Houzz Tour: A Compact Home That Has More Than The Eye Can See

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 40s and their son
Location: Beatty Road
Type of property: Three-bedroom condo unit
Size: 900 square feet (84 square metres)
Project duration: 5 weeks
Designer: Thomas Teo of ERStudio

Their new three-bedroom condo would have been adequate space for this family of three, but they “needed to be able to open up the space to accommodate from three to seven persons”, says interior designer Thomas Teo of ERStudio. Together with that brief, the owners also asked for a cafe-style ambience – Starbucks, in particular, was their inspiration.

As the condo unit was new, Teo did not have to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms. The designer focused instead on maximising the functionality of the spaces, while creating a clean, uncluttered yet cosy look.

From the entryway, the custom shoe cabinet sets the cosy tone with its warm lighting and wood-look finish. It helps to frame the window into the kitchen as well, adding more depth to the functional niche.

The same warm lighting and woodgrain appear on the living room TV feature wall which the designer describes as the wow factor of this open-concept communal space. A backlit granite panel adds some gravitas to the entertainment feature.

Chocolate brown leather upholstery and gold strips on the wall behind the sofa round out the Starbucks-inspired feel.

The study room and the son’s bedroom are where the designer flexed much of his spatial creativity.

In the study room, which doubles as a guest room, Teo customised a desk with a hidden bed: the desk flips out to reveal the guest bed. Here, too, the warm brown colour palette is used for cosy ambience that is consistent with the rest of the home.

The son wanted to fit a study corner, wardrobe and storage, and a comfortable sleeping area in his bedroom, so Teo designed a loft bed that almost doubles the usable area of the bedroom.