Deep and bold — that was the look that this young couple, who had just gotten the keys to their Bukit Batok apartment, wanted when they approached IN-EXPAT to do their renovation.
While they loved the modern industrial and midcentury-modern styles, they also wanted to keep it minimalist and avoid going overboard with the look. It had to be a visually calming space. To achieve this, IN-EXPAT carefully planned out the look using a “less is more” philosophy.
AT A GLANCE
Type of home: 4-room HDB flat in Bukit Batok
Size of home: 96 sqm
Who lives here: A young couple
ID: IN-EXPAT
Website: http://inexpat.com.sg
In the living room, IN-EXPAT paired a midcentury-modern look with modern industrial accents. The result was a clean-lined aesthetic with the rich chocolate hue of the custom carpentry and black aluminium fixtures contrasting with the whitewashed walls.
IN-EXPAT also added white tiles to the half-height wall beneath the window looking into the kitchen, creating a bar face of sorts that is both subtle and visually interesting.
The master bedroom and adjoining common room were merged to allow plenty of room for a walk-in wardrobe. The two are segregated by means of black aluminium framed glass panels, so that the sleeping quarters and dressing quarters are kept distinct.
To add a pop of colour, one of the walls was painted a bold, deep blue. This, together with the gold accents of the lighting and wardrobe handles, lends a touch of luxe that elevates the overall look.
The kitchen was expanded thanks to the removal of the yard wall and the boundary wall between the kitchen and dining area. This new configuration allowed more natural light in, making it a bright and airy space. At the same time, it’s still a practical space to do cooking in, since the kitchen is separated from the rest of the home by the black aluminium-framed glass panels that can be closed during meal preparation.
To lend visual interest to the monochromatic palette, IN-EXPAT used a variety of different-patterned tiles. For the backsplash, they used the same tiles that previously appeared in the living room, and on the opposite wall, they used fan tiles. Golden fixtures finish off the overall look.
The same black-framed glass panels also appear in the other parts of the home for a cohesive aesthetic, as well as the carpentry with dark wood grain accents, all custom-made by IN-EXPAT in their own workshop.
The bathroom is cloaked in monochrome hues as well, and made visually interesting with the use of contrasting shapes.
Photography: Wong Weiliang
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