Home Tour: $220,000 Renovation for a 40s business owner couple’s 4-bedroom condo at Meyer Road

The clients are business owners in their mid-40s who have travelled, studied and lived around the world. Singapore is home, a place where they make memories with family and friends. The couple was not interested in any of the trending styles such as Scandinavian or Japandi. What they really wanted was to celebrate local culture in a modern way, blended with their travels. 

Who: A family of four 
Home: A 4-bedroom condominium at Meyer Road
Size: 2,637 sqf
Interior Designer: ipse ipsa ipsum

ipse ipsa ipsum Interior Design

They worked with ipse ipsa ipsum, the design leads for the project who provided design direction, product design, material selection and fabrication, and also supplied all the loose furniture pieces, in collaboration with the architectural team from Studio IGG.

The interior design of the apartment, which they moved into in mid-2021, reflects ipse ipsa ipsum’s pursuit of a “new authenticity” as modern life becomes increasingly homogeneous.

“Combining a high level of craftsmanship with unique materials, we celebrate living a life less ordinary because we believe everyone should live life on their own terms,” says Sam, the founder of ipse ipsa ipsum. “Looking for Singaporean originality, we delved into the rich, multicultural heritage of Singapore and explored the city’s modernity to develop an aesthetic that is uniquely Singaporean. The result is a metamorphosed furniture design inspired by Singapore’s heritage which aspires to disrupt the uniformity of urban life,” he adds.

$220,000 Renovation Cost

As the apartment was in its original condition, the team put in new plumbing, tiling, air-conditioning, lighting and paintwork. The kitchen and bathrooms were completely hacked and redone. These contractual works cost about $140,000, with an additional $80,000 for furniture and furnishings. 

Sustainable Renovation Materials

Sustainability was an important aspect of the client’s brief. Apart from requesting to retain the original teak floors and solid doors, they also opted for eco-friendly materials wherever possible.

In the living room, the organic cotton canvas upholstered sofa and the handwoven rug made from recycled PET bottle yarn are not only environmentally friendly, but also low maintenance as wine spills can be easily washed off.

The suspended shelf in the study and activity room is fabricated using teak reclaimed from old doors, beams and windows, which interior designer Sam considers a modern take on a tree house. In the balcony area, you will find a coffee counter table made from recycled drink cans. 

Entrance Foyer

Another consideration was to have fewer built-in carpentry and to use less laminates. This provided the impetus to explore the use of an interesting palette of materials. Take the entrance foyer for instance. Instead of the conventional built-in cabinets, the team installed a boho chic sideboard with bone inlay inspired by the old hexagon-shaped iron grilles found in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood.

“The clients’ parents and family have always lived in the Katong neighbourhood, so we took the opportunity to take a bit of its history and bring it to life in a contemporary setting without compromising functionality,” interior designer Sam shares. Even the palm tree table lamp on the sideboard has a significance. It reminds the clients of the tree-lined road leading from Changi airport, which makes them feel relaxed and gives them a feeling of home when they step into the entrance foyer after their travels. 

Sons’ Bedroom

Another intriguing element is the solar system wall light feature in the boy’s room. Aged 12 and 10, the boys have been fascinated by astronomy ever since their family holiday to New Zealand. The planets are made from semi-precious stones such as amethyst, jade and blue agate orbiting along light strips.

“It symbolises the parents’ wish for their sons to never lose their sense of wonder and adventure, and to always be curious and explore the world. For believers of feng shui, these stones also provide positive energy,” interior designer Sam points out. Putting together this feature piece was no mean feat.

“An LED running behind the stones planets would have resulted in lines instead of an even glow. We had to install an acrylic backing to achieve that full, even illumination effect,” he explains. A similar solution was applied to the basin made of white quartz crystal pieces in the powder room. 

Living Room

One of the homeowners’ favourite pieces is the Peranakan sliding screen that adorns the living room wall. It was inspired by a bedspread from the Peranakan Museum - the phoenix bird rises from the ashes and the tree of life has its origins in Indian mythology with Javanese colours.  

For ipse ipsa ipsum, this project reflects the clients’ personalities and brings their vision to life in a non-traditional and sustainable manner. “It is possible to support hand craftsmanship and artisanal work within a modern context without compromising functionality, which is critical in our pieces and in the preservation of the earth,” interior designer Sam emphasises.