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Houzz Tour: Walls Came Down in This Dramatic Apartment Renovation
Creating a more open, entertaining-ready flow was a key thought in the redesign of this four-bedroom unit
However, their four-bedroom apartment was not set up for this lifestyle. As seen in this pre-renovation floor plan (left), the private lift lobby directly opens into the living room, while the dining room is across a small hallway that leads to two bedrooms. There is a dry kitchen at the end of the dining room, and the wet kitchen is completely closed off from the social spaces of the house. Two other bedrooms and the utility yard make up the rear of the apartment.
Designers William Ng and Kho Keguang of Studio Wills + Architects reconfigured the spatial plan of the apartment, working around structural walls while minimising changes in mechanical (plumbing) and electrical systems.
As the owners only required a master bedroom and a guest bedroom, the designers reclaimed floor area from two other bedrooms in order to create a more spacious living area, and – despite the presence of a structural wall in the centre – the effect of an open-plan living-dining-kitchen. The master bedroom, fittingly, was moved to the rear of the unit for more quiet and privacy, and a more luxurious walk-in wardrobe.
As the owners only required a master bedroom and a guest bedroom, the designers reclaimed floor area from two other bedrooms in order to create a more spacious living area, and – despite the presence of a structural wall in the centre – the effect of an open-plan living-dining-kitchen. The master bedroom, fittingly, was moved to the rear of the unit for more quiet and privacy, and a more luxurious walk-in wardrobe.
For the interior design aesthetics, Ng and Kho had to incorporate furniture and artworks that the owner already had. “They were pieces from different eras and genre of styles; antique, mid-century (Eames) and contemporary (Ikea, Hay),” Ng says. Artworks consisted of family heirlooms as well as more contemporary purchases. So the designers created a neutral canvas for the owners’ eclectic collection of furniture and art.
“The mood/ambience is quiet, understated and intimate and the colours are muted and light; white, black, greys with natural tones of timber and stone. Overall, the interior is pared down with a limited and restrained palette of materials and colours,” Ng says.
Timber-look laminate on entry storage niche: Lamitak
“The mood/ambience is quiet, understated and intimate and the colours are muted and light; white, black, greys with natural tones of timber and stone. Overall, the interior is pared down with a limited and restrained palette of materials and colours,” Ng says.
Timber-look laminate on entry storage niche: Lamitak
To achieve this quiet ambience, storage was concealed within recesses (e.g. niches and bay windows) and blended in with the walls as a backdrop to the furniture and furnishings. Case in point: the bookshelf built into an existing bay window. The backing, finished with timber-look look- laminate, has sliding panels incorporated within to modulate lighting.
Black Swan paint on wall: Nippon Paint
Black Swan paint on wall: Nippon Paint
“The owners were very involved in the design process including the material selection,” Ng says.
Lambert and Fils suspension lamp: Inhabitant
Lambert and Fils suspension lamp: Inhabitant
“In fact most furniture and furnishing were either already owned by the client or chosen by the client. We were consulted on matters of proportion to ensure that the pieces fit into the spaces and also if they complement the overall ‘look-and-feel’. For the placement of artworks, we devised a matrix of walls; black, white painted walls and grey (cement rendered using Easi-plaster) walls on which the various painting are hung. They were incorporated at the stage of design development when we knew the location of walls, openings and the setting i.e. placement of loose furniture,” says Ng.
The dining table was a custom-designed piece, in white powder-coated steel legs with timber-look Kompacpanel table top, to complement both the chairs and floor.
Kompacpanel table top: KompacPlus
Kompacpanel table top: KompacPlus
The designers cleverly built a dual-purpose display case at the end of the open-concept kitchen and dining space; it conceals “the unsightly view of air-con condenser units just outside the bay window,” Ng says.
Frosted glass panels emit a faint glow of light during the day; at night, lighting comes from under-ledge LED lighting embedded within the thickness of the shelves, highlighting the owners’ glass- and dinnerware.
Frosted glass panels emit a faint glow of light during the day; at night, lighting comes from under-ledge LED lighting embedded within the thickness of the shelves, highlighting the owners’ glass- and dinnerware.
The renovated kitchen is still in two parts: a dry kitchen that’s open to the dining area, and a wet kitchen where heavy cooking is done. “The ‘look-and-feel’ is pared down and understated like the rest of the apartment. [The wet kitchen] can be closed off from the rest of the apartment during heavy-cooking. It also has a ‘bomb shelter’ within that doubles as a store. The kitchen is connected to the ‘back-of-the-house’, with a helper’s room and toilet, served by a service lift,” Ng says.
Storage bed: Hommage Lifestyle
The master bedroom and en suite bathroom follow the serene palette of the social spaces of the apartment: more whites with muted wood tones. Taking over the floor area of two previous bedrooms has allowed for a luxurious wardrobe that the owners walk through to get to the bathroom.
Matt porcelain tile floors and walls: Rice; Kompacpanel timber-look cabintery: KompacPlus
Matt porcelain tile floors and walls: Rice; Kompacpanel timber-look cabintery: KompacPlus
General lighting: Speclitz; Curtains: The Curtain Boutique; Tiles: Rice; Timber Floor: Perswood; Sanitary Wares, Fittings and Accessories: W. Atelier and Wantai
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TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: An expatriate and his Singaporean wife
Location: Robertson Quay
Size: 161 square metres (1,733 square feet)
Project duration: 8 months
Designers: William Ng and Kho Keguang of Studio Wills + Architects
Contractor: Planhouse Deco
The owners are a couple who enjoy entertaining and cooking for their friends frequently, so it was imperative for their home to have a space that’s easily adaptable to both intimate and big gatherings. It was important that they could also communicate with guests even as they prepare the food and drinks.
String shelving: Grafunkt