From the very first step into this three-bedroom apartment located in Farrer Road, it’s hard not to be impressed by the abundance of wood tones and gracious contemporary lines that fill the home. After undergoing a renovation helmed by local interior design firm Minimo & Minimology, this apartment’s modern luxury theme is immediately noticeable from the main entrance.
Coming out of the lift, the panel of adjustable louvre windows that sit in front provide the family of four with privacy while still allowing natural light and ventilation to filter through the foyer at the same time. Separating this area from the internal living spaces is a custom-made slatted-wood sliding door that has also been fitted with a digital lock to provide additional security.
Moving past this, the home opens up to a cosy living area, where a recliner sofa and a pair of armchairs enhance the relaxing atmosphere that is ideal for both lounging and entertaining. Opposite the seating arrangements, the television feature wall’s book matched marble grained patterns create a visually arresting look. Aside from the eye-catching wall design for the television, the design team also ensured that the wall works efficiently for storage. Below the pair of marble slabs, the slatted portion of the feature wall can actually be opened up to reveal hidden storage.
As a family of four with a helper on board, one of the primary requirements the owners had for their new home was to have plenty of storage options, where all their clutter and items can be easily stowed away. The design team responded to this request by giving them a generous flow of custom-built cabinetry.
In the dining room, a display case lends itself as a personalised wall feature, where multiple rows of open shelving offer the occupants space to house their favourite books and other personal trinkets. Next, to it, a full-height closed cabinet offers additional storage for tableware while maintaining a clean look. However, the built-in fixtures that are fitted on to the last section of this stretch of the wall only come up to half-height. By doing so, the space is able to double up as a pantry.
Seamlessly connected to the eating zone via an open floor plan, the kitchen is an elegant and well-organised space. Separated into a wet and dry kitchen, the family is able to handle various cooking functions with ease. To demarcate this space from the outer living areas as well as to offer easier maintenance, the flooring was overlaid with grey homogeneous tiles, but its marble-screed finish injects a classy ambience into the cooking zone. In order to keep up with its regular usage, the design team also ensured that the kitchen is extra hardworking, with plenty of quartz worktops that can be used for prepping or serving food. Additionally, the utilitarian zone plays host to a kitchen island. Resembling Calacatta marble, the stylish quartz-topped unit can be used as a casual breakfast area or an alternative eating space, for those times when the family doesn’t want to have a full spread at the dining table.
Although it takes on the minimalist approach, the master bedroom is fully capable of catering to all the homeowners’ needs, as it encompasses a sleeping zone, a study area and a wardrobe area. For added functionality, the blank wall opposite the series of wardrobe units was kitted out with a simple wood-accented desk and a deep-set armchair. As the entrance to the en suite is situated right next to the full-height storage fixtures, the designers decided to utilise the same laminated finish and matched the woodgrains on both surfaces. By doing so, the concealed entrance and cabinetry exude a sleek and streamlined look.
Completing the homeowners’ private living chambers is the modern and airy master en suite, which was designed to have a classy, hotel-like ambience. By going tone-on-tone for the wall and floor tiles, the space is streamlined while still exuding warmth and cosiness from the wood laminates. Concurrently, as the perimeter walls of the bathroom were pushed further in to allow for the outer boudoir to accommodate a sleeping zone, a study area and a wardrobe, the pre-existing bathtub was removed to open up the utilitarian space.
With bay windows lining the walls of the bathroom, the design team decided to reclaim the unused space and construct an expanded vanity on top. And unlike traditional bathrooms, the mirror here was fitted onto a sliding track, allowing the fixture to be moved along the sink to accommodate different personal hygiene activities – from washing up in the morning to putting on makeup – as and when the occupants require.
Given the good design sensibilities of the whole Minimo & Minimology design team, this new family home perfectly executes a sense of calm and luxury, complete with harmonious spaces where the two generations can bond, as well as cosy private spaces that they can retreat into at the end of the day.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the April 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Minimo & Minimology
