Entrance Hall · Valabh Residence · Prepared September 2026

Warm-lit entrance hall showing the illuminated oak slat main wall beside the marble-backed display niche

Client Presentation — 01 of 01

Entrance Hall

Warm minimalism, with a sense of ritual.

A concept and cost direction for the Valabh Residence, covering the Main Wall, the Niche and the Indoor Garden.

Design Direction

Warm minimalism, with a sense of ritual.

A refined material story brings together natural oak, luminous stone, warm concealed lighting and sculptural objects. The result is calm, architectural and deeply personal — one language, carried across the Main Wall, the Niche and the stair, so the hall is read as a single arrival rather than three separate scopes.

01

Material Warmth

Oak tones soften the architecture and connect the spaces visually.

02

Quiet Luxury

Marble-look surfaces and restrained detailing create a premium, timeless feel.

03

Layered Light

Concealed LED illumination adds depth to slats, shelving and focal moments.

Scope

Main Wall · Niche · Indoor Garden

Service

Design, procurement, project management & snagging

Pricing approach

Fixed fees; cabinetry & stone at cost

Prepared by

Nicole Sen, Studio Yulan

Area 01 — The Niche

Recessed display niche with backlit dark veined stone, floating oak shelves and sculptural objects — The Niche · recessed display, backlit stone, oak cabinetry

A curated cabinet of moments.

The recessed display becomes a quieter, more intimate counterpoint to the Main Wall — combining deep veined stone, oak cabinetry and warm shelf lighting.

Oak

Plain veneer cabinetry, three flush doors — quiet enough to let the stone lead.

Veined Stone

A dark backsplash, backlit so it reads as depth rather than pattern.

Warm LED

Linear light under each shelf, concealed within the joinery itself.

Design intent

Layer objects at different heights and scales so the niche feels collected rather than crowded.

Warm oak veneer wood grain sample — Plain oak veneer

Dark oxblood-veined marble sample — Deep veined stone

White marble with gold and grey veining sample — Ivory veined stone

Cabinetry & stone, billed at cost (no markup) · 2.3m² backsplash

Option 1 — Oak veneer

Cabinetry: R 34 344
Stone: R 2 500

TotalR 36 844

Option 2 — Imported wild-grain veneer

Cabinetry: R 40 488
Stone: R 4 000

TotalR 44 488

Option 3 — Embossed walnut

Cabinetry: R 54 916
Stone: R 6 000

TotalR 60 916

Area 02 — The Main Wall

Floating console with light stone drawer fronts between backlit fluted oak battens beneath a framed artwork — The Main Wall · slats, artwork, floating console

The arrival moment.

A strong central composition gives the entrance a clear focal point: artwork, vertical slats and a floating console balanced as one architectural gesture.

Vertical Rhythm

Timber slats draw the eye upward and visually frame the artwork.

Floating Console

The light stone front keeps the composition visually light.

Warm Glow

Integrated light reveals texture without competing with the artwork.

Fluted reeded oak paneling sample — Fluted oak battens

White marble with gold veining sample — Light stone fronts

Plain oak veneer sample — Oak carcass

Cabinetry & stone, billed at cost (no markup) · 2m² drawer fronts

Option 1 — Oak veneer

Cabinetry: R 163 468
Stone: R 2 174

TotalR 165 642

Option 2 — Imported wild-grain veneer

Cabinetry: R 222 177
Stone: R 4 000

TotalR 226 177

Option 3 — Embossed walnut

Cabinetry: R 254 763
Stone: R 6 000

TotalR 260 763

Cabinetry and stone are passed through at cost, with no Studio Yulan markup, for this project. Entry-level stone costed from the Niche backsplash rate (R1,087/m²) applied to the Main Wall's 2m² of drawer fronts, since an entry-tier quote for this stone wasn't taken separately.

Area 03 — The Indoor Garden

Under-stair planting bed of white pebbles and layered greenery beneath a floating timber staircase with glass balustrade — The Indoor Garden · under-stair planting bed, pebble surround

Architecture softened by nature.

