Home Tour: A Hong Kong couple’s 3-bedroom condo at Claymore Road

Hailing from Hong Kong, this homeowner couple in their 50s and 60s know what it is like living in a densely built-up city. Space is a luxury, something that they value and wish to enjoy to the fullest. Being in the hospitality industry, they appreciate the finer things in life, such as art, whisky and cigars. Having had opportunities to work with design talents from around the world, they are well-versed in the language of good design.

Understandably, the clients had extremely high expectations, both in terms of function and aesthetics, when it came to designing their home in Singapore - a 3-bedroom condominium in the heart of Singapore overlooking the city, that they share with their daughter who is in her early 20s.

Who Lives Here: A Hong Kong-er couple in the hospitality industry
Home: A 3-bedroom condominium at Claymore Road
Size: 2,206 sq ft

Who better to rise to the challenge than Gwen Tan, the founder and principal designer of Studio iF. The registered architect is also the co-founder of Formwerkz Architects and has over two decades of experience spanning architecture and interior design. Having worked with the clients on multiple projects both local and overseas in the past 10 years, Gwen is familiar with the clients’ exacting standards.

In addition, through her conversations with the clients, she also picked up on their lifestyle habits and the nuances in their relationship, which then informed her design.

Private Lift Lobby

The lift opens into a private foyer where mundane items such as shoes are discreetly concealed behind textured fabric wall panels. The bay window has been transformed into a gallery for displaying sculptures from the couple’s travels. Tinted patterned glass on the main door separating the private lift lobby and the apartment proper offers visitors a glimpse of what lies across the threshold and allows the homeowners to know when their guests have arrived.

Living Room Design

The living room balances elegance and comfort, making it the perfect spot for the family to lounge or to host an informal soiree with friends. Interior designer Gwen handpicked the Absolu sofa by Edra for its ergonomic design that features patented memory foam with the flexibility of adjusting the backrests in different positions. The clients had some reservations as the sofa has some exposed metal rings and holes that are not concealed by the backrests, but they respected Gwen’s professional opinion and were eventually convinced of its suitability.

Dining Room

A lot of thought went into the user experience of the dining space in different potential settings. “For instance, the dining table could cater for more than just mealtime uses, but also for intimate meetings or focused work-from-home time. Hence, the selection of the dining lamp becomes critical to best support these very diverse needs,” interior designer Gwen points out.

“I am delighted to have found the perfect dining pendant lamp from Flos - the Luce Orizzontale suspension lamp to do the job. It has three different light settings that one can just activate with a touch of the finger at the side of the lamp and it also allows seamless control of dimming for every lighting scene selected,” she adds.

While the multifunctional dining space allows the husband to “work everywhere”, the wife had concerns as to the potential mess posed by having documents everywhere. To address this, Gwen incorporated a hidden nook behind a sliding mirror panel by the whisky display in the adjacent bar. The lady of the house can be preparing a meal in the kitchen while her husband works at the dining table across from her. When it is time to set the table, he can easily and conveniently put his laptop and documents away in the hidden nook, which also houses a printer. “We wanted to encourage the family to spend quality time together even as they get busy with their individual commitments,” Gwen highlights.

Whisky Display

As a whisky and cigar lover, the husband requested for a dedicated area to house his collection and to enjoy them with one or two guests that he hosts in very intimate gatherings. The showpiece of the bar is a whisky display cabinet with natural stone doors and shelving, and bronze metal plate dividers. A backdrop of special textured wallpaper from Arte echoes the natural grains of the stone. Complementing this indoor bar is an outdoor area on the balcony where the husband can enjoy his cigars seated on one of two Husk outdoor swivel chairs from B&B Italia while taking in the sweeping view of the city skyline.

The dry kitchen faces the dining area and it is defined by a peninsula kitchen island constructed using Forest Black stone in an antique brush finish that abuts black timber fluted wall panels concealing the household shelter at the back. A backdrop of bronze tinted mirror reflects the surrouding city view.

Master Bedroom Design

Calming and relaxing, the master bedroom offers the couple a private sanctuary for resting. The fabric wallpaper was specially chosen for its delicate textures and soft lines. The light-coloured perforated metal lamps bring a much-desired play of light and shadow to best complement the iconic Tufty-bed by Patricia Urquiola from B&B Italia.

Walk-In Wardrobe

One of the bedrooms next to the master bedroom has been reconfigured to be part of the master suite and converted into a walk-in wardrobe that is fit for the lady of the house. A Rimadesio island from their former home has been integrated into the new space along with suspended display shelves along the bay window.

Stone Bathroom Design

The clients were very specific in their request for a granite stone bath in their master bathroom similar to the one in Aman Hotel, Tokyo. Interior designer Gwen had one custom made, framed on three sides by full-length glass windows. The experience was orchestrated to transport them back to the Japanese onsen that they fell in love with on their travels.

Powder Room Design

“We always find powder rooms delightful to design as we are always looking to instill guests with a sense of surprise and intrigue through interesting details,” says Gwen. In this home, the powder room features a sculptural glass Hansgrohe Axor tap that spouts water into an iconic marble tray.

A special, custom, curved mirror conceals the unsightly ventilation windows and helps to maintain the natural airflow within the compact space without compromising on visual appeal. Gwen’s attention to detail extends to how the placement of fresh eucalyptus leaves can enhance the ambience of the powder room through its delightful scent and visual impact.

A pendant light interacts enigmatically with the leafy bouquet to bring about a diffused yet dramatic atmosphere into the space.

The renovation took about 12 to 15 months and the family moved into their new home in the second half of 2023. The result is a city abode that is timeless and minimalist in its essence and which conveys a sense of understated luxury, one that reflects its owners in spirit and quality. “We wanted the space to exude a certain element of austerity while maintaining warmth and instill a sense of sophistication into the space through the refined juxtaposition of materials,” interior designer Gwen emphasises.