Genius space planning, thinking out of the box, and an eye for form and colour can change a space beyond recognition. These amazing transformations show the possibilities of what your home could look like.
Oriental illusion
Architology breathed new life into this 49-year-old condominium apartment at Peach Garden in the East Coast area with a luxe contemporary concept.
The design team replaced the dull palette and dim spaces with rich wood surfaces that contrast with white walls and marble flooring. With the overhaul, the home has an open, flowing feel that allows the owner to showcase her antique collection and sentimental pieces.
“The challenge was in being able to represent items in a poetic new light. The pieces were rearranged to better suit the apartment’s functional layout,” says Bu Shukun, Architology’s Design Director.
LEFT: The home before renovation
From Cluttered to Minimalist
A four-storey Bright Hill Crescent house gets a bright, minimalist makeover by MOW Interior Design. Principal designer Shermaine Ong kept the 30-year-old marble and parquet flooring as it added warmth, but reworked the windows to allow for more natural light, and replaced the wood of the balustrade by the elevated dining area and staircase with tempered glass to enhance the sense of space.
Shermaine adds, “We also altered the kitchen and created a new and larger entrance at the side to make space for an island.”
LEFT: Before renovation
Space expansion
The kitchen in this resale condominium apartment used to be enclosed. While the window maintained a visual flow to the living and dining areas, the home still felt constricted. The owner shared a desire for an open kitchen with a modern and luxurious concept with The Orange Cube’s design director Karen Bohn.
Today, the kitchen, fronted by a bar that’s an outstanding feature of this home, and the dining and living areas, which share a palette of dark finishes, marble and gold trimming, co-exist in one big, open space.
Flexible Living
Now home to a family of three, this 40-year-old Spottiswoode Park apartment used to have three bedrooms, an enclosed kitchen and a T-shaped living area. Design studio Upstairs_ stripped the entire place to create a spacious, open-plan home.
The structural beams overhead were also reimagined as a tic-tac-toe grid for wired glass doors. And the sliding doors mean the spaces can be closed off or opened up.
Upstairs_ also introduced a 4.5-metre dining counter, a lounge area and a reading room to the T-shaped living area.
As a nod to the apartment and building’s history, the original embossed-metal unit numbers were repurposed for the entrance.
Understated Appeal
Rethinking the layout is an effective way of catering to specific lifestyle needs. In this case, two bedrooms in a four-bedroom resale apartment at Robertson Quay were removed and absorbed into its living area.
The extra space is now occupied by a newly created lounge area that connects the living and dining areas. A free-flowing arrangement like this, accented by walls in colours and textures, is perfect for the couple who entertains frequently.
Design by Studio Wills + Architects
Modern Makeover
Once decked out in cream and lime green, this old walk-up is now a sleek abode with wood finishes, black slate tiles and black tinted mirror panels by Metaphor Studio, which retained the three bedrooms in its new design.
By removing several walls, including those in the storeroom and kitchen, the space planning now includes a host of storage solutions, as well as privacy with a camouflaged entrance to the bedrooms.
Primarily, the home is designed for frequent large gatherings. An island in the kitchen, customised for more seating, is great for when the family entertains.
“All built-in storage compartments were carefully configured in the wall panelling design for the entire interior. It appears as a single entity that stretches from the entrance and all the way to the service yard located beyond the kitchen,” says creative director Stephen Goh.
Monochrome mood
This condominium apartment now wears a chic palette of white and black. Studio XMSL catered to the owners’ preference for a light and airy aesthetic with white finishes and contemporary European trimmings.
Fittings, furniture and furnishings all contribute to the sense of lightness. For instance, a TV console feature wall of rare white marble finished in an acid wash creates visual impact in this largely black and white space. And furniture in dark walnut imbue warmth and contrast.
A sensuous entertainment space
Home to a couple and their two dogs now, this five-room Tiong Bahru walk-up, formerly a home office, is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to a dramatic change by Three-D Conceptwerke that retained much of the original features.
Striking architectural elements such as the curved walls have been embraced and assimilated into the swanky new concept. The living area with the curved wall, for instance, is an entertainment area with a dark and cosy bar-like ambience.
Also, with a reconfigured layout, the long hallway has become a walk-in wardrobe passageway flanked by dark-framed doors.
Cultural Heritage
What initially began as a refresh to update the living area and electrical system in this HDB maisonette became an extensive project involving the flooring, windows, ceiling and decor. Among other things, new furniture and soft furnishings were brought in, and brightened up the living area instantly.
Interior design firm Aiden T also commissioned a decorative screen, which took four months to hand-carve in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Wallpaper from France was another impactful update. Even the curtains were carefully considered for the grand ambience.
Bold Scandinavian look
Owned by a bachelorette, this four-room DBSS unit went from a space with dated storage units, wardrobes and wallpaper to a Scandinavian home with a twist that includes details customised by design studio Wolf Woof for visual interest.
Today, it features a combination of earthy and black-and-white surfaces interspersed with geometric patterns. The underutilised balcony now serves as a place to relax and can even be a secondary dining area in the evening.
“We tore down the wall shelves and mirrored wall, and then created a custom banquette, complete with metal bars, leather straps and custom-printed fabric for the backrest. This has made the area a huge talking point,” says design director Carmen Tang.