Functionality may have been the key word for this renovation, but it also features great form.
To transform the resale condo that they had purchased into a home that is uniquely their own, the owners turned to the creative team of design firm Mr Shopper Studio. “They wanted a more unique concept, modern, [with] lots of storage and functional space,” says the firm’s co-founder, Kate Deng.
House at a Glance Who Lives Here: A couple – he is a financial advisor and she is an accountant – and their pet cat Location: Bedok Reservoir Type of Property: 3-bedroom condominium apartment Size:1,200 Square Feet (Approx. 111 Square Metres) Designers: Joe X, Kate Deng & Ken Lee of Mr Shopper Studio
Deng, together with Joe X and Ken Lee, proposed the unexpectedly stunning combination of brown, grey and cream with accents of burnt orange. She describes the accent colour as rare and adding a bit of fun, yet with the neutral palette as its backdrop, it gives a serious and sophisticated tone to the home. In order to fulfil the function and storage aspects of the design brief, the designers proposed mostly custom-made furniture “to maximise the limited space they have. They were rather open for us to freely propose furniture that we felt suits the place,” says Deng.
The main door opens into a foyer with wall-hung storage cabinets and open shelves running one length of the wall. Near the entrance, these are shoe cabinets with a combination of mirror and built-in settee for wearing shoes. Towards the living area, the cabinets become display and storage for various decor and personal effects, culminating in a mirrored TV feature wall. Under-cabinet lighting calls attention to the skirting board, painted in the contrasting accent colour of a coppery burnt orange. “We added polished gold strips, wood strips, mirrors, and leather-like laminate to create more depth and texture to the otherwise super long cabinets,” Deng points out. Lighting: My Lighthouse; Laminates: Jennings Trading Enterprise Pte Ltd and Lamitak; Wall paint: Nippon Paint.
To the left of the main door is the kitchen and mini bar. Because the original kitchen was tiny, the new, open-concept kitchen has a rather unusual T-shaped layout designed to optimise whatever space they could use. The designers ingeniously came up with a pull-out table that can be tucked neatly into the low cabinet to create more space for food prep or service. Luckily, says Deng, the owners don’t cook often, so the small kitchen is adequate for their needs.
To maximise the balcony space, the designers treated it as an outdoor extension of the living and dining area, furnishing it with bar chairs and table. “We also added an artificial vertical garden, with a touch of “withering” leaves and yellow leaves to complete the look. The owners actually also get to enjoy the vertical garden view at the dining area,” says Deng. A combination of creams and greys for the bigger furniture, with pops of orange from the throw cushions and wall art, makes this social space bright and relaxing.
L-shaped sofa: Blafink; Bar table and bar chairs: Ali Express.
Dining table: Etch & Bolts; Dining chairs: Blafink.
One of the bedrooms is used as a guest room. As occasionally the parents of either husband or wife will stay with them for a few months, this room was designed for them with sufficient storage built within the raised platform bed. A small area for grooming and reading was built in as well. “We added some shades of lilac to part of the wall since it’s the favourite colour of one of the mums,” says Deng.
Laminates: Jennings Trading Enterprise Pte Ltd and Lamitak; Wallpaper: Goodrich Global Singapore
The other bedroom was converted into a home office. “The owners asked if it was possible to make the working room a more relaxing space so it can also function as a relaxing corner,” says Deng. “We thought it’d be interesting to add a tropical theme in just this area, keeping the old parquet flooring as the main base colour and working up from it. To complement this look, we picked a more Balinese-style wood shade instead of the dark walnut that was used in the living area. We also found a matching wallpaper that would give this space the final touch. The sofa bed was added for future entertainment plans or to house another guest.” Wallpaper: Goodrich Global Singapore; Sofa bed: Comfort Design.
As the owners wanted a walk-in wardrobe, but there was no plan to take space from the other bedrooms to create one, the master bedroom was designed to maximise every square foot for clothing, bags and makeup corner. “Not to forget their daily hobby, which is snuggling in bed to catch a show,” adds Deng. “In order for all these to fit in well, we customised the cabinets and makeup corner; everything except for the bed frame & bedside tables.” Wallpaper in the burnt orange accent hue was the key highlight of this room’s theme. To ensure the sleek, contemporary look, the designers paired it with a cool grey. Curves from the rounded mirror, bedhead and side tables give the space a softer feel.
Wallpaper: Goodrich Global Singapore; Bedframe: Blafink; Bedside tables: LouveLuxe.
The colour palette carries into the ensuite master bathroom. “The orange wash basin was something we first saw while shopping for their sanitary wares; we felt it was so suitable, [so] we proposed the model to the owners and they fell in love [with it] at once! We all agreed to change out the basin to this wild orange design. It’s a handmade coloured glass top-mounted basin,” says Deng. Sanitary ware: Lucky Khoon Bathroom Studio Pte Ltd; Wall Tiles: Hafary