The stair is treated as a sculptural element: floating timber treads, clear glazing and a full-height timber slat backdrop, balanced by abundant planting in a wood-edged bed of white pebbles beneath.

Timber

Repeats the warmth of the Main Wall and Niche, threading the three areas together.

Glass

Keeps the circulation visually open around the planting below.

Planting

Introduces softness and living texture against the hard architecture.

Through-line

Oak, warm light and natural texture repeat across all three areas to create cohesion.

Oak slat paneling sample — Timber slat backdrop

White rounded pebbles sample — White rounded pebbles

Large grey sculptural stones sample — Sculptural grey stone

Climate-considered planting.

Every species we're proposing sits on our curated shortlist for Johannesburg's dry indoor air — tolerant of lower light under the stair, and low-maintenance once established.

Areca Palm
Monstera Deliciosa
Snake Plant
Boston Fern
Rubber Plant

Full scheme · 15% Studio Yulan sourcing markup applied

Plants: R 8 625 – R 11 500
Planters: R 8 050 – R 10 350
Pebbles, soil, sculptural stone: R 13 168
Surround, base tray, delivery: R 14 950 – R 18 400

Indoor Garden totalR 44 793 – R 53 418

Material Palette

Natural materials. Controlled contrast.

Warm oak veneer — Warm Oak
slats · console · cabinetry

Ivory veined stone — Ivory Stone
walls · floor · console fronts

Deep oxblood veined stone — Deep Earth
feature stone · contrast

Soft Taupe

textiles · supporting finishes

Amber Light

integrated architectural glow

Quiet · tactile · warm · architectural · timeless. Lighting is treated as part of the architecture rather than an afterthought — concealed at the slats, warm under every shelf, and glowing gently from beneath the Main Wall console to lift it visually off the wall.

Investment

Two fixed fees for our time — everything else, at cost.

For this project, cabinetry and stone are passed straight through at the fabricator's and supplier's own quoted price — no Studio Yulan margin sits on top. Our fee lives entirely in the Design Fee and Project Management Fee below, plus a sourcing margin on the Indoor Garden planting, where quantities and plant maturity are still being finalised.

Design Fee

R 12 000

Concept development across all three areas
Material, finish and stone selection
Technical drawings for fabrication
This presentation and one round of revisions

Project Management Fee

R 7 500

Fabricator and supplier coordination
Site measurement and installation oversight
Delivery scheduling across all three areas
Final snagging and sign-off

Fees totalR 19 500

Full entrance hall summary

Estimated investment per finish option for the Valabh Residence entrance hall
Entrance Hall	Option 1 — Oak veneer	Option 2 — Wild-grain veneer	Option 3 — Embossed walnut
Niche — cabinetry & stone, at cost	R 36 844	R 44 488	R 60 916
Main Wall — cabinetry & stone, at cost	R 165 642	R 226 177	R 260 763
Indoor Garden — full scheme	R 44 793 – 53 418	R 44 793 – 53 418	R 44 793 – 53 418
Design & Project Management fees	R 19 500	R 19 500	R 19 500
Estimated investment	R 0 – 0	R 0 – 0	R 0 – 0

Figures include VAT. Cabinetry and stone are billed at the fabricator's and supplier's quoted cost, with no Studio Yulan markup, for this project. Studio Yulan's sourcing markup (15%) applies only to Indoor Garden goods. Final invoicing follows confirmed quotes at time of order.

Client Summary

One cohesive language across the home.

Focal

A strong arrival wall establishes the visual identity.

Connected

Repeated oak, stone and warm light tie the spaces together.

Personal

Art, plants and collected objects bring character and meaning.

Timeless

The palette is restrained enough to evolve with the home.

Next steps

01Confirm which option — or mix of options across the three areas — feels right
02We lock fabricator and supplier quotes at that finish level
03Design Fee invoiced to develop detailed drawings, finish schedule & lighting specification

Studio Yulan

Nicole Sen · Prepared for the Valabh Family