June 3, 2007

MY SPACE

Colours of nature in a tropical, airy home



STOMP PICK: Lawyers Adrian Kwong, 32, and his wife, Tracy Ang, 31, sent STOMP this photo of their walk-up home in Jalan Novena. They tell Jerome Seow how they make their home feel warm and natural. -- ADRIAN KWONG/STOMP


THE HUGE EXPANSE OF GREEN provides a lush and inviting backdrop whenever Mr Kwong and wife Tracy want to share a peaceful moment just listening to the birds chirp. It's also a great place to call friends over for drinks or a barbecue. -- ALPHONSUS CHERN


'OUR home was meant to be a warm, tropical-themed place with comfortable earth tones to add to the serene surroundings.

Different shades of green on the walls and dark wooden doors give a comfortable and natural tone.

The 710 sq ft area meant that a lot had to be done with light to make the place look bigger. Walls were opened up and re-positioned to make the place more fluid as opposed to being boxed in.

The bar counter-cum-serving hatch allows us to talk to guests in the living room while cooking.

The living area looks bigger and we get to enjoy the huge expanse of greenery, looking out the balcony while doing the dishes.

We wanted an open space concept for when we have our friends over for parties or just want to have a meal and drinks.

The balcony is always our favourite place in the house. Adrian likes to read the newspapers there, especially on the weekends over breakfast.

In the evenings, we sometimes share a peaceful dinner or have some drinks there, when it is quiet and cool. It's also great for barbecues.

To add to the natural surroundings with the lush greenery, the balcony comes complete with pebble wash underfoot, mood lighting, and some hardy plants.

The high ceiling makes the place more airy and helps make it look bigger as well.

The balcony and living room connect through folding wooden doors, and combine quite nicely to provide a bigger space when needed.

Our bedroom also overlooks the greenery, which is a great thing to wake up to, especially on lazy weekends when we hear the birds chirping.

In the context of the house, because of the natural colours of beige, green and brown, we can easily change the look with bright-coloured furniture and cushions. We both like red, so that was a natural choice.

It is not easy to find a place as peaceful as our home. We will miss this place when we eventually move to a bigger place.'

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