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Text by Yen Kien Hang

This four-room HDB flat at Holland Close is home to a father living with his two sons and pet cats. While the flat has solid fundamentals, it lacked an “entertaining-ready” kitchen – the first challenge the designer from MYNMYN Studio had to address.

With the original kitchen being small and constrained by the common bathroom, a storeroom, and a service balcony, creating a more spacious layout required an overhaul and reconfiguration.

The first design move was to forgo the typical dining table setup in favour of a peninsula extending from the original kitchen wall. This multifunctional feature now doubles as a dining area that comfortably seats at least six. From there, the countertop continues along the length of the kitchen, turning at a 90-degree angle to form a classic L-shaped layout. At the far end, the cooktop and range hood are strategically positioned to help minimise smoke, odours, and grease.

As for the adjacent service balcony – typically used for laundry or, at times, as a wet kitchen – the designer noted that installing a gas stove there isn’t allowed, making it an unfeasible solution. Instead, the space was reimagined as a practical extension of the kitchen, outfitted with a series of floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets. “Luckily, there weren’t any restrictions for doing so,” the designer shared.

When it comes to storage, one standout feature in this otherwise minimally designed kitchen is the overhead display of pots and pans above the peninsula. This design choice, the designer explained, was a specific request from the homeowner. “As a frequent host and cook, he was inspired by a project he saw previously. By having this cast-iron rack, all pots and pans will be easier to find and access, and it will also double as a centrepiece overhanging the peninsula.”

On the other side of the peninsula, the designer now has a blank slate to work on since the original common bathroom entrance has moved to the side and the store room has been taken down. The entertaining features are all located here: wine chiller, glasses, snacks, etc. The use of red brick tiles as the backsplash also coincides with the feature wall in the living room, which further fulfilled the homeowner’s wish for a lofty New York aesthetic.

MYNMYN Studio also had to work around the homeowner’s existing collection of art, books, and furniture – a challenge the designer welcomed. “It gives more context when we get to design around the homeowner’s lifestyle and taste,” he explains.

True to the studio’s ethos of designing “as if it’s Mine”, the process became a collaborative one, with the designer working closely with the homeowner to solve problems as they arose. These personal collections, the designer adds, “imbue character and story – sometimes even history and culture – into the interior.” With them, the home becomes more than just a stylish space – it gains soul. That’s exactly what MYNMYN Studio strives to create always: interiors that feel personal and reflective of the people living in them.

MYNMYN Studio
www.mynmyn.com
www.instagram.com/mynmyn.studio
www.facebook.com/mynmyn.studio

Photography by Mesa Haus

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