House Tour: A spacious balcony in this Somerset home lets owners dine high up in the sky

The lack of wall space to display art in this double-volume Somerset apartment did not deter this family’s interior designer from getting creative.

It goes without saying that landed properties are highly desirable in Singapore. However, in the land-scarce city-state, they are costly, and supply is limited. In recent years, nifty real estate developers have devised luxurious alternatives: sky villas. Effectively high-rise bungalows, they provide spacious layouts, private amenities, and panoramic views that even the swankiest landed addresses cannot compete with.

When Samuel and Clarice Lim were looking for a new home for their growing family, they were drawn to this category of residential properties after considering several other alternatives. Samuel, who had lived in a shophouse for eight years, shared that their vision for their new abode was “somewhere breezy, with a lot of outdoor greenery, where we could entertain.”

This double-volume, 3,347 sq ft apartment in Somerset ticked all their boxes. “A lot of places had big balconies, but this development had the largest outdoor terrace,” explains Clarice, a gardening enthusiast who immediately recognised the terrace’s potential to indulge her passion. 

“Another reason we liked the place was that it had big walls, which allowed us to display art,” chimes Samuel, an art collector.

The Lims appointed Bu Shukun, co-founder of interior design firm Architology Interiors, to manifest their vision after finding that his taste level and portfolio of works aligned with their sensibilities. “He was very client-centric and paid a lot of attention to details,” says Clarice. 

With room for plenty of guests, the Lims’ terrace is the perfect venue for al fresco dining and creating unforgettable memories against the backdrop of Singapore’s cityscape.

Later, they discovered that — coincidentally — several of their friends had also engaged in his services, and the feedback was positive all around. 

Samuel’s journey to finding the perfect home led him to this double-volume apartment, where his art collection now thrives in a creatively designed stairwell gallery protected from the harsh tropical sun.

“Samuel’s art collection was a challenge because houses like that typically do not have enough walls to display art in a linear, eye-level format. We had to be creative about it and use the stairwell to create an elevated kind of gallery,” explains Bu.  

This was advantageous, as it meant the artworks were set back from the sun’s damaging UV rays. It also created a distance between the artworks and viewers, allowing them to appreciate it from a further vantage point. 

Samuel’s journey to finding the perfect home led him to this double-volume apartment, where his art collection now thrives in a creatively designed stairwell gallery protected from the harsh tropical sun.

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