Family live like royalty in French palace-style HDB home

Restraint has no place in Victorian interior design. Cheryl Lynn, who spent a good part of her life in France, knows this all too well. Lavish and luxurious, her French palais-style HDB flat in Punggol echoes a strong sense of joie de vivre for her young family of five.

Ornate furniture, elaborate furnishings, intricate decors, and an overall vibe of Old World glamour turn this darling of a home into a royal address. "I designed most parts of the house. We're going for a Victorian theme, which I have developed a love for when I was in France. My husband Desmond is the personal handyman who did all the labour work. So this beautiful home is a joint effort," says Cheryl Lynn.

With too many decors and details-almost bordering on the excess, a signature of Victorian style-it's difficult to identify a single pièce de resistance in this home.

Check it out for yourself:

Living room

A golden faux fireplace parked on one side of the wall greets you in the living room. The couple decorated this area with framed family photos and an elaborate sunburst mirror. "The kids love hanging around this area," says Cheryl Lynn. "It's like our favourite spot as a family."

The living room looks and feels expensive, what with the tufted velvet sofas and modern square chandelier. The walls were never left bare; they were covered in gold Damask wallpaper. As if that wall covering's not glamorous enough, Cheryl Lynn hung gilded frames and mirrors-in different shapes and sizes-to up the royal ambience of the space.

Dining room

The royal treatment extends to the dining room, featuring extravagant details packed in a small space. An ornate chandelier sits atop a dining space surrounded by velvet and leather couches and high-back chairs in different hues.

Cathedral-style mirrors featuring arched window pane details tower over the dining room.

Kitchen

The kitchen serves as a pause, a breath of fresh air, a diversion from the lavish Victorian display in this home. But it doesn't mean it's no less striking than the rest of their sparkly home.

Although the design is more subtle and subdued, the kitchen charms its way to your heart. Featured in the cooking area are white cabinetry with gold trimmings, clean and classic subway backsplash tiles, and industrial-style pendant lighting. A marbled high bar counter with velvet stools is illuminated by the ornate chandelier hanging above.

Master bedroom

A sleeping enclave fit for the king and queen of the house! The bed alone is a heavyweight-talk about a 50-kilogram tufted bed frame with headboard. Desmond shares they had to disassemble everything so they could fit the parts in the lift and doors when they moved in.

The tray ceiling with cove lighting, prettified by a crystal chandelier, creates the romantic ambience in this bedroom. By the bedside is a vanity corner featuring a dressing table and more (yes, more!) tufted velvet seats.

Bathrooms

Even the baths and toilets sport opulent Victorian flair - golden wash basins, gilded mirrors, golden toilet fixtures, and even golden toilet seat covers!

Kids' bedroom

The kids' bedroom may not be wrapped in gold, but each little one gets to have his or her own private corner: a canopy princess bed for six-year-old Keisha, a truck bed for three-year-old Jairus, and a colourful crib for 20-month-old Keona.

Desmond and Cheryl Lynn's tips to fellow homeowners:

- Always do your research and plan properly before embarking on your renovation. It can be a disaster if it is not handled properly.

- Be prepared to encounter a lot of changes and adjustments during renovation.

- You have to be fully committed to the interior design theme you want. When choosing colours for the walls and furnishings, always bear in mind the theme you have set for the whole house.

Creating better homes and family.