This pair of young homeowners looking to renovate their first love nest knew they wanted a colour-saturated abode. So you could say this led them straight to the doors of Free Space Intent, an agency with a knack for infusing living spaces with colours.
“We tested and explored a variety of colours together before deciding on pastels,” explains Raymond Seow, the interior designer tasked to lead the project. “In order to keep the interior fresh and modern to suit the couple’s youthful taste, we decided on a palette that comprises basic hues such as pink, blue and green.” And since they wanted their home to emulate a Scandinavian pad, these soft shades would fit right in.
Instead of utilising conventional colourblocking methods to incorporate the candy hues into the abode, Raymond chose to take things a step further by exploring with geometric forms. Patterns inspired by the art of paper folding – origami – not only help to upgrade the visual appeal of the abode, they are also a nifty way to mix in many different colours at once without turning chaotic. Take for example, the wall mural that backs the dining area down the turn from the entryway. This custom painted wall art brings cheer and a youthful beat to the space’s otherwise simple Scandi-style setting.
Replacing the adjoining wall with a half-wall and glass paneled partitions also did wonders in brightening up this part of the apartment. After all, Nordic homes are known for being bright and airy. Wood laminated strips that embellish the serving window not only complement the dining pieces, they create a charmingly quaint effect – a spot-on accompaniment to the pastel work of art. What’s great is that the kitchen on the other side can share the benefits as well, where the couple now gets to enjoy the look and feel of an open-plan kitchen without worrying about the aftermath after a cooking session.
The confetti of colours continues in the living room with walls that are awash with baby blue and blush pink. A similar palette is also spotted on the custom-built cabinet that sits along one side of the space. Just like the mural, geometric patterns decorate the cabinet surface – thus, unifying the common zones together. In this social area of the house, neutrals like white and grey are used as a canvas for these shades to pop, while pale wood tones imbue warmth and cosiness. The room’s focal point – the brick wall – adds texture and stirs up visual interest here, but it garners attention without competing with the rest of the elements because of its subdued hue.
From the rounded sofa and blunt corners of the nesting tables to the rug and curved silhouette of the open shelves, elements that take reference from the circle motif aid to take the edge off the more angular shapes. According to Raymond, the design of the shelves take reference from the retro era with its organic and unexpected yet fun form. “We gave it a modern spin to cater to the palate of its young occupants.”
Further in, the master suite enjoys the same colour treatment as the rest of the house, but striped walls make for a much cleaner look that’s more conducive for rest. A customised television wall enhances the tidy appearance by keeping unruly wires out of sight, while its narrow ledge offers counter space without blocking the way. Vertical pastel-hued strips serve more than a practical purpose as door handles, for they also help create a sense of cohesion in the master suite by echoing the linear patterns on the walls.
While candy colours take the spotlight in the dwelling, they don’t overwhelm and in fact elevate and integrate beautifully into the interior. Now their family home looks on-trend yet inviting – a sublime nesting place for the pair of newly married lovebirds.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Fidz Azmin published in the November 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: Free Space Intent
