Rochester Garden House | Interior Design

Featured Project: The Rochester Garden House, a Heritage Boutique Hotel

Academic Project | Completed August 2026

This hospitality project transforms a heritage black-and-white bungalow into a refined garden boutique hotel. Inspired by British colonial architecture and tropical living, the design combines warm timber, rattan, linen, textured finishes and soft lighting to create a quietly luxurious retreat. Public areas encourage arrival, dining and social interaction, while the upper level provides calm guest rooms, reading corners and intimate verandah spaces connected to nature.

1st Storey Plan – Welcoming Heritage Hospitality

The first storey creates a seamless guest journey from the main entrance into a spacious arrival lobby and central reception. The layout connects the café and dining area, work-friendly lounge, meeting space and outdoor seating, while staff facilities are discreetly positioned behind the public zones. Warm timber, woven textures, deep-green joinery and aged-brass accents reinforce the refined contemporary-colonial character of The Rochester Garden House.

2nd Storey Plan – Intimate Guest Retreats

The second storey is designed as a private guest retreat comprising three Deluxe Queen Rooms, one Heritage Room and one Twin Room, each with an en-suite bathroom. A central lounge encourages quiet relaxation, while the balconies extend the rooms towards the surrounding greenery. Efficient circulation, natural light and carefully selected furnishings create a calm and comfortable stay while preserving the refined heritage character of the boutique hotel.

2nd Storey Floor Finish Plan – Warmth and Durability

The second-storey flooring palette balances the warmth of a private guest retreat with practical performance. Warm-toned engineered timber floorboards create visual continuity across the guestrooms, corridor and lounge, complemented by the refurbished dark-stained staircase. R10 stone-look non-slip porcelain tiles provide safe and durable bathroom surfaces, while R11 terracotta-look outdoor pavers extend the heritage character onto the balconies with a slip-resistant, weatherproof finish.

1st Storey Floor Finish Plan – Material Zoning

The floor-finish strategy uses subtle material transitions to define each functional zone while maintaining a cohesive heritage palette. Warm-toned engineered timber flooring unifies the reception, arrival lobby, café and work lounge, while non-slip stone-look porcelain tiles provide durability in wet and service areas. Weather-resistant terracotta-look pavers extend the warm character outdoors, complemented by the refurbished staircase with dark-stained timber treads and matching handrail.

2nd Storey Reflected Ceiling Plan – Restful Illumination

The second-storey lighting scheme creates a calm and intimate atmosphere throughout the guestrooms while supporting clear circulation. Warm, dimmable recessed downlights provide balanced ambient and task lighting, complemented by a decorative feature light within the shared lounge and ceiling fans for added comfort. Varied ceiling levels subtly define each space, while weather-resistant 3000K outdoor lights safely illuminate the balconies without disrupting the relaxed evening ambience.

1st Storey Reflected Ceiling Plan – Layered Lighting

The reflected ceiling plan introduces a layered lighting strategy that enhances the hotel’s welcoming atmosphere. Warm, dimmable recessed downlights provide balanced ambient illumination, while directional spotlights and feature lighting accent the reception, lounge, café and key architectural elements. A structured ceiling grid defines the central arrival space, while ceiling fans and weather-resistant outdoor lights improve comfort and usability across the dining and verandah areas.

Elevation 2 – From Social Spaces to Private Retreats

This longitudinal interior elevation reveals the hotel’s clear vertical zoning, with the work lounge, reception and café forming a connected sequence of communal spaces on the first storey and private guestrooms positioned above. The bespoke reception joinery creates a central focal point, while the upper floor integrates en-suite bathrooms, built-in wardrobes, writing desks and upholstered beds beneath the heritage pitched roof, balancing architectural character with contemporary guest comfort.

Elevation 1 – Heritage Form and Vertical Connection

This interior elevation illustrates the relationship between the public arrival lobby and outdoor seating on the first storey and the private guestroom and balcony above. The prominent pitched roof preserves the bungalow’s heritage character, while shaded verandahs, vertical screens and ceiling fans respond to Singapore’s tropical climate. The refurbished timber staircase creates a strong vertical connection, integrating the original architecture with the hotel’s contemporary hospitality experience.

Twin Room – Compact Comfort and Garden Living

The Twin Room maximises comfort and functionality within a compact footprint. Two single beds with upholstered linen headboards are complemented by a full-height cane-panelled wardrobe, writing desk and efficiently planned en-suite bathroom. Warm timber, woven textures and soft sage accents create a relaxed, heritage-inspired character. A private balcony with greenery, a hanging egg chair and marble-topped table extends the room outdoors, offering guests a tranquil garden retreat.

3D Section B–B – Hotel Spaces in Layers

This three-dimensional sectional cutaway reveals the hotel’s vertical organisation and relationship between public and private spaces. The first-storey reception and bespoke display joinery create a strong focal point for guest arrival, while the guestrooms and en-suite bathrooms are efficiently arranged above. The view also illustrates ceiling heights, structural alignment and circulation beneath the heritage roof form, translating the technical design into a clear and engaging spatial narrative.

Bespoke Dining Banquette – Custom Revit Family

This long dining banquette was developed as a custom Revit family for the café and dining area. Its warm timber-clad base, continuous cushioned seat and rhythmically segmented upholstered back combine comfort with a refined heritage-inspired character. The coordinated plan, elevations, sections and three-dimensional view define its proportions and construction details, demonstrating how a furniture concept was translated into a practical design that maximises seating within a compact space.

Twin Room Elevations – Integrated Joinery and Heritage Detail

The Twin Room interior elevations transform each wall into an efficient composition of storage, work and rest. A full-height cane-panelled wardrobe, minibar, writing desk, mirror and wall-mounted television form a compact service zone, while the twin beds are framed by upholstered linen headboards, a tailored bedhead panel and warm wall lighting. Timber louvres, woven cane and decorative wall finishes reinforce the heritage-inspired character, with a full-height balcony screen providing added privacy.