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5 Singapore Apartments Inspired by Exotic Holiday Destinations
These sentimental owners brought their favourite holidays home – and now we're all wishing we did the same
Chiquit Brammall
3 April 2020
Design journalist and freelance editor. Dollhouse architect. Serial renter.
With a worldwide travel ban during this Covid-19 season, it’s understandable that we Little Red Dot-dwellers are getting itchy feet. Since the responsible thing to do is stay home, we can only feast our eyes on visual escapes such as travel photos, or in the case of these homes, holiday-inspired interiors.
1. Is this a Japanese izakaya and ryokan?
This HDB maisonette in Tampines was designed by Eric Chua of Sync Interior, who immersed himself in Japanese culture to create this faithful recreation of a traditional Japanese inn. The homeowner had lived and worked in Japan previously and wanted to bring that experience with him when he moved back to Singapore.
This HDB maisonette in Tampines was designed by Eric Chua of Sync Interior, who immersed himself in Japanese culture to create this faithful recreation of a traditional Japanese inn. The homeowner had lived and worked in Japan previously and wanted to bring that experience with him when he moved back to Singapore.
The kitchen was inspired by a sushi bar and there is a properly raised washitsu (a multipurpose Japanese room), shoji screens and tatami mats. The owner sourced many decorative items from Japan.
Read about this house
Read about this house
2. Bali Ha’i is calling
For these owners who had just moved back from fast-paced Hong Kong, the holiday feel they wanted to recreate in their new Singapore home was a laid-back Balinese resort.
For these owners who had just moved back from fast-paced Hong Kong, the holiday feel they wanted to recreate in their new Singapore home was a laid-back Balinese resort.
Photos by Lumida Studios
Designer Arjan Nijen Twilhaar of Aiden T transformed their four-bedroom condo in Joo Chiat by using nature-inspired elements such as wood veneer-clad faux beams and a feature wall in granite veneer. He brought plants into the open-plan communal area and added some pearlised detailing for that luxurious modern resort look.
Read about this house
Designer Arjan Nijen Twilhaar of Aiden T transformed their four-bedroom condo in Joo Chiat by using nature-inspired elements such as wood veneer-clad faux beams and a feature wall in granite veneer. He brought plants into the open-plan communal area and added some pearlised detailing for that luxurious modern resort look.
Read about this house
3. Ode to British India
Arjan Nijen Twilhaar of Aiden T designed this HDB maisonette in Pasir Ris for a Dutch and Singaporean-Indian couple and the husband’s Singaporean-Indian mother, who is a first generation Singaporean.
Arjan Nijen Twilhaar of Aiden T designed this HDB maisonette in Pasir Ris for a Dutch and Singaporean-Indian couple and the husband’s Singaporean-Indian mother, who is a first generation Singaporean.
The British India theme, inspired by the country’s Moghul palaces, is a nod to her heritage. Wood-carved screens that act as fretwork, a hand-painted wallpaper print depicting a scene straight out of the British colonial era, and custom-made furniture bring the theme to life.
Read about this house
Read about this house
4. Into Africa (and Australia)
For the Singapore-based couple and their baby, it was important that their maisonette in Mount Faber reflect their connection to Africa and Australia. Interior designer Andrea Savage of Design Intervention used vibrant colours, striking patterns – particularly animal prints to evoke that safari feel – and lush textures to reflect the owners’ personalities and experiences.
Read about this house
For the Singapore-based couple and their baby, it was important that their maisonette in Mount Faber reflect their connection to Africa and Australia. Interior designer Andrea Savage of Design Intervention used vibrant colours, striking patterns – particularly animal prints to evoke that safari feel – and lush textures to reflect the owners’ personalities and experiences.
Read about this house
5. Walking down High Street
Designer Stanley Tham of KNQ Associates took inspiration from the owner’s collection of works by British street artists Miss Bugs, Eelus and Pahnl to give this three-bedroom condo in Bartley its edgy, streets-of-London look. Metal hoarding sheets used on the TV feature wall recreate a shipping container effect, while weathered, whitewashed craft brick on another wall provides an outdoor cafe ambience for the dining area.
Designer Stanley Tham of KNQ Associates took inspiration from the owner’s collection of works by British street artists Miss Bugs, Eelus and Pahnl to give this three-bedroom condo in Bartley its edgy, streets-of-London look. Metal hoarding sheets used on the TV feature wall recreate a shipping container effect, while weathered, whitewashed craft brick on another wall provides an outdoor cafe ambience for the dining area.
Read about this house
Tell us
What’s your favourite holiday destination? If you were able to incorporate it in your home’s design, we’d love to see it – share a photo in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
5 HDB Flats That Transport You Out of Singapore
Find a renovation professional in Singapore
Tell us
What’s your favourite holiday destination? If you were able to incorporate it in your home’s design, we’d love to see it – share a photo in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
5 HDB Flats That Transport You Out of Singapore
Find a renovation professional in Singapore
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