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Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Restful Retreat by the River is Enhanced by Colour
Mood-mellowing blues welcome these homeowners to a soothing sanctuary after business trips and long hours in the office
“Our clients work late hours and travel a lot for work too, therefore I proposed the blues and teals for an instant feeling of calm and relaxation,” says Priya Naik of Interior Design Journey, explaining the concept behind this home’s renovation.
On a clear day, the blues and teals indoors mimic the colours of Kallang River and the sky above it – seemingly a skip and a hop from this apartment’s balcony. Just like the Kallang Basin, the home is designed to be an oasis in the middle of Singapore’s hustle and bustle.
On a clear day, the blues and teals indoors mimic the colours of Kallang River and the sky above it – seemingly a skip and a hop from this apartment’s balcony. Just like the Kallang Basin, the home is designed to be an oasis in the middle of Singapore’s hustle and bustle.
With a generous amount of space for a busy couple and their young daughter, Naik didn’t have to reconfigure any of the rooms. She was able to splash out on luxe wallpapers, customised upholstery and window dressing, and well-coordinated accents, as well as completely new fit-outs for the kitchen and bathrooms, that would give this home that personalised and bespoke touch.
Drawing from colour therapy principles, Naik built from a neutral (but shimmering) base, adding lush colour in the form of accent pieces in the open-plan living and dining area.
Drawing from colour therapy principles, Naik built from a neutral (but shimmering) base, adding lush colour in the form of accent pieces in the open-plan living and dining area.
For example, Naik had sideboards custom-colour-matched to her upholstery selections. “The navy entry console and aqua sideboard in the living [room] were especially painted to suit our colour scheme, I worked with Woody Antiques to ensure the correct colour was matched,” Naik says.
Grounding the heavenly hues is an earthy base of shades of brown. In the foyer, for instance, Naik used a shimmering starburst-effect neutral wallpaper that would give a rich, tactile sheen as a counterpoint for the blues, and a complement to the marble floor.
“Wallpapers throughout the home are from Goodrich, my favourite place to go as they have a very wide variety to choose from,” Naik says.
“Wallpapers throughout the home are from Goodrich, my favourite place to go as they have a very wide variety to choose from,” Naik says.
“We love searching high and low in Singapore to find treasures that have different textures and colours, such as the navy faceted glass candle holders at the TV wall, and the blown glass aqua bowl on the living coffee table, to make a home feel very interesting and well coordinated,” Naik says.
She points out the dining table, adding: “The dining table is a stunning piece from a brand called Caracole available at Taylor B. It has a gorgeous bronze base with a glass top, which we dressed with our custom-designed table runner and candle sticks. The navy blue dining chair fabric was chosen to complement the colour scheme; it’s also quite a practical colour for young kids,” Naik says.
She points out the dining table, adding: “The dining table is a stunning piece from a brand called Caracole available at Taylor B. It has a gorgeous bronze base with a glass top, which we dressed with our custom-designed table runner and candle sticks. The navy blue dining chair fabric was chosen to complement the colour scheme; it’s also quite a practical colour for young kids,” Naik says.
One of the bedrooms was transformed into a dual-purpose study and lounge. During the morning and early afternoon, Naik says that the homeowner uses it to work from home. “In the late afternoon to evening, it becomes their daughter’s TV room,” she says.
The powder room is a fun homage to Singapore’s heritage and modern built environment. “I combined historical Singapore in the Peranakan accent tiles paired with modern Singapore in the prints hung on the wall,” Naik says. The tiles were sourced from old-school renovation hub Balestier Road.
The master bedroom takes on a completely different colour from most of the home. “Orange is the husband’s favourite colour,” Naik says. She highlighted this hue via a feature wall clad in a shimmering pony skin effect orange wallpaper, also from Goodrich. Soft furnishings as well as the artwork pick up the theme colour, which is sprinkled throughout the space.
The guest room is dressed in teal with pops of lime green; Naik used a vinyl silk look wallpaper in the theme colour, and added some lime accents.
In the daughter’s bedroom, pink reigns. Naik says: “We took her along to the wallpaper store and she choose [the] wallpaper she liked – a very sweet pink heart print – from a selection of three I pulled out.”
She supplemented it with bolder pinks and more graphic window dressing.
She supplemented it with bolder pinks and more graphic window dressing.
In keeping with the subtle homage to Singapore, a sweet print of the Merlion graces the wall facing the little girl’s bed.
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What do you like best about this house? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here: Frequent-travelling professionals and their five-year-old daughter
Location: Four-bedroom condominium in Kallang Basin
Size: 186 square metres (2,000 square feet)