African Colonial Chic

Residential House for HAUS ATELIER

A marriage of cultures was born by paring the colonial-styled French doors (the architectural language of the house) against an interior theme of modern South African paintings and furniture. The idea of weaving the two cultures is also physically manifested in the use of rattan that reflects not only the cultural essence of Africa but also hints of South East Asian history under the colonial rule where the rich (plantation owners) who would live in large colonial homes like the house they inherited.

Download Press Kit № 89595

Download Press Kit № 89595 Residential House for HAUS ATELIER by Priscilla Khiu to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

Available Now for Your Next Story

At architecture|newsroom, we understand the pressures and deadlines journalists face. That’s why we offer exclusive access to our curated press kits and high-resolution images, tailored for accredited journalists. These resources are designed to enrich your stories with depth and visual appeal, spotlighting the world's most innovative designs.

Please Note:

• Credit the work's creator and/or photographer.
• Mention architecture|newsroom as your source.
• Share your published pieces with us; we love to celebrate and promote your work on our platform and social media.

Let’s Collaborate: Your stories matter. architecture|newsroom is here to support you with quality, accessible content. Once you are accredited, reach out for the images and content you need. We will provide the specific images and content directly, along with recommendations on works to feature.

Get Accredited Easily: Quick access to our resources requires media accreditation. Apply for media accreditation to join our network and start exploring a wealth of design stories.

African Colonial Chic by Priscilla Khiu

Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.

Residential House by Priscilla Khiu

Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.

Priscilla Khiu African Colonial Chic

Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.

Priscilla Khiu Residential House

Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.

HAUS ATELIERBrand Logo

Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.

African Colonial Chic Residential House Press Releases

Press releases tailored for African Colonial Chic are available in the languages: English.

African Colonial Chic Residential House Media Articles

Ready for your features: articles on African Colonial Chic in various languages, including Spanish, English, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, German, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, Dutch, Turkish, Arabic (Standard), Indonesian, Italian and French.

Unique Properties

Good design should always reflect the personalities and aesthetics of its inhabitants as well as the history and culture of the physical space. Special care was taken to weave the intangible of styles, culture, and hobbies into the design while creating a symbiotic dialogue between two. Weaving modern hints of South African culture and wildlife into an architecturally colonial abode, created an alchemy of style and character that reflected modern sensibility and adheres to its owners' taste, preference, and aspirations.

Tags

Black and White House, Colonial Architecture, South African Chic, Haus Atelier, Interior Design

Production Technology

Full Height French doors were repeated and used to play up the height and overall character of space on both interior and exterior. The old brickwork was retained in the main living and dining area to give the white walls some much needed textured. Geometric or patterned tiles were used in the kitchen, foyer and powder bathroom to subtly demarcate a new space and/or function and to inject a new "rhythm" and burst of fun to an otherwise neutral floor palette.MaterialsMaterials like rattan ( and its variation) were carefully woven into vanity counters, shoe cabinets, bar stools, and other furniture to create a consistent "weaving" rhetoric of culture and space. Texture is everything in this project. And this texture is created through the use of materials ( rattan, whitewashed wood stain carpentry ) and through physical lines - louver doors and windows.

Design Challenge

This was an old house that was buried in time for 30 years. The entire house was slopping ! There were no two walls that were straight and from the front to end, ceiling and floor had a difference of 200mm! To mitigate this, we used the big French doors to take one's eyes off the flaws of the building. Each door, even at differing heights was adjusted to ensure that at eye level, all the horizontal and vertical datum is consistent and straight. These little design cracks had to be taught through for every piece of carpentry and detail!

Project Duration

The project started construction in October 2018 and finished 5 months later. The design process started 6 months prior to construction. This charming terrace is located in Siglap, Singapore.

Operation Flow

To build good homes - a great understanding of its owners' styles, aspiration and requirements need to be had. To re-gut an old colonial space and renovate it to reflect the users' styles and sensibilities involved a great deal of communication and trust.

Research

How does one reimagine an old, sinking, colonial house flanked by a quiet open grassland and convert that into a desirable home reflecting styles and sensibility while showing sensitivity to its current locale and history? This how- opened a design dialogue for this space. A marriage of cultures was born by paring the colonial-styled French doors (the architectural language of the house ) against an interior theme of modern South African paintings and furniture. The idea of weaving the two cultures is also physically manifested in the use of rattan that reflects not only the cultural essence of Africa but also hints of South East Asian history under the colonial rule where the rich ( plantation owners) who would live in large colonial homes like the one inherited. The owners in question are a mix race couple where one has a home in South Africa and the other grew up under the influence of colonial rule in South East Asia Singapore.

Inspiration

The inspiration behind this Colonial- African home was organically derived from its owners' love of wildlife photography and the original architectural elements of an old colonial house. The choice to embrace double-leaf French doors and repeat them as a thematic feature was intentional to correct the flaws of a slopping old house. We use the proportions - the horizontal and vertical datum of a door to visually adjust the irregularities. The repetition and use of such full height doors create the illusion of height and generate a strong architectural language both inside and out.

Image Credits

MARCUS LIM

Project Overview

African Colonial Chic Residential House has been a Bronze winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design award category in the year 2019 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Bronze Recognition

Priscilla Khiu was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2020, a testament to excellence of their work African Colonial Chic Residential House.

Priscilla Khiu Press Releases

Attention press members and journalists: We offer a collection of press releases on Priscilla Khiu and their notable work, available for your unrestricted use. Immediate access is granted to 1 press releases for all journalists.

African Colonial Chic: A Modern Fusion of South African and Colonial Architecture

Priscilla Khiu's African Colonial Chic

Priscilla Khiu Newsroom

Discover outstanding design and award-winning initiatives in the Priscilla Khiu Newsroom.