Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Bachelor's Pad Fit for Entertaining
This five-room flat maximises its rustic industrial look by creating more connected spaces
The design brief for this five-room HDB flat was straightforward: to transform the apartment into a spacious yet cosy home fit to entertain in. “The client is a lawyer who has a busy work schedule. He’s a big-hearted guy who enjoys the finer things in life like wine, cooking and fashion. He has great design sense and loves to entertain, cook, travel and exercise,” says Biyi Oh, director of Proj. B Studio. The owner has a preference for loft apartments and masculine, rustic black metal, cement, timber and bricks. The renovation involved knocking down some walls and employing a consistent palette throughout the apartment to emphasise the understated style that the owner wanted.
Knocking down walls meant exposing the structural beams. “And as with all HDB apartments in Singapore, the unit also comes with a low ceiling slab. We saw the exposed beams as an opportunity and transformed them into exposed ‘steel beams’ that not only add a loft-like ambience to the space, but also function as cove lighting for the apartment. This way, the ceiling is kept clean and at its maximum height,” says Oh. Timber battens were also added across the ceiling to house recessed lights.
A warm and subdued mood resonates in the living room. Flanking the TV wall are metal-framed open shelves where the owner’s Star Wars figurines and books, particularly by award-winning author Neil Gaiman, are displayed. The designer chose a chesterfield sofa to complement the owner’s wing chair, both of which add a certain status and formality to the lounging area.
A warm and subdued mood resonates in the living room. Flanking the TV wall are metal-framed open shelves where the owner’s Star Wars figurines and books, particularly by award-winning author Neil Gaiman, are displayed. The designer chose a chesterfield sofa to complement the owner’s wing chair, both of which add a certain status and formality to the lounging area.
Textures abound in this space – from the brick veneer wall to the shaggy rug that softens the rigid lines and surfaces. The Union Jack throw – perhaps the only boldly coloured item in the house – pulls the whole ‘gentlemen’s club’ look together.
The designer reclaimed some footprint by removing the wall that used to close in the kitchen and replaced it with tinted glass sliding doors. This way, both the kitchen and dining area are easily accessed from the living area. The original column in between the two areas is clad in the same barn door pattern seen on the main and interior doors.
The designer reclaimed some footprint by removing the wall that used to close in the kitchen and replaced it with tinted glass sliding doors. This way, both the kitchen and dining area are easily accessed from the living area. The original column in between the two areas is clad in the same barn door pattern seen on the main and interior doors.
The kitchen and dining area, originally separated by a wall, now shares a space. The steel beam reveals where the partition used to be. To create the casual feel of an eat-in kitchen, the organically-shaped solid wood dining table adjoins the narrow kitchen island.
To maintain cohesiveness, this shared space keeps a tone-on-tone colour scheme. Cement-like floor tiles and cement screed finished backsplash enhance the rustic style of the well-equipped kitchen.
To maintain cohesiveness, this shared space keeps a tone-on-tone colour scheme. Cement-like floor tiles and cement screed finished backsplash enhance the rustic style of the well-equipped kitchen.
A unique clock custom-designed by the team was integrated into the mirrored wall in the dining area. It is flanked by floating ledges meant to display the owner’s wine and liquor collection.
Two bedrooms were merged to make a bigger master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and master bathroom. The same finishes outside – pronounced wood grain, black metal and brick – continue here. The bedside tables feature angled sides, adding a striking element to the rustic-minimalist style.
“The client is a fashionable man and has a huge collection of clothes, shoes and accessories. We ensured that the walk-in wardrobe is comprehensive enough to store the present items neatly and still have provisions for his future purchases,” says Oh. While tinted sliding doors create a subtle visual connection between the wardrobe and the ensuite bathroom, the distinct flooring used – wood vinyl for the wardrobe and long grey tiles for the bathroom – makes a clear transition between the two spaces.
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TELL US
What is your favourite space in this home? Share in the Comments section.
Who lives here: A bachelor in his 30s
Location: Bedok
Size: 1,350 square feet (125 square meters)
Project duration: 2.5 months
A vertical garden greets guests by the foyer. It provides a refreshing respite from the mostly dark hues of the entertaining spaces. On the other side of this balcony is a swing and pull-up bar, as requested by the owner.