When homeowner Tony Tan first met Tommy Lai from TLDesigns, he gave a very clear brief for his 2+1 bedroom apartment in Mohamed Sultan Road: a modern interior that’s luxurious yet understated, with a hint of “Asian-ness” to reflect his Peranakan roots. As an avid art collector, the banker asked for as many blank walls as possible so he could hang up his art pieces, with a well-planned lighting scheme designed to showcase them.
“Although the 1,109sqf unit was well-maintained, I wanted some massive changes – to create an open-concept kitchen and an open-concept study that is versatile enough to serve as a guest room,” Tony adds.
To achieve the client’s requirements, Tommy reconfigured some of the spaces within the unit, starting with the existing study adjacent to the main entrance, which has been converted into a wet kitchen and yard. “The demolition of the original kitchen walls to create an open area for lounging also allows more light into the living room,” Tommy points out.
The dining room, new study area and balcony are three spaces designed to flow seamlessly as one- visually, spatially, and also in terms of enhancing natural cross- ventilation. The study area was designed around a Moooi study table and chair that Tony fell in love with during the early stages of the interior design process. Tony also wanted the study area to double as a guest room, so it has to accommodate a queen-size bed that can be stowed away when not in use. A set of bi-fold doors gives Tony the flexibility to adjust the level of privacy in the study-cum-guest room, and also the amount of natural light and ventilation entering the dining room.
The new dry kitchen next to the living room is envisioned as a space for pre-dinner cocktails or after-dinner drinks. The generously-sized kitchen island – clad in dark wood laminate with gold trim and a dark grey Caesarstone quartz countertop – helps anchor the open- concept space. “Doing away with a television console frees up valuable floor space in the living room, which can be put to better use, especially when entertaining guests,” says Tommy.
A black-and-white digital collage print by artist Yee I-Lann was the inspiration for the design of the master suite. “The artwork depicts women sitting by paddy fields and evokes the feeling of a Chinese landscape painting,” Tommy shares. “I wanted the bedroom to be a calming space for Tony to relax in, and the sound from the condominium’s water feature outside the master bedroom balcony really brings you into the physical realm of the painting,” he explains.
The screens on the building facade, together with the bamboo plants beside the shower, filter the light entering the master bath and create an interesting play of light and shadow.
The balcony is Tommy’s labour of love, as he had to personally integrate about 500 pots of plants into the green wall system.