Home Tour: $150,000 Japanese renovation for a bachelor’s 2-bedroom condo at Shenton Way
This homeowner decided to take his appreciation for Japanese culture and aesthetics to the next level by bringing Japan right into his home.
By Lynn Tan -
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Travelling is something that people enjoy for various reasons- to see the world and experience different cultures, for leisure, to recharge and get away from the daily grind. Homeowner, Mickey Ong, enjoys visiting Japan and loves the culture and aesthetics so much that he decided to design his apartment around everything Nippon.
“The Japanese quiet luxury, clean lines, uncluttered, yet functional look attract me,” says the bachelor in his 40s who works in management in the media and entertainment industry. His brief to Luke Zaw, the design director of the commercial division at Homeworks Consultancy was to create a modern, minimalist, Japanese style home where he can entertain his friends and business partners.
Who Lives Here: A bachelor in his 40s
Home: A 2-bedroom condominium in Shenton Way
Size: 969 sq ft
Interior Designer: Luke Zaw from Homeworks Consultancy
Shoji Door
A shoji door separates the entrance foyer from the rest of the apartment and heightens the dramatic effect of the panoramic view across the Southern waterfront. Sliding the shoji door all the way to the opposite end allows it to double up as the door to the adjacent kitchen. The existing wall between the entrance foyer and kitchen was demolished to incorporate built-in storage and a shoe cabinet.
No Living Room
Homeowner Mickey and interior designer Luke made the bold move of doing away with the living room to create a larger dining area. This may be unconventional in a home, but it addresses the client’s specific requirement for hosting and entertaining.
Even with a 10-seater dining table, there is still ample room for guests to walk around and mingle, take in the million-dollar view and appreciate the Japanese Zen stone garden purposefully integrated at one end of the bay window. “We decided to add this stone garden to create visual continuity between the waterfront view and dining area,” Luke explains.
Sintered Stone Dining Table
The sintered stone dining tabletop strikes a dialogue with the pendant light above. Inspired by Aman Tokyo, Luke customised the light design with washi paper for consistency with the rest of the home. The dining chairs were also carefully selected and custom ordered in a special fabric upholstery. The feature wall along one side of the dining area conceals built-in storage cabinets, a wine fridge, a bar, and the entrance to the master bedroom. This was made possible by hacking the wall between the dining area and master bedroom.
Master Bedroom Design
Beyond the hidden door lies Mickey’s private sanctuary. There is a desk in the corner and the sleeping area is elevated on a platform that is aligned with the bay window. This achieves the sensation of being level with the horizon from the bed, which is perfect since Mickey loves waking up to the unblocked view from the bedroom. The light wood veneer, patterned wallpaper and wood flooring palette is consistent with the rest of the home and reinforces the design theme.
Within the master bedroom, Luke introduced a walk-in wardrobe with specially-designed half moon handles that can also be seen on the shoji door at the entrance foyer. In the case of the wardrobe doors, each pair of semi-circular handles come together to form a complete circle that poetically alludes to the Land of the Rising Sun. The open section of the wardrobe is conceived as a showcase complete with LED light since it is accessible from within the master bedroom, as well as the corridor leading to the powder room and second bedroom.
Zen Bedroom
The second bedroom is referred to as the Zen room and this is where Mickey can host smaller groups of friends or watch television. Like the master bedroom, it is raised on a platform not just for the vista, but also to increase storage space and to conceal a folding bed. The built-in storage and feature wall on one side of the zen room sports quintessentially Japanese elements such as wooden lattice work and a circular light feature. “We designed the central feature display as a blank canvas for the client to showcase different artwork based on his mood and the season,” says Luke.
$150,000 Renovation Cost
Homeowner Mickey moved into his bachelor pad in June 2024 after 12 weeks of renovation. The cost came up to about $150,000 excluding furniture and furnishings. The interior design has fulfilled his vision of creating a soothing and warm place to come home to. He shares: “A lot of thought and heart has been put into every part of the home. I appreciate the finer things in life and my home reflects this.” For Luke, it is about tailoring the design according to the client’s preferences and lifestyle, and not shying away from adopting a more unconventional approach in order to achieve this.