A compact condo, cleverly opened up

For a style-conscious couple, he in marketing and media and she in F&B, this one-bedroom Riverplace condo had to be as good for hosting a crowd as for quiet evenings spent cooking together. Having previously worked with Artistroom on his first home, the male homeowner turned to the design team once again to overhaul this new space for life with his partner.

“The brief was clear from the start, with the owners wanting a home that was bold, conversational, and functional,” says the design team. Taking cues from brutalist interiors, the designers stripped back the compartmentalised one-bedder, gutting walls to open up the flow between the living, dining, and kitchen.

It wasn’t a straightforward task. As the existing layout felt segmented and inefficient, hosting was difficult, and the couple’s desire for a kitchen island seemed out of reach. Storage, too, was a pressing concern. “The challenge was to reconfigure the layout, optimise every corner, and integrate smart, multi-use solutions, turning a small apartment into a versatile and inviting home,” say the designers.

Central to that transformation is the kitchen island, fulfilling a long-time dream of the homeowners. With more countertop space for food preparation and baking, it anchors the home both visually and socially. “This space now serves as the perfect stage for gatherings, balancing comfort with architectural impact,” say the designers.

The flexibility continues through the home’s most distinctive feature: a series of moving panels, where sliding doors for the bedroom and bathroom overlap with open shelves. This was essential for the homeowners, who needed abundant storage, a proper work area, and enough room for daily routines without cluttering the home. Flooring becomes another subtle zoning device. Microcement flooring grounds the base, while the adjoining bathroom continues the white grid tile treatment.

A raw sensibility comes through in the living area, where an exposed concrete ceiling sets the tone from above, and microcement flooring lays a smooth, architectural base underfoot. A Vitra sofa and lounge chair inject bold colour and personality, keeping the space playful and lived-in rather than austere, while a dining table and chairs from Pedrali anchor the dining zone.

The bathroom continues the home’s raw-but-refined sensibility. White tiles from Hafary brighten the compact space, while Meir fittings in Shadow finish (gun metal black shade) and a dark countertop introduce a sharper graphic edge. With a Kohler sink and WC, the setting feels practical yet composed, with the same design flair carried through to the smallest room.

Reworked from a compact one-bedroom condo, the home now feels far more expansive in use than its size suggests. Through moving panels, concealed storage and a kitchen island at its heart, Artistroom has created a space that is expressive, adaptable and deeply attuned to the way its owners live.

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