Cube Associate Design gives this conservation shophouse a contemporary update, turning it into a cosy home for a multigenerational family
A beloved Singapore icon built between the 1840s and 1960s, conservation shophouses served as commercial spaces as well as private residences in the past. This dual purpose is revisited in a family home set in one such building—instead of reimagining parts of the space for commercial use, the owners wanted to maximise these areas for functional purposes.
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The team at Cube Associate Design, led by design director Sarah Tham, was hired to transform a three-storey Peranakan shophouse into a contemporary abode. The 3,905sqft property, which was to house a family of three generations, also had to integrate discreet and hidden storage spaces throughout.
“The challenge was to incorporate a modern interior into a charming Peranakan shophouse,” says Tham. “The clients wanted an uncluttered, contemporary home; they also wanted better use of the courtyard on the ground level.”