KJ House
A thorough renovation of a 15 year old house.
Size : 1000sqft
Layout : 3+1 room, 2 bathroom
Requirements :
- To accommodate 5 adults (the parents, the young couple and their brother) and a baby
- Plenty of storage space and required storage space for almost 40 pairs of shoes
- An altar
- A functional dry and wet kitchen because the family cooked at home consistently
- An oven
- A dining table for 6
- A place for an upright piano and 3 violins
- A place for a baby cot
Problems :
- Low ceiling height of 9.5ft
- Poor kitchen arrangement with no space for refrigerator with the existing layout
- Tight space for 5 adults
- Poor natural lighting at dry kitchen and area outside of bathroom
- Leakage at walls connecting the bathrooms
- Kerbs on both bathroom floors that may cause tripping in the bathroom
- Old and malfunction sanitary wares
- Insufficient space for storage at basin area in both bathrooms
After detailed space planning, we manage to fit in all the requirements from our clients. Check out the stunning effect of “Before and After” photos below.
Top : New furniture layout. We did some hacking works at the kitchen area to accommodate an island with a sink. The blue dotted line indicates areas to be demolished.
Top : Relocate the air-conditioner from above the sliding door to the new featured wall. Hence, allowing full height curtains to be installed to create a higher visual impression despite the low ceiling height.
Top : The owner was having problems allocating a space for an altar. They also need some empty in front of the altar for group worshipping purposes. We solved this issue by allocating the altar outside of the Brother’s Room. Furthermore, the position of the altar could block the direct view of the bathroom from the living and dining area.
Top : Relocate the air-conditioner from above the sliding door to the new featured wall. Hence, allowing full height curtains to be installed to create a higher visual impression despite the low ceiling height.
Top : The position of the altar prevented a direct view of the bathroom at the back. We proposed a frosted glass door for the bathroom that allowed natural lighting at the entryway to the Master Bedroom. The timber strip design partition allowed natural lighting from the bathroom to illuminate the area in front of the altar. We changed the colour of the bedroom doors from maroon to white, creating an effect of wider space.
Top : At the entrance, we designed a full height cabinet for storage of more than 40 pairs of shoes and a seating area for wearing shoes. The 6th dining table matched 3 chairs and with a bench that could be pushed under the table to allow wider walkway from the entrance.
Top : The living hall has limited space for a long couch. Hence, a 7ft long L-shape couch could provide seating for 4 adults. We designed a light curtain pelmet above the sliding door to create a softer lighting effect at night. We also paid attention to details such as choosing a ceiling fan with lower fan height (300mm height) due to the low ceiling height.
Top : The existing kitchen had no place for placing a refrigerator. The existing sink position caused half of the double-bowl sink to be in the corner of the kitchen cabinet. We redesigned the kitchen layout by bricking-up the window and relocating the door to the Wet Kitchen to allow space for an island and a full height cabinet for storage. The frosted glass sliding door allowed natural lighting in the Dry Kitchen area.
Top : We relocated the air conditioner to the other wall and designed a light curtain pelmet at the window to increase the visual height. The soft lighting from the curtain pelmet could also create a cozy ambiance at night. The existing bedhead position was at the new wardrobe area, we rearranged the layout by shifting the bedhead to the next wall to allow a bigger wardrobe for the couple.
Top : In the previous layout, the wardrobe was placed at the new dressing table area. By changing the placement for a dressing table, it created a space for a baby cot next to the dressing table.
Top : There was limited space for bedside tables. Hence, we designed a shallow bedhead cabinet with an open shelf to place their spectacles and charge their phone before going to bed. The bottom of the open shelf was cabinets with storage space.
Top : Having the problems of warped ceiling, old and malfunction sanitary wares, kerb on the floor that could cause tripping and insufficient storage space at basin area. We solved all these problems by redesigning the bathrooms and designed a countertop for the basin. We also did a footstool at the shower area for the convenience during shower, especially for the elderlies.
