had to be pre-fabricated at the workshop and then reinstalled at site.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
For me this is definitely the results of the open plan layout! Also other elements of the interior design like the cantilever bath tub, the use of skylights throughout, the spiral staircase finished in rust paint, and a gorgeous moooi smoke chair!
Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards?
We wanted to see where would stand on an international level and thought the SBID Awards would be the best platform for this!
Questions answered by Chuah Say Yang, Creative Director and Chong Su Min, Design Director of NEVERMORE
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring a unique and inspiring home that pushes boundaries with a sophisticated balance of layers, click here to see more.
We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
NEVERMORE | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a unique and inspiring home that pushes the boundaries with a sophisticated balance of layers. The interior design introduced exciting layering, intriguing textures, contrasting materials as well as sophisticated finishes and fine detailing. Each space features bespoke furniture pieces, designed and finished in luxurious velvets, flocked velvets, fine wools and antiqued leather. These were complemented with timber and high gloss tables, European rugs, mirrors and accessories. The use of beautiful exquisite chandeliers in various rooms is prominent, along with accent tables and floor lamps. The careful and experimental layering of this projects injects the home with interest, detail and timeless elegance.
Company: Trenzseater
Project: Prosser Residence
Project Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Our brief for this prestigious project was to present something that was new and exciting, something that had not been seen before or expected. To bring intriguing layers of texture and design to all elements of the interior whilst creating a space that was useable, not precious and could easily be lived in by the clients. As part of our brief we were to present a full interior design package which included some architectural elements with a marble entrance wall, we were to offer design on the kitchens and bathrooms, door hardware, lighting, flooring, window furnishings, wallcoverings and obviously the furniture and interior furnishings.
We delivered an interior which was inspiring, it was layered with intriguing textures & materials, sophisticated finishes and details which offered the client something personal and curated. To achieve this, we featured throughout our design the use of natural stones in flooring, bathrooms and kitchen, brushed brass tapware and door hardware, Oak parquet flooring and the use of dark chocolate American oak timbers were used in the joinery, doors and furniture. We also featured a lot of natural seagrass wallpapers from Ralph Lauren with metallic backgrounds along with flocked velvet and glass beading details. In all spaces we designed bespoke furniture pieces for, finished in luxurious velvets, flocked velvets, fine wools and antiqued leather, complimented with our timber and high gloss tables which all were then finished with our extensive use of European rugs, mirrors and accessories. The use beautiful exquisite chandeliers in various rooms is prominent, along with accent table and floor lamps.
With all our projects we ensure we have a sophisticated balance of layers to give interest, detail and timeless elegance. We believe it’s the details which offer refinement, personality, balance, character and luxury.
I am continuously inspired each day by design, through architecture, interior design and classic furniture design where there classic detailing provided a signature style. I also enjoy, and are inspired by fashion, art and antiques. Natural materials inspire me for their uniqueness. The classic qualities of marbles and stone and the character you get from solid timbers. All of which contribute to this projects inspiration.
The most challenging part of the project was pushing the boundaries for the client to challenge them to do something unique and different.
Presenting to the client our proposal as a full presentation and watching each step evolve on site to the finished result which the client absolutely loved!
I believe such a competition as prestigious as this is, celebrates those who excel in interior design and gives inspiration to those who are new to the industry, a competition like this fosters growth and excitement.
Questions answered by Ben Lewis, Interior Designer and General Manager of TRENZSEATER
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring a contemporary three-bedroom home with an idiosyncratic style, click here to see more.
Trenzseater | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a bespoke contemporary three-bedroom home, which replaced a double garage on an 80 square-metre site. The idiosyncratic style serves to enhance the context of the street-scene with a bold architectural statement, contrasting with the context of traditional Victorian houses. Filling the footprint of the site and set over three floors, the project was delivered on a limited budget but exceeding the client’s brief. The three-bedroom home, bathed in natural light, uses a minimal palette of materials to unify the design language internally and externally. The materials used include dark brickwork, externally and internally, dark burnt larch cladding and birch-faced plywood throughout the interior for bespoke kitchen, bathroom and stair joinery elements. The result is a bright, bold comfortable design, confidently articulating a contemporary language of architecture used to transform the site into a unique new family home.
