Decked in a variety of natural materials, this apartment exudes character and understated beauty, complete with a selection of quirky decor and artwork.

When designing this resale apartment, interior designer JQ Ong was very clear of the brief that the homeowners Nigel Heng and Jayne Tan had. “We wanted to keep everything as authentic as possible. We didn’t want any artificial or synthetic materials used in the home — no laminates or vinyl flooring,” shares the wife, Jayne. “We just used what we could afford, including raw materials like wood or concrete. This home has nothing pretentious about it,” she adds.

Nigel and Jayne approached their friend, Kelvin Ang (@kaelawoods), to customise the round cluster-base oak dining table. They chose Japanese-made wood chairs from Atomi to complement the piece. Behind, a picture of Ladakh, India, shot by the couple’s friend, sits as decor.

The flat fronts Farrer Road, and traffic noise was a big issue. JQ knew he had to create a tranquil space and restful ambience in the home. To achieve this, he embarked on a major reconfiguration of the layout, with the master bedroom, living and dining room positioned further away from the front. To address the limited floor area, he also suggested hacking all the walls of original bedrooms, which resulted in an open-plan space for the living, dining, and kitchen areas. It was perfect for the homeowners as they enjoy having gatherings and meals with friends and family.

Right in the middle of the apartment sits the kitchen — the couple’s favourite part of the home. “We knew that we’d want to spend time with people — chilling, eating and entertaining. And this space (and the dining area) is now the most comfortable area for all that, while being very reflective of our characters,” Jayne explains.

The study at the front of the home is also a space where lots of the couple’s favourite knick-knacks are displayed, including photographs shot while in China, Ethiopia, and Iran.

“We saved the most money in the bedroom and study!” Jayne shares. “We got the bed frame for $150 from Carousell.”

A selection of rugs from Urban Outfitters and Irugs add texture and colours into the master bedroom. The homeowners also chose a quirky piece from BFGF to display behind the bed. “As we were shifting the bed into place, we got tired, so we set it down and realised it looked pretty good in this position. So we left it like that,” Jayne laughs, explaining the angle of the bed.

Natural materials such as wood and concrete are used in the bathroom, too.

Instead of spending on a wardrobe, JQ simply customised a clothes rack using a wooden rod and rope.

With a $60,000 renovation, this resale apartment now has a new lease of life and loads of character, thanks to the designer’s clever space-planning and the homeowners’ impressive taste and style.