Hotel designs are something that many couples look to for inspiration when renovating their homes. But what exactly does it constitute? The thing is, a variety of styles can fall under this broad term. But at its heart, the hotel treatment counts on comfort, quality materials and furnishings, and a careful balance between luxury and refinement to achieve a polished look and feel. Aside from wanting the sophisticated hotel ambience, the couple of this three-bedroom home, who are both teachers, also spoke with interior designer Elden Lim about their plans to grow a family and their passion for videography.
Elden, who is the creative director and founder of Minimo & Minimology, explains, “They intend to use the space to create videos, so they wanted a nice backdrop for their creative projects.” Aside from that, the couple also craved for a large bedroom that could accommodate more than the wardrobe and sleeping area. Bearing these factors in mind, he strove to craft an abode that provides all that and more.
Space is limited in the 1,100 sq ft apartment. When Elden studied the home in its entirety, he saw that dramatic changes were necessary to house their needs. The couple found the original master bedroom too small, so one of the big changes made was to turn the master bedroom into the second bedroom with a separate bathroom. The other two bedrooms – one converted into a study – were combined to form a master suite.
The overhaul of the layout made possible a study that visually connects with the living area through a glass partition. Now, space could also be utilised better to maximise storage. Natural light flows into spaces more easily too. Major rewiring was done to reposition the awkward placement of the air-conditioning units and work with the alignment of the false ceiling. As for the furnishings, Elden picked out pieces that work well with the interior dimensions. His attention to line work can be seen here in the horizontal and vertical lines of the partitions and console in the living area, as well as in the slim shelf on the dining area wall
The home is decked out in neutral browns and greys. Thanks to the attention to shape, scale and materials, it is tasteful and visually engaging. To give the home its exclusive, posh feel, Elden focused on quality materials. “We used marble in various spaces like the kitchen and bathroom. For the living area feature wall, we used Carrara marble, which is the hardest marble, so that it won’t chip off easily,” he says. “In the dining area, we proposed custom-designed wallcovering. So, what we did was we hired an artist to design and dye the fabric.” The eye-catching piece is awash in colours of the ocean, bringing vitality to the space. It makes a perfect backdrop for a variety of activities, including everyday dining and entertaining friends.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Rossara Jamil published in the October 2017 issue of SquareRooms.
