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Home, for stylist Evon Chng and her husband Joseph Ho, is a contemporary home designed to offer sleek aesthetics with smart practicality. DOMENICA TAN finds out how they achieved the look they wanted.

Home, for stylist Evon Chng and her husband Joseph Ho, is a contemporary home designed to offer sleek aesthetics with smart practicality. DOMENICA TAN finds out how they achieved the look they wanted.

WHO LIVES HERE

A couple in their 30s

HOME

Two-plusonebedroom condominium apartment near Kembangan

SIZE

880sqf

There is beauty in simplicity, seen here in the placement of a white TV console against the concrete screed wall in the living room. Joseph and Evon add character to their home with plants.

STYLING

Tip:

Placing a large mirror in the living room helps create the illusion of an expanded space, while allowing the homeowners to conveniently check their appearances before heading out.

After acquiring their new apartment – which homeowners Joseph Ho and Evon Chng chose for its close proximity to Joseph's parents – the couple embarked on the renovation journey independently, instead of engaging help from an interior designer. Having careers in the creative industry is a plus – Joseph runs local lighting brand Sol Luminaire, while Evon is a fashion stylist – as both have a keen sense of design, and are clear about what they want for the look and feel of their home.

“I wanted a neutral colour palette or monochromatic tones,” says Joseph. This led to a unique mix of materials in the home, including concrete on the walls and whitewashed engineered wood for the floors that continue from the living room to the bedroom, while adding to the tactile experience throughout.

“As a fashion stylist, I tend to steer towards more eyecatching and complicated designs, which are not necessarily the best to work with in a home environment. So, I trusted Jo in the selection of finishes, while I shared input on the choice of accessories and fixtures,” Evon says.

RIGHT

Trendy homeowners Joseph Ho and Evon Chng.

BELOW RIGHT

Keeping to the monochromatic look throughout, the couple chose white subway tiles for the bathroom walls, and black hexagonal tiles for the floors. Again, plants dot the space for a splash of colour.

OPPOSITE TOP

To brighten the compact galleystyle kitchen, they opted for a mostly white palette.

OPPOSITE BELOW

One of the most unique furniture pieces is the jade dining table.

ABOVE

The display shelves in the master bedroom showcase some of the couple’s favourite items, including their collection of candles, fragrances, photographs and clothing.

RIGHT

The door of the master bedroom was removed to create a larger open space.

On top of being lighting specialists, Joseph’s family run a construction and steel manufacturing business. With knowledge in the field, the couple even took on the challenge of designing all the furniture in their apartment from scratch.

“We enjoyed the entire design process and managed to source some really interesting materials not often used by manufacturers,” they said. The dining table and coffee table were fabricated using jade for the countertop, and these pieces have since become a talking point for guests.

With careful styling involving their collection of shoes and clothing, and curation of dried flowers and air plants, the homeowners have hit the sweet spot in achieving a modern home with an understated yet fashionable appeal.