Home Tour: A millennial couple’s 3-bedroom condo in Marine Parade with high ceilings
The double high ceilings in this condo…are everything!
By Shannon Osztonits -
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A home that is destined to change with the seasons — much like the homeowner’s outlook whenever she’s cooking or baking up a storm — instead of adhering to a particular set theme, this millennial couple sought to create a home that can evolve with them.
A place to grow and expand, a space that shifts with the homeowners for all the different versions of themselves.
Family-oriented; they loved the idea of a large living room during their house hunting journey. As fate would have it, this condominium offered exactly that. This husband and wife got an even bigger (and better) surprise after their interior designer from miid studio discovered high ceilings above the original false ceiling!
“When we got the unit, we hadn’t realised that we had a high ceiling. Afterwards, it led us to change or let us think a bit more in terms of what we could do with the area,” the homeowner says. “North of four meters, we wanted to make sure that we keep it very brightly lit, and have sufficient lighting in that area for nighttime. So it’s nice and kind of cosy in that sense.”
It was the best decision possible, as their stunning high ceilings with now-exposed beams are a “wow” moment in this abode.
The family opted for a wet and dry kitchen where mingling with guests is encouraged. It opens out onto the living area.
Who Lives Here: A husband who works in the finance industry and wife, a sustainability consultant, both in their early 30s
Home: 3-Bedroom Condo
Size: 1,300 sq ft
Interior Designer: miid studio
The condo features three bedrooms, including a well-spaced master bedroom, two bathrooms, an open-plan living and dining area, and a wet and dry kitchen. A complete gutting, the only feature that remained untouched was the original marble tiles in the living and dining areas and other floors.
“We really liked the large windows, and wanted a good balcony area to step out and enjoy a morning coffee,” the homeowners recall. “The view and location are very soothing and calming in the morning.”
The home features a collection of furniture, new and old, with treasured pieces from the homeowner’s family home, now here.
High-Beam Ceiling Living Room
Thanks to the tall windows and high beams (finished in a laminate for a real-wood look, otherwise using real wood would pose as too heavy), the living room feels very grand, but homely at the same time. It’s giving traditional-meets-modern Danish vibes.
Favouring brown shades for a nature-inducing feeling, the furniture in this space is a combination of neutral tones. This will pair beautifully with the house plants the homeowners plan on adding in future.
Castlery chairs and sofa match the coffee table (from Taobao) in the same palette. The TV console is also from Taobao, with a Samsung television mounted above (which the homeowners love flipping on to replicate a painting instead of a TV). The standing lamp comprises an Island Living base and a lampshade from IKEA.
The dining area has its own space, sharing half the area with the living room.
Open-Concept Dining Room
An eight-seater dining table features dark wishbone chairs, lending a Mid-Century Modern touch. This is balanced by light voile curtains, white walls, as well as the light marble flooring.
A stunning set of orientalish lantern pendants hangs above the dining table for dimension.
Nothing sections off the dry kitchen.
Wet & Dry Kitchen
“Another important thing to us is that we like to host and cook. We wanted a setup where we can host people for lunch or dinners. The partially open kitchen is very intentional.”
It feels like you’re about to take a seat inside a fine dining restaurant, where you can witness the chefs in action. The dry kitchen is completely open, whereas the wet kitchen next to it is sectioned off with a glass panel. It’s the perfect setup for when guests are over, and the couple can still be social and entertain family and friends.
The dry kitchen back wall features a collection of recipe books.
Beneath the dry kitchen island is a dishwasher, microwave, and storage, as well as plenty of space and drawers for the homeowner’s beloved bakingware.
You enter the wet kitchen via the dry kitchen. The two kitchens are divided by a stylish glass and black framed sliding door. The petal-shaped pendant light across the dry kitchen island is from Taobao.
Although both kitchens are separate, they still feel very much like they belong. The design across each is the same: light cream shaker cabinets for the top areas, with more oak-like laminate-finished bottom drawers. The sintered stone island is uniform, starting from the dry kitchen and extending all the way through and wrapping around the wet kitchen counters.
Brass gold kitchen taps and mixers are all Hansgrohe.
The master bedroom floors are the property’s original.
Zen Master Bedroom
Employing white tones, greys and neutrals, the master bedroom is ultra zen. The room attracts great natural lighting, which begins filtering through at 6 AM sharp (thanks to their automated curtains set to this precise time).
The bed is king-sized, with an Alan Living cane wicker bedside table adding a homely touch, as well as matching the floors. The walls are intentionally light too, and are done in the same limewash as the living room. Built-in ambient lighting lights up the back wall, alongside the ceiling ones.
Leading in from one side of the room is the en suite. The bathroom’s exterior frame is a different white shade from the rest of the master.
Primary En Suite Design
Throughout every room, there is uniformity, whether it’s the choice of colours or materials. The primary en suite is no different, and the earthier tone matches the master bedroom very well.
Opting for opaque glass doors creates an illusion, making the master bathroom appear larger.
All of the bathroom’s wall and floor tiles are Hafary.
Overall, the bathroom is really spacious, equipped with a rainshower, custom vanity (complete with a sintered stone counter and laminate cabinets) and toilet.
The Amalfi bed flips up to reveal a desk.
Guest Bedroom Design
The same shaker-style cabinetry seen in the kitchen is used in the guest bedroom. There’s a real sense of flow between each room because of this technique. Even handles are the same, albeit positioned at different angles. It’s a clever concept for homeowners after a seamless interior design. The same goes for the dark laminates in the guest bedroom.
Part of the house’s original structure is the ledges in every bedroom. The design team added an oak wood top, making each room and this particular feature feel a lot warmer as opposed to exposed concrete.
The common bathroom has a custom vanity, toilet and shower.
Common Bathroom Design
Within the common bathroom is the type of shower that’s hard to pull yourself from. Its spacious design sets it apart from the typical shower settings. Green Hafary subway tiles are used for the floor, walls and seated bench, which emphasises its size. The sink was purchased from RIGEL.
The condo’s foyer boasts an arched design, lending geometry to the home’s first point of entry. The archway itself is a mirror for an outfit check. Within is a stool and shoe storage.
If the happy couple were to redo the process over, they’d like to put more care and thought into making it a complete smart home, with its switches, energy efficiency and conservation approaches.
“We’d advise other potential homeowners to make a more conscious effort when visiting homes. Start marking out things you like and don’t like,” the couple says. “This eliminates dragging things out and helps you in the long run with decision-making.