Jason Yung and Caroline Ma attach great importance to telling the story of  every homeowner through design. They were even involved in choosing the location for their college friend’s southside home. “She’s been wanting to buy a new home since a few years back. We accompanied her on her search, but we couldn’t find a suitable unit — until now. It was a matter of having the right people in the right place at the right time. All of us agreed that this place had the potential to be remodeled, so we started to discuss our ideas with her.” To Caroline, this project is special because of how well they knew the homeowner. “We used to face difficulties in the design process, for example, we must build trust with the homeowner before we can confirm and execute certain details in our design. This time, we knew the owner’s living habits and preferences very well so ideas came really naturally.”

Upon entering the house, the first space that comes into sight is the music room and library. A row of custom-made bookcase cabinets from Poliform neatly line the walls, while the piano elevates the room. “I know the owner’s preferences very well as she is my close friend. She prefers listening to music and reading rather than watching movies, so we put a lot of thought into the design of the living room. For example, the Poliform cabinet can be flipped down to double as a bar countertop and it also has built-in lighting — all custom-designed by us.” The two also deliberately chose cathedral stones as floor tiles, which is rarely used.  “This stone has two characteristics. Firstly, it comes in different sizes; secondly, the surface of the stones are uneven but smooth, creating an interior that is reminiscent of an ancient castle. The interior is adorned with a lot of unique intricacies, creating a modish yet artistic space. “The owner often invites friends over to the house, so this space acts as a big party foyer. My daughter also practices piano here sometimes!”

From conception to completion, the whole project took about a year. Walls were knocked down between a lot of spaces in the house. “Except for the master bedroom, the rest of the spaces are interconnected. You can see every space in the house no matter which floor you are on. When you are in the dining room, you overlook the music room, see the kitchen on the same floor, and get a glimpse of the family room upstairs. Each floor is connected by a see-through glass staircase. The owner lives alone, so she can also feel safer when she sees what’s happening around her.” As their friend likes simple and clean designs, the two designers put a lot of effort into creating a stone-brick staircase with a crystal frame for her. The stone glimmers if you take a close look. “We chose to build a glass staircase to avoid additional railings, so that the owner can see all the spaces in the home when they go up the stairs, creating a flow of space.”

There were also unexpected surprises during the design process, such as the addition of the dramatic Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke chandelier. “We didn’t want to purchase lighting that was too luxurious and over the top at first, but we incorporated this chandelier in our design in the end as the owner thought it was unique. It was worth the money as its light penetrated into every room in the house. This is what’s special about creating a flow of space — the whole home feels open and connected. When the lights are off, the chandelier can be appreciated as a work of art.”