FLAUNT THOSE CURVES

The curvy design elements of this home parallel the architecture of the development it is housed in.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The curvy design elements of this home parallel the architecture of the development it is housed in.

WHO A couple in their mid-30s, and two young daughters

HOME Four-bedroom apartment at D’Leedon Condominium

SIZE 2,500sqf

Photography VEE CHIN art direction YEW XIN YI
Photography VEE CHIN art direction YEW XIN YI
RIGHT

Ai Tiong chose an L-shaped Cierre leather sofa and dining chairs from Marquis, in tan, to match the wood tones of the home. The marble coffee table and dining table are from Air Division. The similarities in the furniture pieces create a consistent look.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room
My Reading Room
BELOW

The original sliding door of the common bathroom was clad with timber veneer to create a continuous design when the door is closed.

BOTTOM

Ai Tiong convinced the homeowners to use curved glass in the study – despite the high cost – to parallel the design in the rest of the home.

OPPOSITE

The ceiling panels were not just designed to look good, but also to accommodate technical elements such as air-con ducting and other mechanical and electrical services.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room
My Reading Room
My Reading Room
LEFT

As the panel boards are water-resistant, placing them in the bathroom does not pose any problems, despite the humid conditions.

( OPPOSITE ) LEFT

Storage cabinets and shoe racks were built within the timber panels, which fluidly connects with the TV console in the living room.

RIGHT

The white gypsum boards in the bedroom are clad in a white leatherlook wallpaper to create texture and allow easy cleaning.

BELOW

Backlighting highlights the curved outline of the design feature.

The light-filled interiors and fluid designs in the bedroom provide a welcoming space for the homeowners to relax in.

My Reading Room
ABOVE

The slim, white ceiling fan from Haiku pairs well with the streamlined interiors of the apartment. Pot from Galanga Living.

Homeowner Loke Wen Wei and his wife Ooi Beng Koon approached principal designer Lim Ai Tiong of Lato Design after they were intrigued by the many unusual and interesting interior projects they saw on his company’s website. Wen Wei and Beng Koon simply wanted “something new and fresh” for their home, and left the design up to Ai Tiong. “Seeing that the homeowners were game for something more avant-garde, I was confident of creating an unusual design for their home,” says the designer.

As the apartment is situated within the D’Leedon residential development designed by the late London-based architect Zaha Hadid, Ai Tiong – who is also an architect – was guided by the landscape-inspired architecture of the blocks. He incorporated an extensive use of curves and skewed lines, features Hadid was known for.

The home’s interiors feature dramatic 3-D silhouettes. Using two main colours – white and wood tones – Ai Tiong, together with illustrator Yu Shan, created organic-shaped panels that sweep across the spaces, made of gypsum boards clad with timber veneer. They contrast with the white walls and ceilings in the living room, study, common bathroom and kitchen. He reversed the treatment in the private spaces of the home, such as the master bedroom and bathroom, to maintain a cohesive and consistent look.

“As this apartment is in a new development, I minimised hacking and kept existing materials to prevent wastage. Instead, my idea was to enhance its look,” highlights Ai Tiong. The only major change was replacing the wall between the living and study area with glass. The curved glass enclosure parallels the abstract design within the home, and cove lighting and backlit walls further accentuate the design features, while illuminating the interiors.

A particularly satisfying journey for both designer and homeowners, this has been one of the most time-consuming interior projects Ai Tiong has done, and has served to further fuel his passion and craft. He not only had to oversee the wood-making process, but also had to regularly fine-tune the designs onsite. As for Wen Wei and Beng Koon, they can definitely call the design of the home new and fresh!

WHERE TO GO

Lato Design, TEL: 6295-1847

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