With a strong and masculine colour palette, and smart design details, this brand new condo apartment has been transformed into a comfortable and stylish space that a young family can be proud to call home.
12 February 2018
Text by Janice Seow
Photography by Wong Weiliang
Art Direction by Betty Wong
When young married couple Ben and Josephine bought a new 3-bedroom condominium apartment along Upper Thomson Road, and hired Denise Chng and Li Yanling from Habit to design their space, the brief they gave was one that many interior designers in Singapore would be familiar with. The couple asked for storage space, and for a larger, functional kitchen for cooking.
The team from Habit however, have taken that standard directive and responded with well thought-out design solutions that address the way the homeowners go about their daily lives.
The original kitchen was enclosed and situated to the left of the long foyer. “As you entered the home, the space felt very tiny,” Denise recalls. “The owners cook a lot and entertain quite a bit, hence the need for a larger kitchen space,” she continues.
Denise and Yanling broke down walls to create an open-concept kitchen, and incorporated design details such as easily accessible open shelving, and a tray that pulls out from the kitchen counter to offer an extra work surface. Intent on making efficient use of every inch of space, the designers also turned a narrow, unused corner in this area into a mini storage cabinet.
At 1,100sqft, the apartment is fairly modest in size, but it also has two balconies in the living area that draw in a good amount of natural light and ventilation. In this context, Habit’s choice of a dark and muted colour palette – black, greys and warm browns, with touches of turquoise – works to create a masculine and stylishly modern interior, without any sense of claustrophobia.
A black veneer framed fluted and chicken wire glass screen creates a clear divide between the dining and living area. “The screen is a very important design element in this project. Along with the dining bench, it really helps to break up the space,” Yanling explains
While pendant lamps are commonly used in dining areas, the owners did not want a false ceiling. The solution came in the form of a wall sconce, which lights up the dining table more intimately. The designers have also incorporated shelving for books that can be accessed from both the dining and living area. “Ben loves to read,” Denise shares. “We wanted to avoid the bulky look, and so designed open shelves.”
The master bedroom isn’t very big, yet feels comfortable and spacious thanks to the selection of clean-lined furnishings and the avoidance of heavy built-in cabinetry. On the rather uncommon choice of a tiled headboard, Yanling explains: “Ben and Josephine wanted a headboard but didn’t want it in fabric as it could get dusty.” Situated next to the bed, a custom-built dresser takes up a small footprint but comes with deep storage and features pop-up lids for easy acccess to makeup and everyday essentials.
The brief may have sounded simple at the beginning, but the designers have gone above and beyond to give Ben and Josephine a place that corresponds to their lifestyle and needs. Soon after they moved in, the couple had a baby boy and can now enjoy their new home with the latest addition to the family.
Habit
info@wearehabit.com.sg
This article first appeared in Lookbox Living magazine issue 54. For this and more stories, grab a copy at your favourite newsstand today!
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