LIGHT AND WHITE

White interiors and light-hued soft furnishings make this flat a quiet, cosy respite in a city-centre location.

Mr Lee wanted a home with a soft and welcoming design, which “shuts out the rest of the world”.

It was after buying his third home, that homeowner Mr Lee finally got to work with interior designer Jay Ang. “I’ve always liked Jay’s work, but only had the opportunity to work with him recently – it’s been so many years, I even had to check if his style was still the same!” he jokes. The homeowner is fond of the clean, yet sophisticated contemporary look Jay is well known for. A complete overhaul of the 35-yearold four-room Housing Board flat was needed to achieve the space’s simple and calm, yet elegant interiors. Here’s what they did.

One of the homeowner’s requirements was a study, so Jay merged two rooms to create an openconcept study and bedroom area.

For the soft, quiet look he wanted, Mr Lee paired his white sheets with printed pillowcases from John Lewis, as well as a textured greypurple blanket from Calvin Klein.

More space was created

After reconfiguring the layout, the bedroom, study, and joint shower-laundry area are now connected, separated only by glass sliding doors that can be hidden when not in use. This allows each space to flow smoothly to the next, and creates more room when the spaces are opened up. The all-white colour scheme also helps to visually enlarge the space, especially in creating height for the low-ceilinged apartment.

Many of Mr Lee’s accessories are made of wood, which goes well with his whitethemed home. He bought the pigeon fi gurine from Lush Lush.

The grey fabric sofa, cream shaggy rug from CB2, and Carrara marble coffee table from King Living create layered textures for a cosy ambience.

The 60-30-10 rule was applied

This timeless interior design rule – which refers to the use of colour in a home – is something Mr Lee has observed in Jay’s work. The homeowner also believes in it, though “of course, most of the work in this home was done by Jay”, he quips. The 60 per cent here refers to the primary use of white, from the walls and timber blinds to the built-in cabinets. Wood elements, such as the teak floors and TV console in whitewashed oak laminate, make up the formula’s 30 per cent – the secondary colours. The remaining 10 per cent are pops of colour, imbued through artworks, pillow covers, and plants.

The sink was moved out of the shower area and into the walkway, to open up the space.

Mr Lee took home this print of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, after his trip to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

There are two entrances to the bathroom-cumlaundry room: from the kitchen (not seen) on the right and from the study room (with the blue wall).

A cosy dining area was created

When Mr Lee requested a brick wall, Jay was hesitant at first. However, he realised it would enhance the look of a cosy and rustic dining area, which sits opposite the downsized pantry-style kitchen. “The dining area is in the centre of the flat, and that was the perfect place to put the brick wall. We extended the brick texture into the living room; it was a way to create a sense of continuity between the two spaces,” says Jay. Completing the look are bar stools from Comfort Design, a custom-made kapur wood table, and a painting from Mr Lee’s previous home.

A vignette sits atop the kitchen shelf, consisting of an oil painting of pomegranates from Greece, a print of The Little Street by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, and a teapot by renowned local potter Iskandar Jalil.

The raw wood table goes perfectly with the brick wall