Previously a problematic design feature, this home’s curved corners served as inspiration for its dramatic redesign.
When the Lims had their first meeting with boutique interior design firm EightyTwo, they came bearing a vision to remake their apartment into a Scandinavian haven, composed of clean lines and soothing muted tones. Their home, a 40-year-old resale flat, however, came with its own structural quirks. Almost every corner in the house, from cornice to the walls, ends in a curve. For the owners, it was therefore imperative that the design conceived for their home seamlessly considered and incorporated these curved edges.
It was obvious that most of the furnishings would need to be custom made, but instead of seeing the apartment’s curvy contours as an inconvenient flaw, their interior designer Darren Neo saw an opportunity to capitalise it as a point of interest. In fact, he decided to push the envelope with a bold design wherein many of the proposed fixtures would be curved as well, bringing this side-lined element to the foreground and making it the home’s signature motif.
Darren’s deft approach towards the home’s curvy challenge inspired the owners’ confidence, and they quickly entrusted full creative control into his hands, leaving the decision of aesthetics also to him. Buoyed by his clients’ trust, Darren curated a still subdued but slightly wider colour range that included sage green, coral, and sky blue, a palette derived from the paintings of the celebrated Italian artist Giorgio Morandi. Using the method of colour-blocking, each space in the 1,200sq ft home was designated a specific colour, thus imbuing them with distinct vibes.
The interior designer is deeply appreciative of the autonomy he was given by his clients. “The whole experience was very memorable,” Darren says. “In most other projects, because of competing opinions, the designer usually gives in to the client’s wants. This project was a chance to express what I can do as a designer, and the result hopefully shows that placing one’s trust in a design professional will ultimately pay off.”
This post was adapted from an article originally published in the April 2021 issue of SquareRooms.
