Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Flexible Living for Work, Play and Family Time
This resale flat's unique and well-planned configuration will make you want to take a closer look
Most HDB BTO flats come with a pretty standard floor plan which sees the communal zones forming half the space and the bedrooms linked via a long and narrow corridor. Located in a point block flat, the layout of this resale flat sports a quadrangle configuration where the living and dining areas are flanked by the bedrooms. With the corridor out of the picture, it makes the entire layout feel a lot more free-flowing and culminates in a home primed for hosting large groups of people.
With a number of walls taken down in the communal zones, there is a new openness to the space. This bright and airy visage allowed So to incorporate a lavish measure of woodgrain accents. He says: “They wanted an interior that feels like a home and yet reflects their passion for warm, woody tones.”
“They requested for some privacy upon entry,” reveals So. This comes in the form of two decorative fretwork screens (purchased from an antique store) integrated into the shoe cabinet.
The kitchen was split into two zones; a wet and a dry area. A breakfast counter fronts the dry zone and allows the homeowners to grab quick meals at this additional dining spot.
Wooden framed sliding doors demarcate the wet zone from the dry. This flexibility in accessing the wet kitchen allows the homeowners to maintain interaction with their guests even when they are busy in the kitchen. The clean-lined palette of white walls and neutral 600 by 600 millimetres homogeneous wall tiles make a spacious and inviting space for the guests to mingle in.
A structural column in the middle of the newly-configuration living room was cleverly turned into a centrepiece and anchor for the TV. A unique application of paint covers the OSB (oriented strand board) panels to create an outstanding focal point.
This symmetrical design was achieved by removing a portion of the wall on the left. A padded seat merges with the custom TV console to provide extra seating for the large gatherings the couple love to hold. Says So: “I advised against having too many loose pieces of furniture and proposed turning part of the TV console into a two-way seat.”
Right behind the living area is the dining zone which also integrates work and play facilities. With sliding doors installed to provide flexible access, this multi-purpose space boasts a 1.8-metre long dining table which can be extended to a massive 2.8 metres.
Finished in the same treatment as the TV feature wall, the OSB-clad cabinet serves double duty as a bar counter and storage for the study. “These days, I think it’s hard not to bring work home,” says So. Therefore, the area close to the window was reconfigured into a home office for two. A four-metre long cork wall provides a large ‘canvas’ for festive decorations, family photos and their child’s artwork.
Similarly-finished walls and doors camouflage the entrances to the bathroom and bedrooms.
“I love to use hidden doors wherever I can,” reveals So. “When you don’t see the doors, the space looks seamless.”
A door with the same veneer finish as the carpentry works adds an element of surprise to the dining area.
A warm but modern bathroom style lies behind the secret door. This common bathroom was completely overhauled and enlarged to fit a larger vanity counter. So utilised a two-tone material palette of homogeneous wall and floor tiles and ceramic subway wall tiles.
The other secret door leads to the master bedroom which has been elongated with a new L-shaped configuration.
The previous corridor space was put to good use with this two-sided full-height cabinet – one side serves as the vanity and additional wardrobe space for the master bedroom. The other is a wardrobe for the bedroom next door and serves as a room divider. A small recess behind the closet was created to house the wireless router as this spot receives a strong Wi-Fi signal.
The sleeping space is kept simple with Scandinavian-styled furnishings. “Right from the start, the homeowners had a very clear idea of the kind of furniture they wanted,” says So. “So, it was a matter of making sure the furniture fit into the space.”
The L-shaped walk-in wardrobe utilises recessed handles to keep the look sleek and seamless.
Ceramic wall tiles in a luminous opal shade flood the master bathroom with a calming ambience. The homeowners had their sights set on this particular tile pattern before renovation commenced and So worked it into the bathroom design beautifully.
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TELL US
What is your favourite feature in 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 married couple and their toddler son
Location: In the East
Size: 117 square metres (1,207 square feet)
To fully maximise the potential, principal designer at Altro, Nash So, proposed an extensive overhaul in its configuration. “I tore down the boundary wall between the living area and a bedroom, and between another bedroom and the master bedroom,” he reveals. These heavy demolition works resulted in two enlarged bedrooms and bathrooms, plus a wet and dry kitchen.