Company: Crawford Partnership
Project: Darling House
Project Location: London, United Kingdom
To design a new build contemporary three-bedroom family home on a small constrained urban infill site, formerly a double lockup garage purchased at auction, with high-quality bespoke architecture and interior design that would feel spacious and bright and would incorporate sustainable construction technologies and renewable energy installations, and all a limited budget.
Our design inspiration comes from many sources, however, having an engaged client with enlightened ambitions was our main inspiration on the project. This resulted in many productive discussions about their aspirations and style preferences for the new home, which sought to challenge conventional ideas to address the many constraints of the existing Victorian surroundings and create a home suitable for 21st century lifestyle. The practice’s design approach is unapologetically contemporary; providing bold and ambitious design solutions particularly when working in a sensitive Conservation Area context.
Achieving planning consent for a contemporary design within a Conservation Area is a major hurdle, as is working constantly to ensure that all neighbours whose homes adjoin the boundaries of urban infill sites do not experience any loss of their existing amenity during the construction works, however, the main hurdle for a designer to overcome is often providing a Rolls Royce for the price of a Mini, especially when working with a shoestring budget.
For us, it is paramount to completely understand the cost implications of every decision in order to not only achieve but to elevate the client’s aspirations for their project without compromising their budget. Continued collaboration and communication throughout the initial design stages between the designers and the client, and thereafter with the contractor and sub-contractors during the detailed design stages and works on site has made it possible to attain the quality of finish and fitting out we desired, whilst adhering to the client’s budget.
Maximising the feel of space and light within this very compact three-storey home has been the rewarding highlight for us, and was achieved by careful studies of the internal volumes and limited scope for placing windows, and then by simplifying the main backdrop of finishes, both externally and internally, which are uniform and monolithic and provided at minimal cost, allowing us to then spend more of the construction budget on interior features that elevate and focus the attention on the ambiance of spaces, such as the slender, curved glulam timber roof beam structure, the sculptured open riser staircase, the bespoke kitchen and bathrooms designed by us, the geometric and monochromatic lighting fittings, and especially the variety of glazing elements incorporated that contribute to the surprising levels of natural light and sunlight that filters within all levels of the interior, providing kinetic patterns of light and shade throughout the day on the canvas of walls, floors and ceilings.
As a ‘boutique’ architecture and interior design practice, we relish the challenge of working on these extremely constrained projects, and we are constantly pushing to achieve more with less, applying the knowledge and expertise gained from smaller projects into larger commissions. The SBID Awards are recognised globally as a benchmark for the highest quality in interior design and architecture, and having been shortlisted as finalists in the Awards in four of the last five years, we are very proud of this accolade which continues to inspire our efforts on every new project.
Questions answered by Alan Crawford, Founder and Managing Director of Crawford Partnership
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring a modern and fashionable family home which serves as a place to escape from the city bustle, click here to see more.
Crawford Partnership | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a waterfront home with manor-esque proportions and contemporary lines which guides one through classically-framed openings and clear sight lines. Representing a 2.5-year, from-the-ground-up project, this luxury-driven family residence accumulated its intuitive layers over time. A comprehensive scope of work included planning, architectural detailing, custom features, and millwork concepts. Together with all the finer points in interior design and decor, it marked a holistic approach where architecture and art would connect. Upon entering the home, there is an immediate sense of quiet luxury that may best be defined through the subtleties in beautiful materials, classical order and a clean-lined sensibility.
Company: Regina Sturrock Design
Project: Contemporary Manor
Project Location: Mississauga, Canada
As a builder, the Client offered us a clear vision towards realising their dream home. Some key objectives in the project brief included; an unencumbered and light-filled home that embraces its remarkable lake setting; a well-defined, classical home with a relatable and clean-lined modernity; a home that performs for large family gatherings and that entertains in high style; and solutions for integration to conceal function and reveal form.
