Tucked away in the quiet residential area of Punggol and located far away from the bustle of the Central Business District is this unassuming and unpretentious 4-room Build-To-Order HDB unit. Helmed by local interior design firm KDOT Associates, the unit follows a modern-Scandinavian design concept complemented with minimalist decor, and primarily serves as a comfortable abode for rest and relaxation for its two occupants.
Throughout the home, plenty of soft pastel colours and natural wood tones were utilised to create a welcoming atmosphere. Meanwhile, the originally bare flooring was laid over with vinyl strips from local flooring manufacturer Floor Xpert, giving the home a much more modern and updated look.
Upon entering the living room, one would be immediately greeted by the sight of an inviting comfy grey sofa. This is accompanied by the room’s primary entertainment area which consists of a wood-accented television console as well as a sleek flat-screen television. Besides these loose furniture pieces, the design team stayed away from installing any built-ins around the space. By doing so, the living area is made to feel more spacious and a lot arier without these boxy fixtures in the way.
One of the homeowners’ main requests was to have an open kitchen that would make entertaining friends and family a breeze. To achieve this free-flowing layout, the partition wall that once separated the utilitarian zone from the rest of the home was knocked down. In its place now is a wood-laminated kitchen island that not only increases countertop space during food prep, but also serves as a bar counter for breakfast and other casual meals. Since the placement of this island unit faces the living room’s generous windows, it is also used as a resting spot where the owners can sit and admire the lush greenery that sits just beyond.
Just like the outer communal areas, the owners’ private living chambers carry a contemporary charm with their clean layout and neutral colour scheme. When suffused with natural light through the windows, the master bedroom’s soothing white palette brings forth a fresh and inviting quality to the surrounding space, making it a cosy area for resting. The minimalist theme is also further enhanced by the choice of a Queen-sized bed, accompanying wood-accented bedside tables as well as a pair of black hanging pendant lights for illumination purposes. For storage purposes, a series of full-height wardrobe units were installed next to the bed. Comprising mostly wood and white laminates, the wardrobe’s standout feature is the door handle, where the owners access their clothes through long black wooden strips. Placed vertically on the bottom half of the doors, this design treatment further adds to the clean and streamlined look of the sleeping zone with its linear design.
Given that the female homeowner indulges in the art of mani-pedis, there was a request for the design team to convert one of the spare bedrooms into a nail studio. Distinguishing this workspace from the rest of the home is a black aluminium-framed glass door that allows natural light to flow freely between the rooms. On the interior, the workspace is a cosy area thanks to a simple design and well-placed loose furnishings. Similarly to the rest of the apartment, there a minimal built-ins here, which allows the room to be easily adaptable should the owners want to use it for some other purpose in the future.
Using copious amounts of white and enhanced with a medley of timeless hues and trendy fittings, the result is a cohesive and polished home that is flooded with natural light, and is a striking and chic home that’s perfect for a young couple.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the March 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: KDOT Associates
