This 5-room HDB flat takes reference from the laidback lifestyle of New York’s loft apartments in all their rustic and industrial glory
6 October 2016
Home Type: 5-room HDB
Floor Area: 1,205 sqft
When looking for inspiration for their first home together, Michelle and Jackson looked to dreamy New York City apartments for ideas. Industrial-style lofts, vintage walk-ups and unique studio apartments became the inspiration that sparked the seed of their dream home. “We really like how New York homes are open and bright, and it’s quite a different look from what you typically see in local homes,” says Michelle.
Through a friend’s recommendation, the couple were introduced to Marc Wong from Linear Space Concepts, and almost immediately, they formed a solid working relationship. “He’s super easy to work with and it felt like he knew exactly what we wanted for our home,” says Michelle. “We really liked everything that he proposed and we hardly said ‘no’ to anything he suggested. There were a few changes to his design proposal, but nothing major. We basically said to him, ‘If you think it’s good enough, we trust you and you can go ahead.’”
With the help of Linear Space Concepts, walls were hacked away to make way for a brighter, more open space. “We’ve always liked the look and feel of bricks in a home,” she says, “and we wanted to incorporate that into our own place. It brings a lot of warmth to the space.” Complementing the bricks are other industrial style materials that go together well: wood floors, zinc sheets, aluminium trimmings, wire glass mesh, concrete furniture and stuccoed treatment on the wall. Particularly of note are the coloured wood planks that act as a backdrop to the television feature wall in the living room. Michelle explains that the wood was salvaged from the roof of an attap house in Malaysia.
The New York inspiration carries into the master bedroom, where two rooms have been absorbed into a single loft-like room. Space is aplenty, as per the owners’ request. Part of the room has been converted into a luxurious walk-in wardrobe.
Another one of Michelle’s request was to have a highly functional kitchen and enough space to whip up complicated meals. The couple cooks regularly and has friends and family over on a weekly basis, so the kitchen is to be a welcoming space that should take centre stage. “Initially, I asked for an island counter in the kitchen, but we realised that it’s almost impossible to have the kitchen that I wanted in this HDB flat. So instead, Marc built a bar counter that serves the exact same purpose.” This ability to translate the homeowner’s requests into something feasible is one of the factors that made the relationship between designer and owner such a successful one.
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