When Joanna Lee and her husband first moved into this 22-year-old HDB flat, it was on such a tight schedule that a major renovation was out of the question. They settled with what the previous occupant had done with the place.
Now, after four years of occupying the space, they had a very thorough mental list of what they liked, and didn't like about the interiors, and agreed that it was time to update the lackluster abode.
Having chanced upon an industrial-themed project by interior design firm sponge in a copy of Home & Decor last year, the couple thought the aesthetics spoke to them, and decided to pick up the phone and ask its designers for help to re-think their current home.
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos. Alan Lee/ K Studio
EDITED LIVING
With a fondness for cooking at home, one of Joanna's top priorities for the new design is for it to have a large workspace for the kitchen.
Sponge came up with the idea of having an open-plan kitchen-cum-dining area, and anchored the space with a customised design that merges a large kitchen island with a family-sized dining table.
To create common space to accommodate this feature, the wall that originally separated the two adjacent bedrooms from the dining area was torn down and moved to allocate more space to the latter.
That left both bedrooms with just enough space to serve its function - the master bedroom could fit a king-sized bed comfortably, and the adjoining room was converted into a compact walk-in wardrobe for the fashionable couple.
Now, a sprawling common area unfolds from the main entrance; a great space for entertaining and socialising, as there are no walls between the kitchen, dining area, living room and study corner.
Over in the en suite master bedroom, the couple felt that there was a need to separate the two bathrooms that were previously merged by the former homeowner. "She was a single lady, so I guess that worked for her. But having just one washroom can be quite inconvenient for us," says Joanne.
With the en suite master bathroom now half its size, Sponge suggested for the sink to be brought out of the bathroom and into the master bedroom. To Joanne's delight, it was a solution that gave the couple even more flexibility in utilising the space.
IDEAS APLENTY
The design team at Sponge thought re-designing the space was quite challenging because of the odd angles in the flat's layout.
For example, customised storage compartments had to be built to even out the awkward angles flanking the home's entranceway - the cosy day bed area fills the nook on one side of the entrance, and the well-disguised shoe cabinet on the other.
In the master bedroom, the designers got around that problem by building a headboard into a curved wall so that the king-sized bed could directly face the opposite wall, where a television was mounted.
Joanna emphasises that she was both impressed and relieved that the design firm could find creative designs to cater to her requests.
Some new features she is thrilled to have include storage solutions to hide the unsightly dustbin and washing machine in the kitchen, as well as a customised drawer that's disguised as a seat in the study area to store the bulky printer.
After the two-month-long renovation that came up to $80,000, the couple feels that this apartment has finally reached its full potential, and can't be happier to enjoy their fine-tuned home for years to come.
Where to go
Sponge Pte Ltd
Tel: 6408-9771
This article first appeared on the Home & Decor.
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