SINGAPORE – The owner of this two-bedroom apartment in East Coast was drawn to the 1,306 sq ft unit because it is on the ground floor, with generous outdoor balconies and terraces.
Having grown up in a landed property, the bachelor in his 50s, who works in retail, wanted the design of the apartment to engage with the outdoors as much as possible.
Akihaus Design Studio’s design director Lawrence Puah started by examining the relationship between the internal and external spaces.
“The apartment has large outdoor spaces, but they have been designed like external appendages that are totally unrelated to the interior,” he says.
The living room had a small terrace attached to the side, while the main balcony fronted the two existing bedrooms. This left the main balcony underutilised, as occupants spent time in the bedrooms only at night. As part of a corner unit with a narrow side terrace, the living room was also very near a boundary wall.
Mr Puah and the client decided to overhaul the 16-year-old unit, which was rather rundown despite some renovation carried out by the previous owner.
The designer swopped the locations of the living room and kitchen with the two bedrooms.
“The new living room and kitchen are now directly adjacent to the former main balcony, which has been transformed into front and rear gardens and an outdoor lounge. This creates a closer and more direct engagement between the outdoors and main living spaces where the home owner will spend most of his time.”
The shift also positions the new kitchen right next to the dining room, which used to be disconnected from the rest of the apartment.
The wall between the dining room and a former guest bedroom was removed for a more seamless connection. This almost did not materialise, as the construction team discovered steel reinforcement bars in the wall.
“Fortunately, the professional engineer studied both the Building and Construction Authority plans and the actual wall on-site, and confirmed it was non-load-bearing,” says Mr Puah.
As space in the kitchen was limited, Mr Puah introduced a suspended cabinet unit above the island with a built-in, pull-out hood, as well as recessed downlights.
He also integrated a kitchen counter and sink into an existing bay window. As there was limited space for plumbing below the sink due to the bay window’s structure, he used flexible pipes to connect to the bottle trap installed at the space in front of the bay window.
A similar bay window in the new living room has been turned into a cosy, light-filled alcove that serves as an extension of the living room with a view of the garden.
Occupying the space vacated by the former living room, the master bedroom forms an L-shaped layout with the attached bathroom. It is accessible from a hallway in front of the two bedrooms and from the new living room.
The guest room can function both as a room on its own and as part of the master suite. It has sliding glass doors and curtains facing the master bedroom, which can be closed off for privacy.
When the glass doors are opened and the space’s concealed pocket sliding door – at the end of the hallway near the entrance foyer – is closed, the guest room and hallway become part of the master suite. This area can also be used as a study, music room or multi-purpose room.
Mr Puah said the owner likes timber elements and the colour blue, and appreciates classical designs. With this in mind, Mr Puah focused on an aesthetic that is clean and modern, but with classical accents.
In the living room and kitchen, blue is complemented by wood with simple mouldings. As the master bedroom floor is already timber, Mr Puah kept to a blue bedhead wall and white wardrobe doors, so as not to overwhelm the space.
Blue wall tiles and white marble in the bathrooms inject a classical feel and an air of opulence. The white cove ceilings throughout the home are not only on-theme, but also conceal existing beams arising from the reconfiguration of the layout.
The design and renovation took about six months to complete, and the owner moved in at the beginning of 2023.
- This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to homeanddecor.com.sg for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.
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