A 30s tech Indian couple’s 4-bedroom condo in Bayshore
This couple designed their home around a feeling, rather than a checklist. The result is a home that exudes a quiet sense of belonging from the moment you enter.
By Lynn Tan -
Share this article
Who Lives Here: A couple in their late 30s and their two young children
Home: A 4-bedroom condominium at Bayshore
Size: 2,100 sqft
Interior Designer: Nidhi Jain Associates
Alok Kumar and Shubhangee moved from India to Singapore twelve years ago. He works as a Product Manager in a health-tech startup, while she is a Customer Success Manager in a HR tech company. The couple who are in their 30s have two children - a four-year-old son and a daughter who is two-and-a-half years old.
They have been renting homes all these years as it gave them the freedom to explore and settle into a new country. However, with two young addition to the family and roots growing deeper with each passing year, the couple feel that they are ready to take the next step. For them, buying a home is not merely a transaction. “It is a declaration. We choose this place for our children, for the grandparents who cross oceans to visit, for the life that we are building here,” Alok affirms.
Their property hunt involved Sunday drives through potential neighbourhoods, spreadsheets and many a late night conversation until it suddenly dawned on them that the place that they had been searching for was right under their feet all along. They have always been renting homes in the East, in areas such as Pasir Ris and Telok Kurau, and they realised that the East is where they wanted to remain.
“East Coast has held us through different apartments, different chapters, different versions of ourselves. It is where the children have grown up with East Coast Park as their backyard,” says Shubhangee. Specifically, the decision can be attributed to the proximity to East Coast Park where Alok starts his day with an early morning run, as well as to Joo Chiat and Katong with its boutique cafes and cultural heritage.
They had their eye on this condominium in Bayshore, but ground floor units with a private outdoor space were hard to come by. When one finally came on the market, a single viewing was all it took and they closed the deal on the very same day.
Not a checklist, but a feeling
Having purchased their dream property, it was time to transform it into their dream home. The couple’s search for an interior designer left them feeling like they were being shoehorned into templates. “What we wanted was different. We did not arrive with a mood board; we arrived with a feeling. We wanted to talk about the energy we wanted in our home- the warmth, the life, the way it would feel on an ordinary evening with family around. We wanted the design to grow from that, not the other way around,” Shubhangee explains.
And then they met Nidhi Jain, the founder and principal designer of Nidhi Jain Associates. “There were no rushed quotes or pre-packaged concepts. Instead, she asked about us- how we live, what we love, what we wanted this home to feel like. Where others offered templates, she offered curiosity. Where others presented a vision for us to fit into, she built one around us,” she shares.
The couple did not want a home just for show. They wanted a living, breathing space tailored for a young and active family. They acknowledged that the home needed to be practical, but did not want to sacrifice warmth. In essence, they handed Nidhi a feeling, rather than a checklist, and the design grew organically from there. The vision manifested bit by bit, each decision informed the next, and the home came together through a process of discovery, refinement and trust.
Living room
The project focuses on openness and spatial layering expressed through a palette of natural materials. Twin arches frame the main living area, made possible by the discovery of the apartment’s lofty ceiling height during renovation. More than just an architectural expression, these arches also conceal storage within their wooden construction.
The star of the living area is the pair of custom designed wood veneer wall murals comprising various species of wood. It strikes a dialogue with the wood feature wall on the opposite side of the living room where the television console is. Together, these natural materials convey a soulful and laid back quality and a sense of being at one with nature.
Patio
The patio was what sealed the deal and the way that Nidhi has orchestrated the living room design naturally draws you towards the patio at one end of the living room. It is more than just an indoor-outdoor space.
The homeowners share that it is also an extension of everything that they love about living in the East- the lush tropical greenery, the sea breeze, and a sense of being connected to nature without stepping outside the home. The patio is where they start their mornings and wind down in the evenings.
“It is not just our favourite space in the home. It is the space that makes our home feel complete,” says Alok.
Dining room
The dining room is a cosy area anchored by a travertine dining table paired with rattan chairs and bespoke banquette seating set against a limewash green wall.
Kitchen
A galley layout maximises the efficiency of the kitchen, which as Shubhangee points out, is “the most hardworking room in any Indian household”.
The family does heavy duty cooking frequently, so the kitchen was designed to be functional without compromising on aesthetics. The green cabinetry sets the tone and a checkered black-and-white flooring adds some visual drama to spice things up.
Master bedroom
The master bedroom is a calm retreat for the couple. Black beading echoes the wood-on-wood beading on the television feature wall in the living room, while the rattan wardrobes establish a sense of continuity with the dining room chairs while giving the room a resort feel.
In one corner of the room, a round sofa presents the perfect spot for a quiet moment to read and relax while enjoying a view of the external greenery.
Bathroom
Terracotta inspired tones and a patterned flooring give this bathroom its own unique look that stands out from the rest of the home.
Children’s bedroom and guest bedroom
The children’s bedroom and the guest bedroom were initially one large room with an attached bathroom. Nidhi had them reconfigured into separate rooms sharing one bathroom. The couple’s two young children share the bedroom, which was designed to let kids be kids. It is playful, imaginative and sparks curiosity, giving the two young minds room to dream.
Exceeded expectations
The renovation took about five months from demolition to completion and the result is a home beyond what Alok and Shubhangee imagined. The couple feels that the Hindi word, sukoon, best describes their home. “It is somewhere between tranquility, contentment and the feeling of everything being exactly as it should be. When we walk into our home, this is precisely how we feel. Sorted, settled and completely at peace,” she elaborates.
For the family, this will be home for at least the next 12 to 15 years especially since the children’s schools are in the vicinity. For the couple, home is a place that feels like it was always yours, even before you arrive. “It holds your story, grows with your family and at the end of every day, however long and demanding, it is exactly where you want to be,” Alok believes.