Once a cramped and dark apartment, this condominium unit now has a bright, airy ambience and loft-inspired look.
A bachelorette
HOME One-bedroom condominium apartment in Bukit Batok
SIZE 850 sq ft
Having designed his client’s previous HDB home, Kelvin Teo of Space Sense Studio was in touch with homeowner Er Cheep Hong when she was eyeing a new condominium apartment. Cheep Hong consulted Kelvin before purchasing the unit, as she wanted to ensure that the design and structure could accommodate the aesthetic preferences she wanted for this new space. The interiors were previously dark, gloomy and cramped, but the unit’s particularly high ceiling gave rise to the idea of taking advantage of the vertical space available. Kelvin decided to adopt an all-white palette to brighten up the look while modifying the layout significantly to maximise the use of the space. This resulted in walls being broken down to allow a reconfiguration of the bedrooms and bathrooms. What was formerly a onebedroom apartment has now become a home with two bedrooms.
A false ceiling was removed to obtain even more overhead space. This enabled the construction of a mezzanine level where the guest bedroom is now sited. For added tactility, Kelvin and Cheep Hong embraced the raw finish of exposed brick walls on this newly constructed level, and incorporated customised steel open shelves for an unpretentious overall look.
As for the main bedroom on the ground floor, Kelvin created a loft-like look by adding artificial ceiling beams. To keep the area from feeling claustrophobic, swing doors for the room and bathroom were replaced with glass to ensure a sense of openness and allow natural light to fill these spaces. As part of the $120,000 renovation, the two modern bathrooms in the home were overhauled to make way for luxurious, hotel-like ones complete with marble-look tiles for the walls and floors.
Cheep Hong also brought over some furniture from her previous apartment, including Kartell Victoria Ghost chairs for the dining area, and a Marc Newson lounge chair, which fit perfectly with the clean, minimalistic design of her new home.
Warm lighting in the bathroom creates a cosy, cocoon-like atmosphere that contrasts with the bright and airy feel in the rest of the home.
The bed frame was customised to create the illusion that it is floating, and it is complemented by ambient light from below.
Finishes in the kitchen were kept white to allow the design language and palette to continue into this space.
Despite the limited floor area, Kelvin cleverly made use of the apartment’s height to carve out extra space.
PHOTOGRAPHY VERONICA TAY ART DIRECTION KAFFY
TAN
