Ask any interior designer and they’ll probably tell you that it’s important that the result of any home renovation project should be a space surrounded by things that reflects one’s taste and personality. Your home should make you truly happy day after day. After all, your home is uniquely yours, and it’s the one major thing in your life that is the biggest identifier of who you are as a person. Adhering closely to this notion is this five-bedroom condominium unit located in the western end of Singapore.
Redeveloped after an en bloc sale at the end of 2017, the homeowners of the apartment engaged designer Emily Tan of local interior design firm Weiken@Midview City to bring the vision of their dream home to fruition. Their design brief? A modern home that is not so complicated in its design, resulting in a home that looks spacious but not cluttered.
Satisfied with the way the various rooms were separated, the family of five didn’t require any walls to be demolished. However, they wanted a change in the flooring throughout the whole home, which required extensive hacking works. The other general consensus that the family had was they needed plenty of storage solutions wherever Emily could provide them.
In the living room, the flooring now features the use of grey homogeneous tiles. Its marble-lookalike effect gives a prelude to the homeowners love of marble that are used on the higher surfaces. A statement piece within the space, the television feature wall was designed using two slabs of real marble, limiting the grout line to only being at the middle.
Next to it, Emily constructed a series of storage-cum-display shelves using a combination of real marble and white laminates with black trimmings. Besides keeping household items hidden away, the display shelves are also home to the homeowners’ book collection, decorative baubles and career awards.
Meanwhile, the family needed ample storage units for their extensive collection of shoes. And that is what the feature located towards the end of the display shelves behind two huge casement doors is used for. Emily elaborates, “These storage cabinets are capable of storing more than 100 pairs of shoes each, and we also included powerpoint outlets on the inside for the dehumidifier to prevent the family’s leather shoes from getting damaged due to excessive moisture.”
Although sharing the same space, the dining area is tucked within an alcove next to the main door. “If someone was to walk through the door during meal times, the homeowners didn’t want the gathering of people over plates of food to be the first thing that the person sees,” Emily explains. Similar to the customised coffee table in the living room, the dining table was also customised using a slab of real marble. However, wood tones from the base of the dining chairs and accompanying display shelf prevents the overall look of the space from feeling too cold.
Moving on to the private living spaces, all the bedrooms feature a different design concept that is heavily influenced by the occupants’ lifestyles. However, the common feature between the various sleeping chambers are that of the vinyl tiles used on the floor. Starting in the master bedroom, the space exudes a high-end hotel ambience with the use of dark wood tones against a monochromatic colour palette. For the headboard, the towering surface that extends all the way to the ceiling features three separate white cushioned pieces that also has cove lighting embedded within for ambient lighting purposes during the night. On the wall opposite the headboard, the white doors open up to reveal the television console within. Similar to the wardrobe units next to it, the entire stretch of surface doesn’t have any protruding door handles, keeping the space neat and streamlined.
As for the first junior bedroom, which belongs to the homeowner’s eldest daughter, the space’s simple yet elegant design against a predominantly white colour palette is fit for a princess. A self-proclaimed fashionista with an extensive collection of clothes, bags and other accessories, there was a need for plenty of storage solutions in this room. From the bedside tables to the cabinets surrounding the mirror, even the cushioned headboard encompasses hidden storage units within. Meanwhile, parallel to the bed, the expansive vanity mirror features 45º panels that allow the occupant to view herself from all angles, and the frosted illumination strips in between the trimmings give her a better handle over the way she looks whenever she’s putting on makeup.
A drastic difference from the prior bedroom, the second junior bedroom has a more industrial vibe to it, with the use of black and grey furnishings and finishes. As the occupant is still in school, there was a need for a big study desk, which Emily installed using wood laminates in front of the room’s window, letting the sunlight streaming in naturally brighten up the space while allowing the occupant to enjoy the scenery at the same time. Although a departure from the way the outer communal zones and the other bedrooms are designed, this bedroom doesn’t venture too far, as seen through the marble finishing and black accents on the wardrobe’s sliding doors.
Summing up her thoughts on the entire project, Emily says “The project also left me feeling really satisfied as the owners liked how the home turned out. Personally, I strongly believe that all designs should be highly customer-oriented, that the outcome of the home should not only suit their lifestyle, but also bring out their individual tastes and personality. And I am very glad to be able to create this luxurious yet cosy abode that is befitting the homeowners and their two children.”
This was adapted from an article originally published in the June 2018 issue of SquareRooms. Photos by Wong Weiling
