House Tour: A spacious balcony in this Somerset home lets owners dine high up in the sky

It goes without saying that landed properties are highly desirable in Singapore. However, in the land-scarce city-state, they are costly, and supply is limited. In recent years, nifty real estate developers have devised luxurious alternatives: sky villas. Effectively high-rise bungalows, they provide spacious layouts, private amenities, and panoramic views that even the swankiest landed addresses cannot compete with.

When Samuel and Clarice Lim were looking for a new home for their growing family, they were drawn to this category of residential properties after considering several other alternatives. Samuel, who had lived in a shophouse for eight years, shared that their vision for their new abode was “somewhere breezy, with a lot of outdoor greenery, where we could entertain.”

This double-volume, 3,347 sq ft apartment in Somerset ticked all their boxes. “A lot of places had big balconies, but this development had the largest outdoor terrace,” explains Clarice, a gardening enthusiast who immediately recognised the terrace’s potential to indulge her passion. 

“Another reason we liked the place was that it had big walls, which allowed us to display art,” chimes Samuel, an art collector.

The Lims appointed Bu Shukun, co-founder of interior design firm Architology Interiors, to manifest their vision after finding that his taste level and portfolio of works aligned with their sensibilities. “He was very client-centric and paid a lot of attention to details,” says Clarice. 

Later, they discovered that — coincidentally — several of their friends had also engaged in his services, and the feedback was positive all around. 

Art for art’s sake

Samuel’s journey to finding the perfect home led him to this double-volume apartment, where his art collection now thrives in a creatively designed stairwell gallery protected from the harsh tropical sun.

“Samuel’s art collection was a challenge because houses like that typically do not have enough walls to display art in a linear, eye-level format. We had to be creative about it and use the stairwell to create an elevated kind of gallery,” explains Bu.  

This was advantageous, as it meant the artworks were set back from the sun’s damaging UV rays. It also created a distance between the artworks and viewers, allowing them to appreciate it from a further vantage point. 

“I appreciate art, but I don’t have the artistic talent, unfortunately,” quips Samuel, citing local artists like Hong Sek Chern, Tay Bak Chiang, and Ruben Pang among his favourites. “I think it comes from my mum, an art teacher. My brother and I are collectors and patrons of the National Gallery.”

Approximately 80 per cent of Samuel’s collection is on display — in the stairwell, along the upper-level corridor, and in the entertainment room. Most pieces were brought over from his bachelor pad, while others are recent acquisitions. The rest remain in storage.

The collection doesn’t rotate because the artworks were carefully measured and curated so that any changes in their placement would disrupt the visual balance and harmony. 

Dining in the sky

The four-bedroom apartment is served by a private lift, which opens onto the terrace. “We wanted to maximise the potential of this space, and what better way to do so than by having an outdoor dining area. We wanted to create a strong arrival point that gave visitors a sense of coming up to a sky dining space,” says Bu.

The Lims wanted the terrace to have a resort-like ambience. The 3m-long solid wood dining table was repurposed from Samuel’s shophouse, but it had to be sawn in half and reattached to fit into the lift.

Above, a trio of mismatched rattan pendant lights is suspended from a pulley system that allows the lights to be raised or lowered depending on wind conditions. 

For the foliage, Clarice worked with landscaping consultants Vertical Green to design a lush tropical garden. The greenery provides visual relief and softens the hardscape, and it also affords some privacy without compromising panoramic views. 

The Lims welcomed their son Joshua soon after moving in. They typically dine indoors as a family. They prefer outdoor space when entertaining, hosting groups as small as eight to as large as 30 or more on occasions like Chinese New Year. 

“The good thing about having a double-volume apartment is that you can barbecue at home, and we do. And because the breeze is so strong, the smoke from the grill doesn’t linger,” shares Samuel. 

A happy union

Thanks to the open plan, guests can move freely around the apartment. The absence of curtains or blinds in the living room was deliberate; the Lims aimed for a smooth visual transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces. However, blinds are installed in the entertainment room, which was transformed from the studio apartment in this former dual-key unit. 

According to Bu, there isn’t a dominant stylistic theme. However, he aimed to harmonise Clarice’s preference for contemporary luxury with Samuel’s artsy, bohemian, and lived-in style.

The existing marble floors were repolished, and a marble-clad kitchen island was installed. Bu fitted a marble feature wall in the stairwell to tie everything together. 

As a bonus, the patterns on the feature wall remind the couple of the mountainous landscapes of Central and South America, where they spent their honeymoon. It’s a fitting tribute to their union in a home where they started a family.