1) This Bukit Timah home shows why less is always more with its suave and stark aesthetics

A subtle design language, when deftly used, can wield a strong impact to produce spaces that are not only special, but unique and full of character. Such is the case for this home in Bukit Timah, where the architect team used a straightforward scheme to create a home that stands out for its strength of personality and theme. Internationally-recognised firm Ong&Ong proposed a concept that focuses on simplicity and versatility. The home is split into three volumes situated around a central courtyard.

2) A rare look inside Tang Wee Sung’s Bukit Timah house

At first glance, Tangs chairman Tang Wee Sung’s home in Bukit Timah looks like any other bungalow. With its grey gable-roofed porch and long gravel driveway, it sports a look common among bungalows here. But Mr Tang says: “The best part of the house is in the reveal. From the outside, it looks modest, but when you step through, everything opens up.”

3) Two-storey bungalow in Bukit Timah with a resort-like ambience

When Lim Hong Lian, founder and senior partner of LTW Designworks, began designing the two-storey bungalow in Bukit Timah which he and his wife Christine Lim now reside in, his brief was clear. Taking inspiration from the site’s natural surroundings of lush greenery and unobstructed views of the Singapore skyline, he created an open-planned “tropical home” where boundaries between the indoors and outdoors are blurred.

4) Luxurious, contemporary four-storey townhouse in Bukit Timah

Collective Designs has made this an example of the contemporary Singapore home. Cool marble flooring, light-coloured walls and minimalist openings blend with local design elements that include Peranakan-inspired features, as well as the use of bronze and wood. Its interior style makes art, furniture and sculptures essential considerations. The brief for this Bukit Timah cluster townhouse called for more storage solutions, particularly in the kitchen, to meet the family’s needs. They required the storage space to “extend into the dining area unobtrusively”.

5) A 6,350sqf two-storey Bukit Timah home with a cool tropical minimalist design

Unlike the Zen-like minimalist approach developed by the Japanese, tropical minimalism in comparison is more functional and adapted to the local climate. The essence of its style however, remains in line with the unfettered look and calm, peaceful interiors commonly associated with minimalist home designs. The design team from Topos Design Studio proposed a tropical minimalist style for the architecture, accented by straight lines and wide, open spaces.

6) Stunning architectural details and thoughtful flow of spaces make this semi-detached house in Bukit Timah a gem of a home

It’s not easy making semi-detached homes in Singapore look unique, mainly because its original developers had planned them to look consistent and similar. However, when the homeowners of this unit wanted to give their home a new look they decided to engage local firm Wallflower Architecture + Design to propose something unique. Pass the main door, and one is greeted by the sight of a serene corridor filled with plenty of natural light shining through the slatted roof. Large wooden panels fill one side of the corridor, creating a luxurious and understated look of an urban resort.

7) Two-storey 4,850sqf Bukit Timah bungalow with new edgy cantilever look by Formwerkz Architects

The homeowners approached local architecture studio Formwerkz to give their existing bungalow a new look, as well as to extend the spaces within. The team, comprising of Alan Tay, Iskandar Idris, Ming Hui, Xue Zhen, proposed a new block at the rear and a lap pool along the side boundary. The new rear extension sits on higher ground than the pool with its upper volume cantilevering over the deck.

8) Bukit Timah two-storey home built with teak, terrazo and concrete

When the owners of this home engaged award-winning architect firm Ong&Ong to design their house, they asked for something that would epitomise the notion of simplicity, down to the choice of materials.

9) The Bunga Sayang house in Bukit Timah by Wallflower Architects

Much like the Bunga Sayang tree, this home designed by Wallflower Architecture + Design stands up proudly amidst the towering coconut trees in the vicinity and merges harmoniously with the lush green canopy of the Bukit Timah rainforest reserve.

10) Simple and neat lines in this Good Class bungalow

Designed by Robin Tan of Wallflower Architecture + Design, The See-Through House rests in a quiet residential neighbourhood off Bukit Timah, with sweeping views of greenery and central Singapore. The See-Through House is a study in simplicity, serenity and — as the name implies — transparency.

11) This Bukit Timah terrace shines new light on antique furnishings

Belonging to a former owner of an antique shop, this 3,100sqf corner terrace house at Upper Bukit Timah has an abundance of antique gems. However, with a boxed up layout that resulted in dark interiors, these pieces could hardly shine. To bring daylight into their home, the homeowners engaged interior designer Shawn Shum of Mint Studio to reconfigure the layout, bringing in a much needed swathe of light to open up the interiors.

12) Four-storey hygge home in Bukit Timah

If not for the tropical plants outside Calvin Chan and Zoe Luo’s home, this four-storey house, part of a cluster housing development in Bukit Timah, may well have been in Copenhagen, Sweden or Oslo. There are white-washed walls, light wood panelling and shelves, with several pieces of artwork bought from Moderna Museet, the contemporary art museum in Stockholm, to create that Scandinavian look.

(Design: Eightytwo)

13) Architecturally-designed two-storey multi-generational house in Bukit Timah

His children are only six and eight, but the owner of a multi-generational home in the Bukit Timah area has already made plans for when he has grandchildren.

He hired architect Wu Yen Yen to build a multi-generational home for his family of five, with plans to put in extra space for when his children grow up, get married and start their own families.

(Design: GAD)

14) A grand 5,000sqf house with a gorgeous pool

Chief operating officer Grace Yip’s four-storey home at Upper Bukit Timah is nestled against nature and her idyllic retreat from the fast-paced banking world. She lives alone in the home, which is slightly under 5,000 square feet in size, and one of 32 units in this private development.

15) A contemporary-style, bright and cosy three-storey semi-detached house at Upper Bukit Timah

Designed for a couple in their 40s, this semi-detached home took a year to construct. As the homeowners entertain frequently, they told the team at Renaissance Planners & Designers that they wanted the living, dining and kitchen areas to be connected, so that guests could mingle freely across the space. Their brief also called for a bright and cosy setting within the home.

16) Luxurious modern classical-style three-storey semi-detached house

An expat couple and their three daughters live in this three-storey semi-detached house in Bukit Timah. The custom-designed home was done by design firm Splendor, a specialist in the Modern Classical style. Splendor retained the original configuration of the house to save time, only adding a wall to the master bedroom to give it a more intimate feel.

17) Xtra founder’s home sits comfortably close to nature

Designed by one of his favourite architects, Sonny Chan, of CSYA Architecture + Design, this four-storey private cluster house in Upper Bukit Timah is the home of Lim Choon Hong, founder of furniture store, Xtra.

Most of the furniture in the home is, not surprisingly, from Xtra. Mr Lim, 59, says he picked his favourite brands when furnishing his home but even then it was not an easy task. “I had to make sure that the different brands would complement each other,” he says. In the living room, he has paired the Ghost sofa by Paola Navone with the design classic Eames lounger and ottoman. The Ghost sofa comes in white cotton, and “is quiet, and not many people have it”, he says.

18) Art Deco-and colonial-style house in Bukit Timah with $700,000 renovation

Upcycled furniture and existing fixtures in this Bukit Timah house were given a new lease on life in this Art Deco- and colonial-style home.

This home has a number of designer furniture pieces, such as the kitchen’s yellow Masters dining chairs by Philippe Starck, as well as an oversized Kartell lamp.

(Design: Museum Homes)

19) Unconventional details in this semi-detached home by RT+Q Architects

As the house sits on elevated land, it gets unblocked views of the neighbourhood. Guests enjoy this prized view when they are at the outdoor dining area, which was purpose built to seat 16 people. The family like entertaining and often have friends over.

(Design: RT+Q)