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Houzz Tour: This Renovated Condo Gleams in a New Light
Lustrous surfaces and metallic details set the tone for this stylish home in Sentosa Cove
Despite this home’s sunny seaside location, designer Elizabeth Acland of boutique design firm E & A Interiors faced a contradictory conundrum when planning the renovation. “The challenge [was] to lighten up the previously very dark apartment,” she says. Acland recalled the “unnecessarily low” ceiling through out the living area, which they raised by more than 30 centimetres during the renovation, as well as closed in spaces like the kitchen.
After six weeks of planning, the designers and owners agreed on a contemporary and clean look with touches of gold. The owners travel a lot, says Acland, and so “they wanted low-maintenance but stylish interiors.”
After six weeks of planning, the designers and owners agreed on a contemporary and clean look with touches of gold. The owners travel a lot, says Acland, and so “they wanted low-maintenance but stylish interiors.”
Acland made abundant use of mirrors throughout the apartment “to lighten up the space.” This one, which she describes as an antique mirror feature with “age spots” and imperfections, adds another dimension to the room’s textured details and breaks up the whiten bareness of the walls.
Black jaguar marble wraps around the corner bar, framing it as a distinct nook complete with all the necessities for a successful dinner party.
Stark black and white dominate the kitchen, with a grey mirror backsplash adding a sleek, glossy touch.
“The kitchen was previously very dark and dingy,” says Acland. “We opened this up to the living space by adding the black Crittal windows and door to give more light to the kitchen and increase the sense of space.”
“The kitchen was previously very dark and dingy,” says Acland. “We opened this up to the living space by adding the black Crittal windows and door to give more light to the kitchen and increase the sense of space.”
Acland describes the hallway before the renovation as “empty, with no character [and] the windows looked out into an internal well.” She transformed the area by adding shelves where interesting knick-knacks can be displayed and a centre panel over the windows – here hung with artwork – which can be slid open. The cool tones of the hallway are softened by a beige, printed carpet and its gold accents echo those used in other parts of the home.
One of the favourite features of the apartment – for both owners and designer – are the new solid wood doors which Acland designed with gold, geometric groove detailing and custom handles. Here, it opens to the study, done up in white, neutrals and muted gold, all grounded by the dark walnut brown flooring.
Since the owners work from home quite often, one of the bedrooms was converted into a study. This room has a great view “so we built a window seat where they can read, relax and enjoy the view,” says Acland.
Although the overall theme is contemporary and clean, Acland says “we still wanted to create a homely feel which we achieved by carefully choosing colours, which were warm neutrals, for the carpentry and walls.”
Prior to renovation, the bathrooms were also dark and dated so Acland and her team ripped out all traces of them. In its place is a serene expanse of white tiles and white and grey marble, gilded with silver and chrome.
In the master bath, Acland installed a mirrored vanity, in keeping with her use of mirrors to expand and lighten up small spaces.
The bathrooms keep to the metallic design theme, this time with cool silver instead of gold. In one corner, hexagonal marble tiles serve as a complementary backdrop to elegant glass vessels.
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What do you like best about this home? Let us know in the comments section.
TELL US
What do you like best about this home? Let us know in the comments section.
Who lives here: A young professional couple
Location: The Berth, Sentosa Cove
Size: Approx. 2,000 sq ft
The design theme is most apparent in the bright and airy dining area – subtle golden glow owing to burnished metallic touches. Equally luxe textures complement the gold touches: the marble tabletop; brass base of the custom-made dining table; and the hammered metal bowl atop it. The sculptural light fixtures in brass and glass serve as a dramatic yet delicate focal point in the room.