At bespoke design practice K2SD Group, art and taste are elevated with restraint—shaping homes designed not for effect, but for living well
If there was a thread running through bespoke design house K2SD Group’s projects, it would be one of studied restraint. Art and taste are vital and present throughout the company’s work, but they are never obtrusive or overwrought. Instead, warmth and personality are expressed through thoughtful proportion, material choice, and the careful composition of space. The effect is cumulative rather than immediate—an approach that places emphasis on the ‘art’ in the art of living. “Every piece of our work starts from poetry and a poetry form from our client’s ethos, lifestyle, and psychology,” says Kelly Kawahara Cheah, founder of K2SD Group.
In a project that she calls Whisper of Oak, timber forms the backbone of the house, yet it is handled with control. Oak, while used to ground the interiors, defines the decor without shouting for attention. Meanwhile, light and negative form are given room to work as the environment unfolds, allowing the architecture to settle naturally into daily life. The elevation here lies not in expression, but in restraint.
Over at Nassim Quattro, a freehold mansion residence for which K2SD Group helmed the interior design and styling of the show unit, the same sensibility prevails. To articulate the development’s attention to detail and sense of spatial grandeur, the studio brings together textures, patterns, and finely judged furnishings to evoke a composed form of opulence—one where discernment, rather than excess, lends to its expression of luxury.
Seen together, these projects demonstrate how K2SD Group elevates domestic architecture without resorting to visual excess or stylistic assertion. The firm treats design as a disciplined practice, concerned less with ostentation and more with how space performs over time. While the studio’s work spans diverse projects, K2SD Group is particularly known for its large-scale private homes and expansive apartments in prime neighbourhoods, including landed residences and bungalows, where spatial sequencing and artistic expression can be fully explored.
This approach underscores Cheah’s Design as a Work of Art philosophy. At K2SD Group, design harmony—both within the discipline as well as in its relationship with the homeowners—is an imperative. Each project begins with close observation of a client’s lifestyle and habits, which then informs spatial planning, material logic, and proportion.
Elevation of Identity
Since its founding, the Singapore-based practice has expanded its presence with offices here and in Malaysia, while building a portfolio that spans residential, hospitality, and private club projects across Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Italy. In just over five years, the firm has earned a stellar reputation for a forward-thinking approach to design—one that is grounded in discernment, an appreciation for art and nature, an exacting eye for detail, and a nuanced sensitivity to clients’ desires.
Most pertinently, what connects K2SD Group’s work is its consistency of intent. As Cheah notes, no two projects feel the same, yet each is resolved with the same emphasis on balance and spatial clarity.
This is evident across the studio’s wider body of work. In a project called The Sensory House, K2SD Group transforms a 1970s corner terrace house into a nature-aligned sanctuary. Here, the firm works with openness as a starting point. Internal walls are removed to reveal the home’s wide frontage, while the original facade is opened to draw an 80-year-old Bodhi tree into the interior. Skylights draw natural illumination deep into the plan, while a restored pitched void creates a double volume, balancing expansive public areas with thoughtfully defined private zones.
Cultural context is approached with the same sensitivity. For a private residence commissioned by a client based in Africa, whose brief was to amalgamate African-Indian influences, K2SD avoids literal reference. Cultural sensibilities are translated into geometry and material contrast, allowing the home to articulate vibrancy without resorting to design tropes.
Across projects of varying scale and context, K2SD’s priorities remain consistent. Materials are carefully curated to address the clients’ lifestyle needs. Details are always in service of the whole. Interiors lean towards measured spatial energy, sculptural proportion, and a thoughtfully calibrated interplay of light and shadow.
Looking ahead, K2SD Group is entering its next phase. The studio is currently engaged in hospitality and private villa developments in Singapore, China, and Malaysia, with an expanding role in shaping experiential direction alongside architecture and interiors. The emphasis remains on depth rather than scale, and on shaping spaces that give form and presence to each client’s brand and identity.
For clients seeking bespoke design grounded in judgement rather than trends, K2SD Group offers a clear proposition. These are homes where art and taste are present without being staged—where artful design earns its place through how naturally it celebrates life as it unfolds.
