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Houzz Tour: A Light, Airy Flat is Given an Elegant Update
Two designers cleverly fulfilled a brief for “practical and minimal” while creating a space with warmth and personality
The newlywed owners of this flat called on Sync Interior to renovate their first home, a two-storey apartment in Telok Kurau, in south-east Singapore, with “a simple and minimalist concept”. Designers Eric Chua and Terence Chia worked together to fulfil the brief, which asked for “functional and practical”, and they added stylish local flavour to the design.
The first floor of the apartment contains the public areas, with a foyer leading to an open-plan living room, dining space and kitchen.
A run of cupboards along the window wall creates plenty of storage. “In the living room, we made use of the existing sunken structure under the window to create a built-in cabinet,” Eric says.
“That’s [also] the bar area,” he adds. The designers imported a wood slab from Indonesia to use for the bespoke, built-in bar top. “The owners do some of their work here, as well as chill with friends,” Eric says. “It gets plenty of fresh air and daylight.”
A run of cupboards along the window wall creates plenty of storage. “In the living room, we made use of the existing sunken structure under the window to create a built-in cabinet,” Eric says.
“That’s [also] the bar area,” he adds. The designers imported a wood slab from Indonesia to use for the bespoke, built-in bar top. “The owners do some of their work here, as well as chill with friends,” Eric says. “It gets plenty of fresh air and daylight.”
The dining area connects to the ‘dry kitchen’ (mostly for food preparation), creating the ideal entertaining space for when the owners invite friends and family. There’s also a ‘wet kitchen’, seen in the reflection of the dining area’s mirror, and used for heavy cooking.
For a seamless flow between the living and dining spaces and the dry kitchen, the designers laid vinyl flooring (they also used this on the second floor). They paired the quartz worktop with deep green laminate for the kitchen cabinets, while the owners created the metal-framed open shelving over the worktop themselves, Eric says.
The dining table and chairs were custom-made in Indonesia.
For a seamless flow between the living and dining spaces and the dry kitchen, the designers laid vinyl flooring (they also used this on the second floor). They paired the quartz worktop with deep green laminate for the kitchen cabinets, while the owners created the metal-framed open shelving over the worktop themselves, Eric says.
The dining table and chairs were custom-made in Indonesia.
“We kept the uniqueness of the staircase structure’s design, simply staining the steps and handrail to a darker wood finish,” Eric says.
The walls and ceiling are white, the windows trimmed in black, the wood detailing is dark, and the furniture has a midcentury silhouette.
The walls and ceiling are white, the windows trimmed in black, the wood detailing is dark, and the furniture has a midcentury silhouette.
There are two bedrooms, a study and a bathroom on the second floor.
Find renovation professionals near you to help with your project.
Find renovation professionals near you to help with your project.
“In the master bedroom, we built an L-shaped wardrobe and made use of the existing sunken structure under the bedroom window to create a built-in storage cabinet [see previous photo],” Eric says.
A soothing combination of grey and navy complements the neutral base of white walls and dark flooring.
A soothing combination of grey and navy complements the neutral base of white walls and dark flooring.
The designers accented the white bathroom with black fittings for a minimalist and timeless design.
One of the bedrooms was converted into a study and hobby room.
The designers opted to keep the balcony’s existing mosaic floor tiles for its uniqueness and simply decorated it with potted plants.
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The designers opted to keep the balcony’s existing mosaic floor tiles for its uniqueness and simply decorated it with potted plants.
Tell us…
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Who lives here? A newlywed couple
Location Telok Kurau, Singapore
Property A two-storey apartment
Size Three bedrooms (one now converted into a study); 1,593 sq ft (148 sq m)
Project duration Two months
Designer Eric Chua and Terence Chia of Sync Interior