A Two-Storey Loft With Classic And Modern Touches
Can two widely different styles marry in one house? This 165sqm family home proves that it is possible.

“The homeowners knew ‘less is more’ when they moved into their sun-drenched two-storey loft,” says designer Alvin Ling of The Scientist. “What they liked, though, was very different. For the wife, it was the welcoming, pared-down white and wood-infused interiors of Scandinavian décor, while the ornate Victorian, classic hotel style was more to the husband’s taste.”
Marrying these contrasting styles in a harmonious and tasteful way was therefore the main objective. It helped that the owners and the design team already have a good working relationship, having worked together previously on their first house. With careful redesign and space planning, the team managed to create a perfect balance between the owners’ differing tastes.
The 165sqm house—located in Singapore—was new when the owners bought it, so there wasn’t much rectification work that needed to be done, only additions, says the designer.
“What is remarkable is that while every piece of furniture fits in perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle, it is due entirely to good taste and meticulous planning, not extensive remodelling,” he adds. The living area on the ground floor, whose neutral palette is enlivened by the colours of the area rug and the organic shapes of the sofa and coffee table, saw the most revamps. Here is how the designer did it.