A family home redesigned for flow, storage and everyday comfort

Using a cohesive, complementary design language in a residence is important. It allows occupants to feel at ease as they move from one room to another, while providing a calm, balanced backdrop for everyday living.

Leena Interior Design Studio (LIDS) clearly understands this. Led by founder Leena Goh, the studio recently completed the renovation of a 4,542-sq-ft maisonette at 15 Holland Hill, a condominium development in Singapore.

Despite its unusually large size – or perhaps because of it – the unit feels harmonious across both floors. Materials, colours and forms are applied consistently to create a sense of calm.

Since moving in in November 2024, the family of four has had time to appreciate the attention to detail and craftsmanship Goh brought to their home. Many elements are bespoke, tailored for comfort and aesthetics, with touches of personality.

“It reflects what we believe in,” said Goh. “Every detail is intentional, crafted to be visually compelling, while remaining firmly rooted in function.”

The first step, however, was highly practical. Goh said the brief centred on functionality: converting four bedrooms into five, incorporating a wine cellar and home gym, creating a study area for the children, and providing comfortable quarters for live-in help.

“Although it was a brand-new development, these requirements prompted us to rethink the spatial planning,” she explained. “We always push a project to realise its full potential in response to the brief and spatial quality, while remaining mindful of what can be retained as part of a more responsible approach.”

On the first floor, a floor-to-ceiling shoe cabinet with pull-out shelves was built between the foyer and the living room. Opposite, a room was carved out for the home gym, while a shelving system was extended under the staircase to maximise storage.

At one end of the first floor, the junior suite’s bedroom was split in two to create an office. Further into the communal area, a former storeroom was converted into a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

On the second floor, the wardrobe in the larger bedroom was converted into a study area for the owner’s two school-going sons, doubling as a space for tuition. An area originally envisioned as a private family zone was divided into a space to store luggage and a walk-in wardrobe connected to the master suite.

The master suite underwent the most significant transformation. Goh designed it with the female homeowner in mind, ensuring she had ample space to get ready before heading out.

A dressing table sits just inside the entrance, paired with the special-edition Nefertari Chair from Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier, its upholstery embroidered with a pattern reminiscent of a peacock’s tail. Behind it, the bed has been rotated 90 degrees from the windows to face the TV console.

The walk-in wardrobe once ran the length of the room, but Goh repositioned it to improve circulation. Through a lockable door set at right angles to the bathroom, the space opens up into curved walls, mirrors, and neatly planned shelves and racks for shoes, bags and clothes.

The bathroom, too, was reworked. Dissatisfied with the original configuration – shower stall, WC, his-and-her sinks and a standalone bathtub – she moved the shower to sit between the sinks and tub, noting that it made more sense for the two bathing elements to sit together.

“We’re not just creating beautiful spaces; we’re shaping how our clients live and resolving the everyday challenges within a space,” she explained. “If a design doesn’t support their daily habits, it can become a source of frustration, and ultimately affect their sense of ease at home.”

With the layout resolved, Goh turned to the finer details, an area she is clearly passionate about. Working with a palette of taupe, beige and matt bronze, she selected furniture to complement pieces of her own design.

This is most evident in the communal area on the first floor. The curved edges of the Connery sofa from Minotti and the Atollo coffee table from Casamilano echo the rounded corners of the recessed ceiling above. Overhead, a pendant light from Giopato & Coombes’ Maehwa collection, inspired by plum blossom buds from a park in Seoul, adds to the softness of the space.

Meals are taken at the Mizar dining table from Giorgetti, paired with Archibald chairs from Poltrona Frau. This area flows into the dry kitchen, where an island from Arclinea anchors the space. Its oak-coloured veneer is echoed in the floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets lining the wall, complementing the Calacatta marble countertop.

At the opposite end of the space where the junior suite once stood, Goh devised a way to draw daylight into the bedroom. A cut-out in the new dividing wall is fitted with switchable glass that turns translucent at the press of a button. Blackout sliding screens can be drawn when complete privacy is needed.

Although it is a rarely used guest bedroom, Goh paid close attention to the detailing. Each of its four corners features a sweeping floor-to-ceiling curve finished in textured travertine plaster, which adds texture without overwhelming the space. The bedside tables and integrated lamps were designed by her as a seamless extension of the bed.

The stairwell was also carefully considered. Its solid-panel balustrade is finished in smooth, polished plaster, lending a sense of movement to the space.

Only the two children’s bedrooms deviate from the palette used throughout the house. One is done in light olive green, the other in muted navy blue. “Even then, we kept them subtle because the boys will not be young for long and I thought the tones should be more timeless,” said Goh.

The language of curves continues in the master suite, enveloping the TV console and bedhead like a loose cocoon. Underfoot, a hand-knotted carpet designed with Atelier Fevrier echoes the motif with circular patterns. The dressing table’s green onyx top is softly rounded at the edges.

Apart from the Poliform wardrobes lining the walls, the remaining furniture is bespoke. In keeping with the theme of cohesion, Goh ensured each piece complemented the others, including the minibar carpentry.

The project took nine months to complete because of the level of detail involved during construction. When her contractor described it as challenging, Goh took it as a compliment, particularly given that the firm works with many international designers.

What matters most, though, is that her clients are happy. Their decision to permit this writer a tour while they were out of town suggests a quiet pride in their home.

“The client often remarks on how attentive we are to the smallest details – things that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said Goh. “Since moving in, the apartment has received many compliments from guests, but most importantly, it works exactly as it was designed to. It has truly become a home they love living in.”