When planning out the look and feel of a family home that’s meant for long-term occupancy, it’s important that the aesthetic is something that is timeless yet cosy to encourage familial bonding without going out of style as the years pass. As such, design director Max Lee from Icon Interior – who was given free reign over the home’s overhaul – opted for a minimalist yet contemporary concept for the family of four living in this executive maisonette. This also informed the colour scheme of the home, which can be best described as a monochromatic base enhanced with varying shades of wood accents.
Given that the home was a resale unit, there was plenty of work that had to be done in order to transform it into a space that could cater to the needs of its new occupants. For starters, the sliding glass partition wall between the living room and balcony was removed, and the uneven flooring was levelled out to create an expanded living area.
Against the relatively muted backdrop of clean whites and light grey textures, the television feature wall is allowed to stand out. Constructed out of a combination of oak wood and stone-effect laminates, the feature wall is further highlighted via strip lighting embedded along its perimeters, and also boasts storage units within for small household items.
As the family loves to cook, they requested for their kitchen to encompass an open-concept layout, which would allow them to bond with other members of the family and their guests even when they are cooking. To achieve this, the walls that once kept the cooking and communal zones separate were torn down. The homeowner’s second request for the utilitarian zone was that it had to be highly durable and functional so that it would be able to keep up with regular usage. To cater to this, Max employed the use of high-functioning Silestone quartz for the countertops and stone-effect tiles for the backsplash.
In a bid to provide the family with more countertop space, the designer installed a custom-made quartz-topped island unit in the centre of the space. Besides functioning as extra tabletop area for food prep, the family also uses it as a breakfast counter as well as an area to host their guests. For added functionality, one side of the island encompasses pull-out drawer units, while the other features an indentation that allows for bar stools to be tucked away for a clean look. Meanwhile, even though the wall to the right of the kitchen island was primarily designed to be a feature wall, a small section of it can actually be opened up via a pocket door to reveal shelving units that serve as a landing spot for smaller kitchen appliances when not in use.
Conversely, the second level of the home was kitted out with a darker palette than the lower floor. By doing so, the family’s private living chambers are imbued with a cosy atmosphere that makes it a prime spot for their daily rest and repose.
At the request of the homeowners, the functions of the three bedrooms were swapped. This means that the original master bedroom is now serving as the bedroom for the two children; while the two smaller bedrooms were hacked, combined, and converted into a newly expanded master bedroom.
Here, vinyl strips were laid over the floor, which serve as a contrasting yet complementary textural element to the abundance of black accents that fill the space. Then, courtesy of a full-height customised storage-cum-display cabinet, the boudoir is sectioned into a sleeping area and a wardrobe area. For the former, Max designed a platform bed that lines the entire stretch of the wall. It also comes inbuilt with pull-out drawers for additional storage.
Over in the walk-in wardrobe, a series of floor-to-ceiling wardrobe units offer plenty of storage solutions for the homeowners’ clothes and other accessories. With the entire fixture clad in black woodgrained laminates, the closet seems to meld seamlessly into one another. Its handles – those narrow black powder-coated strips that jut out ever so slightly – are the only indication to the storage space that lies hidden behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, to create a hotel-esque aesthetic, the partition wall that separated the adjoining bathroom from the bedroom was hacked away and replaced with a glass panel. By doing so, plenty of natural light was also allowed to filter through the two spaces. On the interior, stone-effect textures in varying shades adorn the walls and floor, carving out a visually striking design that will remain in style for years to come.
Even though this project initially presented quite a bit of a challenge to the design team, the new home is now a living testimony of how good design can go the distance, and how bespoke design touches and attention to detail can bring out the best in a living space.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the August 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Icon Interior
