For the owners of this Punggol apartment, they knew that they wanted a Scandinavian concept. Understated and spacious, it is a concept that’s easily adapted into the typical HDB apartment.
Not wanting to produce a wholly Scandinavian interior, Dan Wu, principal designer and founder of Dan’s Workshop, says, “With this home, we wanted to set a trend. So what we proposed was a blend of Scandinavian and cottage design ideas.” These design elements and rustic surfaces seen throughout denote a relaxed feel.
Vinyl tile flooring that mimic weathered wooden floorboards ground the setting. With the light colours picked out for the rest of the home, the living and dining areas appear bright and welcoming. Spanning the entire wall, the wall feature in the living area depicts arched cottage door and windows. Overhead, Dan constructed a wooden beam, bringing into this HDB unit one of the defining features of cottage homes.
Each space in this home has been crafted carefully. The kitchen and the connected dining area, for instance, showcase creativity and meticulous craftsmanship. Part of the kitchen wall was hacked away for an open-concept feel. But it’s also an excellent idea for bringing attention to the unique kitchen cabinets, which take the form of a row of cottages. Dan explained that making these cabinets were a time-consuming part of the renovations. But with each made in a different shape and height, these cabinets inject a youthful vibe to the kitchen. Here, the design studio used laminates from Keminates for the kitchen cabinets and KompacPlus panels for the kitchen counter and backsplash.
Of note, this five-room flat comes with additional floor area in the living room, so Dan converted it into an enclosed study area. Constructing it with hollow blocks and glass windows allows light to flow throughout the spaces easily so that the home feels spacious.
Like the rest of the home, the feel of the master bedroom is cosy and breezy. By combining the master bedroom with an adjacent bedroom, the couple now has room for a large wall-to-wall wardrobe and study area on one side. A portion of the wall that separates the two rooms is now used to frame the bed. Overall, the master bedroom exudes the serene cottage-like ambience felt throughout the home through the consistent use of rustic wood-like laminates on barn-inspired carpentry.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Rossara Jamil published in the October 2016 issue of SquareRooms.
Photo credits: Dan’s Workshop
