At 1,335 square feet, this condo unit might seem rather large in land-scarce Singapore. But as the husband mostly works from home, it was important to have the right layout to avoid feeling cooped up. Turning to Brim Design, the couple’s biggest request was to have an open hall that would not only be conducive for work and entertaining but also feels more welcoming as soon as they stepped home.
Since the kitchen and storeroom initially narrowed the entrance, their designer decided to knock the walls down, immediately letting in more light and widening the space. Now, laminate-covered cabinets by the fridge hide a shoe rack and provide storage for luggage. The pantry, where kitchen appliances are stored, is a few steps away, hidden behind a green custom-made cupboard that also provides pull-out counter space for more kitchen prep or for guests to put food and drinks on when they come over.
The area in front of the pantry was left empty on purpose so guests could pull up chairs and the owners would have sweeping unblocked views when they walked in. But to make the space more interesting, the designer put up a real brick wall where the husband could mount his bicycles and show them off at the same time. The uniqueness of the hall is further enhanced with many cool web buys such as the swivel stool and hat rack.
Closer to the window, a long table by the kitchen provides a sunny spot for meals and for the husband to work. The TV console directly across was kept simple with sleek plywood and laminate shelves.
Further inside the house, the bedrooms walls were left intact. One room was converted into a simple walk-in wardrobe, while another is now an office cum exercise space with a hanging punching bag (not shown in picture). In the office, the furnishings are on wheels so they can be easily moved out of the space and the punching bag can be used without obstruction.
In the master bedroom, a specially constructed wide headboard obscures a bay window, where the owners place their radio and bedside lamps, making the space neater and more serene. The bed frame was also customised and gives a bit of design flair to the clean space.
With everything tucked away neatly to avoid distracting clutter, and plenty of bright roomy spaces, this home is exactly as the owners wanted it – a perfect sanctuary to think and work creatively, as well as lounge around and enjoy life!
This was adapted from an article originally published in June 2015 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Brim Design