What inspired the design of the project?
The interior design narrative was guided by the architecture and its setting; two grounding components around which all other elements made intuitive connections. The home expresses robust manor-esque proportions and clean contemporary lines. It’s positioned on a priceless parcel of land that enjoys exceptionally beautiful views of the lake; a scene that is mesmerising from outside to inside. At any given time of the day, the surrounding waters bring life, mood, and a palpable energy informing the interior spaces on a primal level.
From this perspective, linking with the roots was a fundamental directive in our design.
Classical order in symmetry, and clear sight lines through well-defined panelled openings allowed us to bring all into alignment and to pay homage to the character of the building and its surroundings. The first-impressions great hall, a cocooned inner hall, and the commanding two-storey great room represent an enfilade of harmonic spaces that each play with the sparkling waters of the lake beyond. Together, they provide a successive scene of reflection and undeniable beauty.
Large classic volumes were given a crisp, gallery-white wrap turning architectural detail into sculpture. This pristine envelope enabled a dynamic colour palette inspired by the day’s shifting lake views that would reveal soft watery hues and intense jewel-toned versions.
Majestic two-storey spaces with window walls that embrace infinite lake views are exceptional features, but they can challenge the connection of human scale and with that risk overall well-being. Our approach was to bring focus and tangibility through symmetry, proportion, and a harmonic layering of monochromatic and tactile materials. Each component performed as a visual liaison to the next and together they presented a relatable space where one could feel comfortable and ‘at home’. Defining elements include the striking two-tiered pendant with cascading crystal spheres, a clean-lined vertical fireplace surrounded by classic Statuario marble, and tailored wool drapery panels that elegantly frame the window wall from floor to ceiling. There a no interruptions here; just a rich and holistic environment where the interior details play an integrated role with the architecture and its surroundings.
The project was a 2 ½ year venture, with many milestones and highlights along the way. It was exciting to see the special details jump off the page and form into reality. These were stream-lined and classic touches such as one-off ceiling designs in plasterwork, the feature staircase that required unique engineering to achieve its fluid geometry and many exceptional furniture pieces that were tailor-made for the home. One after the other, they would merge into the unified big vision for the home; a scheme the team conceptualised and nurtured every step of the way. The behind-the-scenes work in the procurement process can be challenging at times but this is all part of what make us tick; to passionately achieve a fine-tuned and beautiful design that we can all be proud of and that the client can enjoy for many years to come.
A personal highlight was the art that gradually filled in to grace the walls and to sit as sculpture within the clean spaces. Although these were among the final layers, they each took on the character of the home in a completely intuitive way. The home truly came to life at this point and it filled my heart with joy to know that we had created a ‘whole’ environment that is both beautiful and meaningful to our clients.
The SBID is a highly respected organisation representing and supporting the interior design industry and its professional standards on a global level. I value that the annual SBID Awards is driven by their desire to recognise talent and creativity and that entries are fairly assessed by leaders in the industry on both technical and aesthetic merit. An SBID Award has come to be known as one of the highest accolades showcasing design excellence from over 42 countries. Our projects have been recognised as finalists at both the 2014 and 2015 ceremonies. Each time, it has been an honour to be part but being a winner at this year’s SBID Awards 2018 is an absolute dream come true and a highlight in my career!
Questions answered by Regina Sturrock, Principal Designer at Regina Sturrock Design
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring the feminine yet contemporary take on a fairytale-themed wedding boutique in China, click here to see more.
Regina Sturrock Design | SBID International Design Awards 2018
Join SBID
Find out more about our flexible membership structure.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
By subscribing, you agree to be added to SBID’s mailing list. As an industry’s standard bearer organisation, we strive to bring you the most up to date news and access to exclusive industry content through our various newsletters.