While older flat units boast the expanse of space, these larger dwellings also shoulder a common host of problems such as unsightly structural columns and beams, and awkward corners. This 23-year-old flat unit, which is home to a married couple, their mother and their teenage daughter, also posed similar issues but Design Principal Derrick Lim turned things around completely with his design ingenuity.
Commissioned to work on the second renovation of this old flat, the design brief to Derrick was to re-configure the floor plan and modernise the dated design scheme. “The homeowners would like to entertain in their home,” he reveals. “They also wanted to display their art collection which was procured during the male homeowner’s overseas work stint.”
To create a communal zone conducive for entertaining, it was instrumental to hack away the previously enclosed kitchen and study room. All these hacking works attribute to a larger communal zone with a fluid sense of space. Derrick also hacked away the storeroom to expand the floor area of the kitchen. Besides an entertainment-friendly space to host company in, the previously odd-shaped floor plan of poky corners has been regulated into usable pockets of space. Case in point: Full-height shelving is flush with a newly-erected wall in the dining area and this truly makes the most out of this recessed wall.
With most of the boundary walls taken down in the shared living and dining space, this lets in daylight and most importantly, the scenic greenery from the nearby Bukit Batok Nature Park. “We definitely wanted to capitalise on the uninterrupted view of the verdant foliage,” shares Derrick. He installed folding glass doors for the balcony to bathe the space in an unfiltered flow of light and the gorgeous forest vista.
The abundance of natural light also shows off the colourful artwork in good light. These hanging art pieces take precedence in the clean-lined setting of pristine whites and warm walnut accents. Like the understated colour scheme in the living and dining zones, Derrick kept everything sleek and seamless – especially the feature wall of matte laminate finishes which serves as a contemporary-looking backdrop for the dining zone.
Beneath the streamlined aesthetics of the dining area’s feature wall are the hidden entrances to the master bedroom, common bathroom and service yard. This feature wall is also integrated with a display and storage fixture— a clever solution to carve out more storage space since the previous storeroom has been hacked away.
As one enters the master bedroom, the ceiling feature of timber strips and recessed lighting casts a warm and inviting glow overhead. It immediately sets the mood for relaxation and the pristine white colour scheme accentuates the overall serene ambience. To enhance this airy and lofty impression, Derrick merged the attached balcony to expand the bedroom, and turned the balcony into a cosy chill-out corner instead.
The other bedroom is shared by the homeowner’s teenage daughter and her grandmother. The colour and design scheme is decidedly modern and simple. Swathed in timeless neutrals, this clean-cut setting complements the homeowners’ Oriental-style furnishings effortlessly, and can be easily tweaked to accommodate the teenage occupant’s style preferences in the near future.
Outdated no more, this refreshed modern luxe family home can now support the homeowners’ lifestyle needs with much contemporary flair. Derrick and his team from D’Marvel Scale have definitely injected new life and vigour into this home which is all set to go the distance.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Disa Tan published in the September 2019 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credits: D’Marvel Scale
