BETWEEN THE LINES

Simple and subtle enhancements in this home add to the overall elegance of this luxury apartment.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Simple and subtle enhancements in this home add to the overall elegance of this luxury apartment.

This is not the first time Tan Fu Hwa and Loo Li Li are working with designer Lim Ai Tiong of Lim Ai Tiong Architects for the interiors of their home. Ai Tiong and Fu Hwa’s friendship dates back to their days doing national service, and the architect had also worked on the couple’s previous apartment in Novena. When Ai Tiong visited the new four-bedroom condominium apartment at Leedon Residence, he wanted his design to complement the existing materials used — mainly marble and timber — in the home, while enhancing its aesthetics for a luxurious appeal in line with the prestige of the development.

The approximately $200,000 renovation (including furnishings) includes cladding walls in the living and dining areas in marble and timber for a classy look. Most of the furniture in the home are from Marquis, such as the marble-top dining table, dining chairs, sofa, coffee table and TV console. Ai Tiong took advantage of the 8m-high, doublevolume vertical space in the dining area, cladding it with timber-look laminates to add texture to the surface, and also draw the eye upwards.

“I worked closely with Fu Hwa to decide where the recessed lights should be placed; it came up to 18 lights — what an auspicious number,” he says. To keep the design from being too monotonous and overbearing, stainless steel inserts in a linear pattern were added, with the metallic strips contrasting beautifully with the wood surface.

The timber grains add an overall warm ambience to the interiors, while the marble cladding — with the same linear design — flows from the living room, and throughout the corridor, carrying the design language into the bedroom. In the master bedroom, a darker wood-look laminate is used for the headboard. Ai Tiong also designed a bay window clad in marble, to offer more seating options in the room. In respecting the original features of the development, and building on them, the designer created elegant upscale interiors that are simple, yet cosy for family interaction.

WHERE TO GO

Lim Ai Tiong Architects, TEL: 6295-1847.

My Reading Room

The recessed lights on the wall draw the eye to the textures and linear details of the surface.

My Reading Room

The spacious dining room was large enough to accommodate a round marble-top dining table from Marquis.

My Reading Room

A pendant lamp from Marquis hangs above the dining table, echoing its shape.

My Reading Room

The white TV console from Marquis was chosen for its simple, refined look, which wouldn’t distract from the feature wall.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room

The marble used along the walls of the corridor were carefully cut from full slabs, and match the original marble flooring in the apartment.

My Reading Room

The design language and use of materials follow through from the living and dining spaces, to the bedroom. Side table, from OM.

My Reading Room

Sitting by the bay window, the homeowners can enjoy the view of the apartment’s surroundings through the fullheight windows.