When Roy Huang and Eileen Leow first approached interior designer Lawrence Puah, director of Akihaus Design Studio, they thought that they would be getting a home that was a hybrid between the industrial and Scandinavian styles, according to their respective preferences.
Trends vs Timeless Designs
From his experience, Lawrence observes that homeowners are easily influenced by the latest trends that they see in magazines. “Trends come and go, so when it comes to designing home interiors, I usually advise clients to go for something more timeless,” he says.
His approach was to extract what exactly it was about the two styles that the couple liked.
Industrial vs Scandinavian Interior Design
In the process, he discovered that it was the matte finish of raw cement characteristic of the industrial style that appealed to Roy, while Eileen was drawn to the Scandinavian style’s light colours.
With these revelations, Lawrence set about designing the home according to these specific preferences, rather than just aesthetics.
All White Living Room
The living room features a predominantly white palette.
Built-in cabinets designed like a feature wall run the entire length of the living room to provide storage space that the homeowners needed.
The brass inlays on the white laminate cabinet doors were treated to resemble rose gold, adding a touch of glitz that Eileen adores.
The original floor tiles were replaced with marble-look tiles, honed to produce a matte finish.
“Raw cement floors can feel gritty and cold on bare feet, but these matte tiles give a warm and furry sensation,” he says.
Lines Aplenty
The design of the built-in wall storage, the sofa configuration and ceiling all reinforce the linearity of the space.
A Husband’s Kitchen
The kitchen is Roy’s domain as he enjoys cooking.
In contrast to the living room’s white palette, the main colour in the kitchen is black to create a more masculine look, complemented by white Caesarstone countertops.
The brass inlays on the black laminate cabinet doors use the same design language as the storage cabinets in the living room – albeit in a different colour – providing a sense of connection between the two spaces.
Lawrence cladded a bulky rectangular column at the corner of the kitchen with the same brass-on-black finish, harmoniously integrating it into the kitchen scheme.
Mirror for Depth
Instead of hanging the poster and mirror on the wall, propping them up on a side table adds depth to an otherwise planar surface.
Bedroom with Walk-In Wardrobe
Two adjacent bedrooms were merged into one master suite comprising the bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and bathroom.
Luxury Walk-In Wardrobe
The walk-in wardrobe was designed to reflect Eileen’s preference for light colours, while brass inlays in the wardrobe doors and brass-finished handles add a touch of luxury.
The doors also have the same rectangular frame motif as the living room and kitchen carpentry.
Master Bathroom
The vanity counter in the master bathroom uses a similar inlay motif as the rest of the house, but it is executed in stainless steel instead of brass.
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This story first appeared in Home & Decor in 2017.