A modern family home rife with local symbols and context found in everyday objects and prints, proves that design and function can co-exist.
When it comes to a sense of patriotism, no home in Singapore is worth its salt unless you’re talking about this four-room HDB flat situated in Sengkang. Residing in this space are two sisters who happen to be working in the healthcare sector. Living with them is their mother. Their one-of-a-kind living space ticked all the boxes for affordability, convenience and price right after they sold their three-room apartment.
While looking for a designer, the Chua family chanced upon projects done by Free Space Intent (FSI) in a local publication and decided they were it. Senior designer Leon Lou adds, “It was a fruitful union because they already knew what they wanted. So, it was easy to determine the look and functionality of the space.” When the contract was signed, eight weeks of renovation ensued but there were some curveballs expected such as creating the right look and feel for each space to hold art pieces. Then there was the bigger picture – ensuring the all the individual art works and furniture, its styles and colours – would gel in totality. Nevertheless, the firm persevered and overcame these issues.
The living room happens to be the sisters’ favourite space because most of their well-loved paintings are displayed tastefully for their eyes to enjoy. “They were really pleased especially with the living room and you could see their elation in their eyes,” says Lou. Also, friends who have attended their housewarming session quipped about how the home mirrors that of a boutique art gallery. The home’s white walls also serve as a perfect canvas for the art works to pop out. The white walls also help to reflect sunlight thus making the space appear light-filled and airy. Furniture from the Ikea PS2014 collection add a jab of character because each piece has its own designer flair. In addition, the bright coloured furniture from Kartell such as the ‘Masters’ dining chair and ‘Bourgie’ table lamps, energises the space.
Key Ideas
- Monochrome wallpaper motif in the living room creates a stunning visual point.
- In the common bedroom, a unique medium-height console with plenty of drawers acts like a demarcation while providing useful storage.
- By using low-rise platform beds, this allows the attention to fall on the homeowners’ dazzling wall treatments in their bedrooms.
- A glass backsplash in the kitchen doubles up as a marker board.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Joseph Lim that appeared in the September 2014 issue of SquareRooms
