One of the first things you’d notice about this brand new flat is the limited palette. White takes precedence on most of the walls, with touches of pastels and grey taking secondary positions. The anti-colour does not project a cold image but instead, welcomes its owners, a newly-married couple, with a warm and cosy ambience. Trusting their first home together would be in the good hands of Project Designer Daniel Ong from KDOT Associates, the couple left the major design decisions to him. He recalls the design conceptualisation process: “The homeowners asked for something light and airy and we came up with a Scandi-minimalist aesthetic.”
Whitewashed walls are therefore teamed with light wood touches. This entire look comes together in the communal zones where the floors are laid with homogeneous tiles bearing the appearance of timber strips. With a neutral backdrop to work with, the homeowners and Daniel worked hand-in-hand in conceiving an inviting living area by furnishing the space with fitting wood furniture. “They shopped a lot at Ethnicraft Online and the homeowners were also savvy enough to source for pieces online,” says Daniel.
Most of the floors are clad with homogenous tiles with the exception of a different tile treatment at the front entrance. “We laid this part with hexagonal-shaped tiles to mark a transition into the living zones,” reveals Daniel. It also highlights the new kitchen entrance and its special feature door which has been meticulously put together. “A mild steel sliding door frame was proposed for this area because we wanted something different, something to stand out”, he adds.
This distinctive door was created by narrowing down the kitchen entrance, instead of widening it which is the common practice. “We went the opposite direction just so the door frame (which slides to the right) can sit neatly within the wall space without protruding out,” says Daniel.
In the kitchen, the Scandi-minimalist style shines with light wood colours and a striking tiled backsplash. The counters are lined with KompacPlus worktops and the slim profile conveys the minimalist aesthetic well. For both sides of the walls, Daniel chose different treatments with one side filled with overhead counters and the other left bare. “The homeowners don’t cook every day so there wasn’t a need to maximise storage for the kitchen”, he says.
While white predominates in the communal spaces, the three bedrooms are dressed with a tad more colour. A two-tone treatment of white paired with pastel green fills the walls of the study room. The neutral but relaxed backdrop works as the perfect setting for most loose furniture. “This home is unique in the sense that the homeowners preferred loose pieces over custom-built fixtures,” says Daniel. “That really helped to open up the space without the obstruction of bulky or permanent fixtures.”
The second bedroom was turned into a walk-in wardrobe. Pristine white laminates in a matte finish were chosen to grace the cabinetry as doors and it is paired with leather drawer pulls. The other side is flanked by an adorable series of button-shaped knobs for hanging up everyday essentials. The sweet pastel tones it carries draw out the playful side of the Scandinavian charm.
To create a master bedroom conducive for quality rest, Daniel decided to keep the design elements as simple and clean-lined as possible. A partition headboard in a light shade of grey serves up functionality with a two-way light switch feature and also hides unsightly wiring. With that and the placement of furnishings with streamlined design lines, the vision of a dreamy but practical bedroom went exactly as he had planned. “I’m thankful that the homeowners were very receptive to most of the design ideas we proposed, “he adds. “Without their trust and confidence in our work, it wouldn’t have panned out this well.”
This was adapted from an article orginally written by Disa Tan published in the April 2018 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: KDOT Associates
