d’Phenomenal transforms a one-bedder studio apartment into a cat-friendly home with space-saving features.
21 October 2021
Home Type: 1-bedroom studio apartment
Floor Area: 700sqft
Text by Redzman Rahmat
For most of us, renovating our homes mean coming up with an interior design that best suits our lifestyle. The owners of this condominium apartment however, had other plans. “The main request from the homeowners was to conceptualise and plan a home for their cats,” says Kef Tan, managing director at interior firm d’Phenomenal. “Based on that direction, everything in this home has been designed with the owners’ cats in mind.”
The result is a playful yet subdued studio apartment that is tailored to the needs of four feline friends. But instead of unsightly cat trees and space-hogging climbing features, Kef and his team have come up with an interior design that is modern and homely.
As such, the design elements have been cleverly incorporated into the design of the home itself. This includes hidden tunnels, concealed climbing posts and plenty of nooks and crannies for the cats to nestle in.
One of the highlights of this design is the wall-to-wall cabinetry that makes up the television wall in the living room. It features a series of closed cabinets that frame the television set itself. Interestingly, the top row of cabinets is actually a tunnel for the cats to play in. Circular cut-outs on the fronts of these cabinets allow the felines to peek through as they are traversing the space. Also of note is the panel that the television is mounted on. Kef and his team came up with an angular, concave design that subtly draws the eyes.
Right next to the television console is a narrow swatch of space that has been repurposed into a cat sanctuary. Now, it’s equipped with floating shelves and a scratching post that leads up to the cat tunnel above. Similarly, the balcony that flanks the living room also features landing shelves for the cats to hop on to.
Working with the limited space in this apartment was a challenge, Kef admits. One of the first things he did was to knock down the interior walls to open up the floor plan. Now, a glass wall segregates the living room from the bedroom. It lends to a roomier feeling in this apartment, and allows the cats to roam freely.
Another highlight in this well thought-out home is the inclusion of retractable furniture. “One of the fun things in this project is that all the tables, chairs and compartments are retractable, even down to the ironing board,” Kef explains. “Everything can be kept flat and flushed into the walls so they won’t take up much space.”
“It was certainly a challenge though. We had to do a lot of research on the mechanisms behind the retractable furniture. We did a lot of calculations because we couldn’t afford to make any mistakes!” he adds. The effort is worth it, especially when the result is a space-friendly home that tailors to more than just its human occupants.
d’Phenomenal
www.dphenomenal.sg
www.instagram.com/dphenomenal.sg
Shop the Look
Laminate on living room cabinets from Lamitak
Mechanical pull-out tables and chairs from Ewins
Vinyl flooring from Floor Xpert
Hammock from Airmock
Tabletop, Aurastone from Caesarstone
Glass motion door from Aust Screen
Spaceman tower and hinges from Blum
Paint from Nippon Paint
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