The Chic Home: Dual-key condo unit in Somerset reworked as sprawling sky villa

SINGAPORE – Multiple friends referred luxury interior design studio Architology to the owners of this breezy, 3,347 sq ft two-storey condominium apartment in Somerset. The husband and wife – who are in their 40s and 30s, respectively – work in the financial sector, and share the home with their 15-month-old son and a helper. They wanted a space that doubled as a restful sanctuary and a place to host family and friends. 

The original unit was a dual-key apartment comprising a small, single-storey unit and a larger, interlocking two-storey unit. “We merged the two units into a sprawling sky villa with a huge hosting level on the lower floor and all the bedrooms on the upper level,” says Architology design director Shukun Bu, who helmed the project. 

The couple wanted the first storey to be a place to entertain, with a terrace area and a gentlemen’s club-like television area. The Architology team turned the unit’s original tiled patio and side planters into an alfresco dining deck with a lounge for whiskey and cigar nights. Decked out with a pale timber dining table and chairs, and surrounded by plants, this area is a lush oasis that welcomes visitors coming up from the lift. 

Curated by the lady of the house, the plant varieties include bird of paradise, monstera, calathea, philodendron and frangipani trees, creating a tropical sky garden. A cluster of oversized woven cane pendant lights completes the look.

“This area has proven to be the most significant hosting space with its constant breeze. It’s so breezy here that the pendant lights had to be weighted down to prevent them from swinging around during dinners,” says the designer. The team made use of the unit’s double-volume spaces – ensuring all areas of the home enjoy the breeze and the view, as well as creating two vertical galleries to display the husband’s art collection. A fan of Singaporean and Singapore-based artists, he has been a collector for many years. “I am particularly fond of Tay Bak Chiang and have many of his pieces,” he says, referring to the artist known for his compositions of abstract minimalist forms in striking colours.

Sliding glass doors separate the outdoor dining area from the double-volume indoor living and dining area. Most of the materials were kept in muted and natural hues, with colours introduced via the furniture and artwork.

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