Looking like it was transplanted straight out of a hip boutique hotel, this home is the picture-perfect abode of a young couple. Within the 1,173-square foot space are luxurious Volakas marble, copper trimmings and plenty of plush furnishings, all of which contribute to a luxurious and inviting home. Engaging designer Joey Khew from interior design firm Fuse Concept to revamp the new Executive Condominium unit, the homeowners requested for a unique yet understatedly elegant home. As such, Joey advised the occupants to go for the modern Scandinavian theme.
She explains, “The modern Scandinavian style is a mix of traditional Scandinavian style integrated with modern and sleek touches.” This style is perfect for modern-day homeowners as it fuses the comfort and cosiness of Scandinavian homes with refined details.
The living room of this Punggol home, for instance, is a study in modern sophistication. The juxtaposition of raw and fine textures seen on the concrete-lookalike laminates, woodgrained vinyl flooring and smooth Volakas marble wall is an unusual but highly effective way to convey a sense of luxury. These textural nuances are complemented by a plush sofa-set and drapery paired with gleaming copper-trimmed furnishings. The homeowners procured most of their furniture and accessories from stores like Mountain Teak, HipVan and IKEA.
Located next to the living room is the dry kitchen. While the original layout of the kitchen was retained, Joey and her team decided to expand the dry kitchen into the living space. According to the designer, this was created to encourage interaction between the living room user and the kitchen user. The Volakas marble-topped waterfall island countertop also serves as a secondary dining table for quick meals as well as a small storage area with pull-out drawers for crockery and other kitchen tools.
Also at the dry kitchen are a series of floor-to-ceiling cabinets created to meet the homeowners’ request for ample storage options. Joey explains, “The homeowners’ space consciousness led us to re-laminate the given cabinets in the foyer and the island area. At the same time, we added internal storage by converting the existing DB box into a shoe cabinet. The revival of the cabinets was not only cost- and space-efficient but it also gave us an opportunity to clad the brand new cabinets with laminates that reflect the homeowners’ tastes.”
Instead of a conventional dining area, the couple opted to have their eating zone positioned on the balcony. This was done to allocate more space in the living area while making sure that every corner of the home is fully utilised.
The same modern Scandinavian theme seen in the communal zone continues in the home’s private quarters. Sporting a soothing grey scheme complemented by luxurious marble and rose gold accents, the master bedroom and study-cum-reading room are cosy nooks designed for pure relaxation.
To create a master bedroom with an attached walk-in wardrobe, one of the common bedrooms’ walls was partially hacked away. Its entrance was repositioned as well to allow for easy access from the sleeping area. To provide plenty of storage solutions, custom-designed floor-to-ceiling shelves and drawers were installed in the dressing room. Joey shares, “The homeowners wanted their walk-in wardrobe to be open and neat, and as such, we created compartments with casement doors for their folded clothes while leaving the clothes rack compartment exposed.”
Cove lighting was also installed at the bottom of the cabinets to visually elevate the compartments by creating a floating effect. Since the window in this room faces a less-than-perfect view, the design team proposed creating a vanity area with a matching mirror here. This is the perfect spot for the female homeowner’s morning make-up routine as the curtains can be easily lifted to allow natural light to flow into the space.
The master bedroom proper is a neat and stylish space that exudes a swanky hotel vibe. Joey created a large padded headboard cut with a geometric design to enhance the luxury and comfort of the boudoir. Complementing the velvet-like fabric of the headboard are marble-lookalike laminates applied to the adjacent walls. These are framed with rose gold trimmings and cove lights.
With such luxurious elements combined with clever space utilisation, this home is a true modern-day nest, proving that comfort and class can harmoniously co-exist in a space.
This was adapted from an article originally published in the May 2018 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credit: Fuse Concept
