Canvas House

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past

Historic dwellings are repositories of memories. Through the concept of “layers”, we explore history and our relationship with the past, present and future, while re-imagining the interiors for this 4-storey heritage shophouse in Singapore.

Blurring the boundaries between space and object, we conceptually blanketed Canvas House with a layer of white that provides a canvas for the future, whilst revealing historical preservation in concentrated spots. The house rhythmically reveals parts of its past, with Shadows of old timber as well as Layers of revealed brick and intricate details of re-purposed and upcycled furniture.

The white blurs the distinction between new and old; between spatial elements (e.g. walls, ceiling), and objects that sit within it (e.g. the furniture and lights). With everything white, object/space dichotomy is blurred, allowing the residents to truly activate the space.

Parts of the past are rhythmically revealed throughout the space, with Layers of revealed brick and intricate details of pre-owned furniture, and Shadows of old timber. This technique is applied to round timber reveals on the stairs and playful peek-a-boo reveals on decorative dragon longevity vases, vintage ceramic plates, wooden screens, vanity dressers and chairs.

Historic details are preserved in a similarly conceptual fashion, where brick walls are revealed in concentrated circles. In the suites, visitors will see “time shadows” cast by the beds: a shadow-casting device which is conceptually driven (the past casting a shadow of its presence on the present) which reveals the underlay of the floor.

Completing the upcycling narrative, we featured cling film luminaires by Kang, an artist who specializes in upcycling plastic. Keeping to the theme of layers, the cling film was layered and then ironed and heated to create a waterproof, leathery material.

At the same time, we invite the residents to imagine a future with Dream, a text-based neon piece that the studio created, with a quote by Thomas Jefferson that encapsulates our approach to Canvas House.