HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This apartment in River Valley is the holiday home for a family of five. The homeowner’s business requires him to travel from their permanent residence in Hong Kong to the US once every few months. His wife and three children sometimes accompany him on these trips, which usually include a stopover in Singapore, where the family would stay for a week or so each time.

He wanted this home away from home to be a cosy getaway with all the comforts and luxury details of a hotel suite and a personal space for each family member. Responding to his brief, Darrion Loo, an associate designer at Helen & Woods, set out what he wanted to achieve for this project. “It was about creating space, storage and sophistication while incorporating cosy elements within a 1,442 sq ft interior. As it had to accommodate five people, it was also important that they each had a private space within the apartment,” he says. “I wanted to inject sleek modernity, not unlike an urban boutique hotel suite, while imbuing it with the warmth and familiarity you would find in a home.”

With the apartment relatively compact, every inch counted. The approach was to create vertical wall surfaces that were as flat as possible so they wouldn’t encroach upon the spaces while still being able to convey a sense of depth. “It is all in the details. Every junction, trim and feature was carefully designed to achieve this,” Darrion elaborates. The design team, together with the contractor, studied the proportion of every layer, from the backing to the finished surface. The thinner-than-usual wall features required both scrupulous design and impeccable workmanship.

The sea-blue feature wall and sand-coloured wall panelling in the living room were inspired by the family’s favourite seaside beach resorts. Like most of the other furniture inside, the Stanley sofa from De La Espada was chosen for its sleek proportions and lightweight form, which made the place appear more spacious. The travertine top and brass legs of the side table from Muse as well as the brass Boca Do Lobo wall sconce resembling bamboo heightened the sense of luxury and elegance.

The dining area beside the living room is where the family spends quality time together. The custom-made dining table with Nero Marquina marble and a brass base, complemented by five chairs from Cassina, is the perfect shape and size for intimate family bonding over leisurely meals.

As the master bedroom had an elongated floor plan, Darrion defined separate zones. Apart from the sleeping space, he incorporated en suite lounge seating in one corner where the homeowner and his wife relax or read. A low bedhead that continues along the L-shaped wall connects the two areas so that they still read as one seamless space.

The children’s rooms were designed to be versatile with each piece of furniture serving multiple purposes. The sofa bed in the eldest son’s room offers the flexibility a 15-year-old boy needs, giving him the option of using it as a sofa during the day and a bed at night. A daughter, aged 11, and their nine-year-old son share the third bedroom that has two single beds with additional pull-out beds and writing desks that double as dressing tables. Each side of the wall is subtly different to reflect the siblings' unique personalities.

For Darrion, it was important to address the proportion and scale, filter out any superfluous lines and capture only the essence of the intended ambience. “Helen & Woods believes that, with a sensible approach, you do not necessarily require a large space or a big budget to achieve timeless luxury.”

The blue cushions complement the sea-blue feature wall inspired by the family’s favourite seaside beach resorts.

WHO LIVES HERE

The spherical Moooi pendant light in the dining area complements the dining table and living room wall light perfectly. The light mesh material has a soft, translucent quality.

An angular coffee table and a round pouffe from Casamilano provide more contrasting elements in the living room.