LIGHT AND GRACE

The Mediterranean-influenced home of Haus Atelier's founders celebrates the passing of time, nature, and authentic family living

- Luo Jingmei

After graduating with first-class honours in architecture from the National University of Singapore, Priscilla Khiu practised at DP Architects. She then launched self-initiated businesses in carpentry, construction and furniture design, until she established Haus Atelier in 2017 with her husband, Lorcan Duffy.

Khiu, the firm's creative director, takes an approach grounded in curiosity and has a penchant for soulful touches, along with an insatiable need to test ideas. An example is her Mediterranean-inspired home, in which materials such as rough-hewn stone, weathered wood, terracotta tiles and wrought iron accents evoke an old-world rustic charm.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

After purchasing the semi-detached house, which stands at the end of a cul de sac in a residential neighbourhood, the couple transformed its run-of-the-mill spaces into calm settings for family living. A new gate separates the long driveway from the area in front of the main door so that it becomes a pleasant outdoor space for the couple's two young daughters to safely play in.

"As one enters, you are greeted by the nuances of landscape and a raw brick wall planter at the car porch. We even went out of our way to hunt for [the right] rocks. I changed part of the garden's landscaping to sand to accommodate an olive tree, and lined it with a rockscape," Khiu explains.

This "lead-in" is her favourite part of the house. "The little touches, the signage, the brass outdoor lamps that light the garden, the little lamps at the arched door, the details of the arched door, the brickwork, the texture and the smell of plants-I really love the fresh smell of home when I return. It's peaceful, tasteful, authentic and natural. This is my sanctuary," she declares.

LAYERED SPACES