With its simple aesthetic, minimalism is an interior design style that tends to eschew sumptuous fittings in favour of pared-down features such as neat silhouettes and neutral colours. In relation to this three-bedroom condominium apartment, designer Max Lee of Icon Interior chose to take the middle road by creating a space that incorporates elements from both schools of design.
“As this home belongs to a couple, there’s a need to cater to each of their tastes and preferences. While the male homeowner prefers a no-frills look with plain lines and symmetrical colours, the female homeowner is more partial to luxurious materials as she likes the bespoke style of celebrity designer Kelly Hoppen,” says Max.
Despite being a fusion of two different design styles, the result is a seamless interior that features the best of both worlds across each and every room. In the case of the living room, this is exemplified by a classy television feature wall that fronts a grey leather sofa and acrylic coffee table. No cost was spared in the construction of this beautiful fixture, which features a generous slab of expensive white marble that blends in with the choice of neutral-coloured furniture.
A pair of custom-made shelves, which sandwich the television feature wall, can be observed to add a contrasting touch of cosiness with their natural-looking timber veneers. Likewise, accent lights installed within the shelves further enhance this sense of homeliness, while drawing attention to the sculptured ornaments laid out inside the recesses.
Adjoining the TV console, the dining area features its own collection of stylish fittings, including a charming table topped with natural stone as well as a pair of drop down drum pendant lamps. Additionally, the lamps’ thin black mounts help to tie in the entire look of the general living space as they complement two parallel rows of embedded ceiling lamps.
Playing a similar role are matte black laminates that frame a recessed buffet table as well as a second feature wall. While the latter primarily makes use of wood-effect laminates for a natural look, stainless steel linings were also incorporated into its structure as a way of hiding the exposed seams between layers.
“If one were to pay attention, they would notice that the buffet table’s top makes use of the same marble surface as the television’s feature wall. This choice of materials creates visual consistency between the two structures as well as the living room’s floor, which also comes in a similar colour,” says Max.
In line with the monochrome look of the adjacent living zones, the entrance shows off an intricate black round mirror with metallic petals that stands out against its white background. On the other hand, the passageway’s console table was chosen due its light profile, which features transparent glass shelves framed in a warm wood frame with straight lines.
As for the kitchen, plenty of thought was put into creating classy yet functional fittings in both its dry and wet zones. For the former, white gloss laminates used for overhead cabinets give the space a high-contrast image; the same applies for the breakfast table’s pale Silestone. Additionally, a custom-made alcove was created in the dry kitchen area to accommodate a generous freestanding refrigerator.
Similarly well organised, the wet kitchen possesses a galley style layout that allows the homeowners to make the most of a small space. Adequate storage is provided in the form of two parallel rows of cupboards and drawers that come outfitted with Blum hardware, such as pull-out shelves as well as lift-to-open panels for easy access to cookware stored within.
Functional fittings can likewise be found in the master bedroom as seen by its TV feature wall, which plays more than an aesthetic purpose. Clad in wood-effect laminates, the structure comes equipped with shelves and a hanger bar for convenience. As for the bed head and its adjoining wall, varying shades of grey were chosen due to the warm contrast they create with the room’s primarily white surfaces.
Despite adopting a similar neutral colour scheme as the master bedroom, the en suite features an inverted arrangement of white and grey. Grey hues take prominence with rustic stone tiles occupying the bathroom’s floor and walls, whereas white comes into play through various accompanying fittings, including the vanity and toilet.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the April 2017 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Icon Interior
