This home has a fun and unique design that brings the outdoors in — in an urban street-inspired way!
This home has a fun and unique design that brings the outdoors in — in an urban street-inspired way!
The starting point of Ms Tong’s fun and quirky home was a colourful print by British artist Eelus, which she spotted among the design paraphernalia at her interior designer’s office. This was how the street-inspired design of her apartment came about, explains Stan Tham of KNQ Associates. “For this look, I combined humble materials, colourful artwork and whimsical objects,” he adds.
This includes brick textures, paver tiles, and metal hoarding as material finishes, as well as works by pop and street artists such as Peter Blake and Miss Bugs to decorate the walls. Stan also incorporated unique design features, creating striking focal points in the home. We detail what he did, in the renovation that cost $85,000.
Specially customised structures and furniture
As you enter the home, you can’t help but notice the “cargo container” — probably the most outstanding design feature in the home! It appears to sit right in the middle of the living area, but the effect is actually created by cladding two adjacent walls with metal hoarding panels used in construction sites.
A vibrant shade of blue was chosen, as it is the homeowner’s favourite colour. A street corner is created in the dining area, courtesy of a “street lamp” and a faux weathered brick wall. Stan customised the curved dining bench, which features concrete-look laminate from Lamitak, to suit the look and fit the compact space. He also selected all the furniture, picking elegant, contemporary pieces to juxtapose with the “roughness” of the street vibes.
Used materials in unconventional ways
The bedrooms are also given a dose of quirkiness. In the master bedroom, the feature wall behind the bed is made of unexpected materials such as a green rug from Ikea, chosen for its resemblance to grass, and monochrome wood-look tiles with diagonal stripes, motifs that evoke patterns found on roads and street barricades. In the second bedroom, blue, yellow and red Lego base plates — an unusual choice of carpentry finishing material — are used in the design of the cabinets, which has a structured geometric form, giving it a Piet Mondrianinspired look. Denim, also novel as upholstery, is used for the bed’s headboard.
Acquired distinctive decor objects and accessories
In keeping with the street-inspired theme, Stan specially sourced street art prints from the UK and the US. He also acquired distinctive decor objects and accessories, such as the street lamp (in the dining area) from a shop in Balestier. A double-facing train station wall clock (near the entrance) is another example of an interesting find.
WHERE TO GO
KNQ Associates, TEL: 6222-0966.
The rough and raw look of this streetinspired home is complemented by sophisticated and contemporary loose furniture pieces, and a colourful triptych of prints by British artist Eelus that inspired the home’s decor theme.
The “cargo container” — the first thing you see upon entering the home — was created by bolting blue metal hoarding panels to two adjacent walls.
For the open dining area, the designer customised a curved bench that brings to mind urban street seating, and sourced the street lamp from a shop in Balestier.
Besides being decorative, the “cargo container” is also a backdrop for the TV set, which has a swivel mount that allows it to be tilted to face the sofa or the dining table.
Inspired by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s famous De Stijl paintings, the second bedroom has a design that is rooted in bold geometry and primary colours. Lego base plates in blue, yellow and red were used on the surface of the built-in cabinets.
The bathroom has a monochromatic theme and features an eye-catching Fornasetti-inspired customised decal on the mirror, for a playful touch.
Dulux Ambiance paint was used in the master bedroom to create the textured grey wall, while a green rug and wood-look tiles with stripes form the prominent feature wall behind the bed.
Elements and materials found in a public streetscape — weathered brick finishes, metal hoarding panels, concrete screed and more — give the home character and style.
