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Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Tone-on-Tone Palette Brings Elegance to This Condo
This compact two-bedroom apartment is all about neutral tones and luxurious textures
“The clients were walk-ins at the store who wanted help with their apartment, which they were going to move into in two months. They wanted to turn their space into a Studio McGee-inspired home,” says Caroline Chin-Geyler, head stylist of Arete Culture. Co-stylist Nirvi Metta worked with her on this project.
The owners are fans of the Utah-based design studio whom they like for their clean, unfussy and sophisticated style. The styling team translated the owners’ vision by going tone-on-tone throughout the home.
The owners are fans of the Utah-based design studio whom they like for their clean, unfussy and sophisticated style. The styling team translated the owners’ vision by going tone-on-tone throughout the home.
The living area, meanwhile, is anchored by a two-and-a-half seater sofa from King Living. Bespoke slim coffee tables also suit the small space, while adding understated glitz with the marble-look tabletops and copper-finish legs in a geometric design. A handwoven wool rug creates more texture and pulls the modern elegant look together.
“We didn’t want anything too high shine because the luxuriousness comes from the mix of texture and the neutral palette,” says Chin-Geyler. “The owners were very receptive to organic elements and embraced the combination of soft, cocooning materials.”
“We didn’t want anything too high shine because the luxuriousness comes from the mix of texture and the neutral palette,” says Chin-Geyler. “The owners were very receptive to organic elements and embraced the combination of soft, cocooning materials.”
Due to the narrow layout of the entertaining space, the team was prompted to style the balcony as an extension of the living area. “We kept the colour palette cohesive to facilitate that indoor-outdoor transition,” says Chin-Geyler.
Weatherproof wicker chairs with matching footstools invite guests to lounge and enjoy the breeze. Two tall potted plants enhance the tranquil al fresco atmosphere. “We felt we needed to introduce greenery to give the home an organic and welcoming feel, as the natural surrounding is lacking,” she adds.
Weatherproof wicker chairs with matching footstools invite guests to lounge and enjoy the breeze. Two tall potted plants enhance the tranquil al fresco atmosphere. “We felt we needed to introduce greenery to give the home an organic and welcoming feel, as the natural surrounding is lacking,” she adds.
Creating essential storage while working within space constraints was addressed by going for a TV console and overhead boxy shelves in a slim profile. The matching white and pale wood finish also helps bring into focus the careful mix of metallic accents and the husband’s trophies and awards. These awards were the only things that the couple brought into the home – everything else was sourced by Arete Culture.
“We complemented these wonderful achievements by carefully mixing them with modern decor so that they look like they were meant to be together,” she says.
The kitchen needed minor changes to suit the colour palette of the home. The styling team decided to replace the cabinetry with laminate-clad ones in beige and sand tones to complement the existing white countertop and grey backsplash.
Since the kitchen is also the first area seen from the entrance, they earmarked a fraction of the space for shoe wearing and removal. “We helped them conceptualise and design this built-in entryway bench (seen at the far right of this photo), which has a customised seat cushion in a modern blue-beige hue,” says Chin-Geyler.
Since the kitchen is also the first area seen from the entrance, they earmarked a fraction of the space for shoe wearing and removal. “We helped them conceptualise and design this built-in entryway bench (seen at the far right of this photo), which has a customised seat cushion in a modern blue-beige hue,” says Chin-Geyler.
With regards to the master bedroom, the owners’ top concern was the size of the room. “They thought they could only fit in one bedside table, but we assured them that we could customise bedside tables to fit the space,” she says. “The symmetrical setup adds drama and formality to the room, but this is greatly softened by introducing different textures and keeping the palette very clean to maintain the illusion of space.”
Bed: King Living
Bed: King Living
The guest bedroom (for the couple’s mother for when she occasionally stays over) follows the clean and cohesive colour scheme. Organic textures from the rattan mirror frame, concrete table lamp and shell tray, bring textural interest to the space.
To make the compact space more functional, the custom-made dresser doubles as a bedside table.
To make the compact space more functional, the custom-made dresser doubles as a bedside table.
The bathroom was already tiled in colours that harmonise with design theme so all the stylists did was to accentuate the space with soft and organic pieces.
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What do you like best about this home? Let us know in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Who lives here: A couple, a mother-in-law who occasionally stays over, and a dog
Location: Sengkang
Size: 710 square feet (66 square metres)
Project duration: 2-3 months
A natural lightness permeates the lounging and entertaining spaces, immediately establishing a fresh and inviting vibe. “It is mostly elegant and modern with industrial accents. We used predominantly white, soft greys, taupes and beiges, and focused on combining organic textures with sleek, urban lines and reflective surfaces for understated glamour,” says Chin-Geyler.
The stylists were not only conscious of the use of light, neutral tones for the compact space, but also appropriate furniture dimensions. “As space is a constraint, we opted for a round table that would fit in that specific corner of the dining area. Most importantly, it is a custom-built unit so the size, finish and material were selected to further add on to the design of the room,” she says.