20,000 sq ft Tropical Paradise | Bold & Timeless Design | Interior Design | Luxury House Tour
“I think the best way to describe the philosophy of this house will be: a house full of surprises. So, every corner or every room that you enter, you definitely don’t expect to see what you see or experience what you expected.”
How do you create a space you see every day into one that captivates you at every turn? On today’s episode, we are revealing a home merging bold design choices with timeless elegance to create a living space that is anything but ordinary, designed by S/LAB 10.
Jason Sim, co-founder of S/LAB10 explains, “Basically, it’s a three-storey house with a basement. It’s about 20,000 square feet built-up for internal space. On the ground floor is generally the common area. We have got a central pool, and right next to the pool is a massive living room. Next to it is actually the tea pavilion, and right opposite is actually the bar.
“So, all these three main spaces are actually overlooking the pool. Beyond that is actually the wet kitchen and the dry kitchen. Then, we do have a sizable entertainment room.”
His co-founder, Hao shared, “There are two ways to enter the house. You can either be dropped off at the ground-level lobby or park your car at the basement level and enter through the basement lobby. The dark, moody theme of the wine cellar contrasts with the bright lift lobby in the basement. Then, the marble staircase will lead you up to the rest of the journey to explore.”
At the main entrance, grand wooden doors invite us into a luxurious foyer composed of visually striking textures. Light marble floors and a white ceiling create an airy impression, grounded by dark elements.
Right next to the entrance is a tea pavilion with serene views of the koi pond and the pool, creating an ideal scene for a cup of tea.
Hao said, “We want this natural connection between the garden, the water, and also the table. The trees, the plants, the water—it’s all very calming.
In between these two areas, we didn’t want to block the view of the water and the garden. Therefore, we have this double-glazed sliding door with wire mesh in the middle.
This metallic element is to match with the lobby. The lobby has lots of metallic materials, so it kind of creates that screen between the metallic and the tea room.”
Custom-made textures fill the spaces, ensuring a seamless visual with hidden doors. An interesting mirror hangs in the foyer, large enough to create an impression of a round window opening into the space.
The open living and dining spaces are oriented towards the landscape. Massive glass doors of six-meter height bring nature indoors, ensuring an uninterrupted view.
“This cross-ventilation that the architect designed really inspired me in how I plan or design the center of the house. One of the challenges we faced with this living room is that it’s such a long space with a tapered shape at the end, towards where we see it right now.”
“For us, that was a challenge in how to form this living area. We had the idea of dividing this into two zones. One is to face the feature TV wall, and one is to face the pool. The idea of facing the TV wall in a larger area was to use a more square-ish sofa, which faces two sides as well. At the tail end of the living room, we wanted a more organic-shaped sofa that faces the pool so you can actually watch people in the pool.”
A well-considered layout is the foundation of a great living room design. Dividing a living area into formal and casual spaces creates a home that adapts to different social occasions.
“The client, in particular, was concerned about the ceiling height for the ground floor. Therefore, we had to find a really creative way to bring in the air conditioning into this living room, especially with the double height. So, we came up with the idea of using the feature wall as the air conditioning diffuser.”
Next to the living area is a stylish bar, furnished with hidden speakers that blend into the design. This is a karaoke space right beside the pool.
In the dining area, custom-made white screens create a textured, three-dimensional backdrop to separate dining areas. This provides privacy and shading while maximizing ventilation.
“So, the idea is very much like the living room. The dining area is categorized into two parts—one is formal dining, and one is casual dining.”
Integrated into the island, the pop-up extraction fan ensures a sleek, seamless look for the dry kitchen.
In S/LAB 10’s projects, their bathrooms are always a statement of class. Let’s see what they have to offer in this powder room next to the dining area. A small foyer bathed in soft light greets us. Composed of various textures and shapes, the space is calming and classy.
Tucked in a corner, the home theater is a quiet retreat from the busy open areas of the house.
“Now, we’re inside this entertainment area, which we have categorized into two different sections. One is the karaoke lounge, which can host about 12 to 15 people sitting around singing karaoke. And here behind us, this is what we call the family movie lounge.”
At night, the entire home undergoes a stunning transformation. Carefully curated lighting accentuates textures and highlights architectural details, painting the home as an ever-changing masterpiece.
Throughout the common areas, the choice of materials is used to maintain continuity. This is crucial in creating a cohesive look, even while using different textures and shapes.
Leading to the first floor, the floating marble staircase combines elegance with a light impression. Its timeless sheen adds sophistication, and its durability makes it ideal for tropical climates.
“From the outside, as the architect framed it, this house appears like a key box. So, we wanted something for people outside to look in and see—a really large sculpture piece.”
“We spent a lot of time mapping the marble because it was limited, so we had to work with what we got. I think these are actually two types of marble. So, we had to carefully match different veins to ensure there was enough for the whole staircase.”
“The first floor consists of bedrooms and a gym, making it more of a lifestyle space. Going up to the second level, we have the master bedroom suite and the other junior suites.”
At the entrance, each room stages a welcoming invitation where mirrors add a bigger sense of space. Each bedroom is designed with its own unique feature.
This bedroom is a stunning example. With an unusual layout leading to the show gallery, the hallway leads directly to a spacious bathroom.
“It’s not very typical to walk into a room and enter the wardrobe area first. But I would rather call this a show gallery than a wardrobe. When planning this area, it was difficult to decide which part was the best side of the room. So, we wanted to leave the best side of the room for the bedroom area,” said Hao.
Concealed behind sliding doors, the sleeping area is designed in a modern classical style. An extended customised headboard enlarges the visual effect of the entire room.
“Because the headboard is so large, we wanted to have a multiple-layer to it so it doesn’t look like one giant headboard. Therefore, you can see this detail of three different layers, and also the pendant light next to it. This kind of detail was carried through to the ceiling, where you see layers of depth in the ceiling detail.”
“So, this is a wallpaper that we selected with a fabric finish. The whole idea is that the entire room is very beige, very light in colour, and we want to give it a bit of contrast here.”
When the curtains are closed, the room transforms into a romantic private theatre.
The master bedroom unfolds as a private sanctuary, opening into a spacious lounge, setting a relaxed tone with rich textures, materials, and dark colors.
“The master bathroom is another hidden compartment—for a wellness spa of luxury. Inside, a glass-box shower features two-way entrances. There’s also a sauna with Himalayan salt for two to four people to enjoy. We also have his and hers toilets and positioned behind the shower, a bathtub faces an outdoor tree with a protective screen, allowing for a peaceful bathing experience.”
What’s unique about the son’s bedroom is the open-concept space for the bathroom and wardrobe, creating a luxurious suite-like experience.
“So the idea of combining the bathroom and the wardrobe together is to create such an empty space in the middle that really widened up the whole area. So this is the—well, I can’t call it a walk-in wardrobe. There’s no walk-in, it’s an open wardrobe.”
“With the special feature island that we have chosen, this very natural matte finish Travertine stone, and also with a special selection of a cow fur finish. The handle has that rustic finish to match with all the furnitures here.”
“In this project, we have explored a lot of different materials, and we are very excited and had a lot of fun playing with so many materials, patterns, and different textures. As much as we love minimalism, when we’re given a chance to play, I think we would go all the way.”
This home is a masterpiece of contrasts—bold yet timeless, luxurious yet inviting. Rich materials, shapes, and textures come together to transform the everyday into something extraordinary.
For more beautiful and luxurious mansions, don’t miss these stories: luxury tropical pool house and tropical modernist design of R House.
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