Home Tour: All-white 4-bedroom home in Pandan Valley, Singapore's first condominium built in 1977

This 4-bedroom condo is located in Pandan Valley, Singapore’s first condominium. Designed by veteran architect, Tan Cheng Siong, who was also responsible for Singapore’s first super high-rise housing, Pearl Bank Apartments.

Pandan Valley was built in 1977 at a time when condominium living was not as ubiquitous as it is today. It was quite the architectural icon of its time and what makes it even more interesting until today is the mind-boggling array of unit types and floor plans that are interlocked and stacked within each block, almost like a Tangram puzzle. There are also various split levels within each unit. This is quite unlike the cookie-cutter condominium designs that we are familiar with, where a few standard plan types are arranged together. 

Who lives here: A couple, their son and two cats
Home: A 4-bedroom condominium at Pandan Valley
Size: 3,500 sq ft (approximate)
Interior design: Artistroom

Pandan Valley floor plans

With so many different layouts and unit sizes within the development, it took businessman and homemaker, Thomas and Linda Ling, who are 68 and 60 years old respectively, a few viewings before they finally found the perfect unit. Having moved from a landed home in which they have been living for the past few decades, the apartment’s expansive, tiered outdoor terraces spread over two levels was a huge draw. 

Artist room interior design

Their search for an interior designer brought them to Artistroom. They were impressed with not just the studio’s portfolio, but also the interior design that the team proposed for the couple, which was very different from what other interior designers came up with.

Closed cabinets for storage sits alongside open shelving display for the family's collectibles.

One example was their proposal for the existing bedroom located on the lower floor with the dining, kitchen and yard. “We do not require four bedrooms. Turning the existing bedroom into a new dining room makes a lot of sense. Together with the living area on the upper level, we can easily host 30 guests,” says homeowner Linda. 

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Lower floor

The lower level underwent major reconfiguration. The existing bedroom has been transformed into a new dining room, while the former dining room is now a dry kitchen with a kitchen island where all the baking takes place.

Retractable kitchen pocket doors open to reveal a coffee pantry area in this 3,500 sq ft 4-bedroom Pandan Valley condo.

Outdoor yard

The existing yard and powder room on the same floor have also been reconfigured according to the family’s needs. There is plenty of storage within the spacious wet and dry kitchens, as well as between the kitchen and yard as the lady of the house likes to keep everything clutter-free. “I like things neat. Everything goes back to its place after use,” she shares.

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Spare bedroom

Lined up along the length of the main level of the apartment are the rest of the bedrooms. The first bedroom nearest the living room has been set aside as a spare bedroom for when the couple’s daughter visits.

Son's bedroom

The second bedroom belongs to their son and provisions were made for his exercise equipment and shoe collection.

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Master bedroom patio

The master bedroom is at the end of the corridor, right next to the outdoor terraces. It opens out directly to an outdoor lower patio with a new pantry and sink, where homeowners Thomas and Linda have their breakfast in the mornings. 

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Minimal interior design

The homeowners wanted a simple, minimalist and clean design that is also easy to maintain as they do not have a live-in helper and do most of the cleaning themselves. They also have two cats, so the choice of materials and finishes had to take this into consideration.

The Artistroom team shared that the homeowners preferred a neutral palette comprising greys, whites and browns, and not too many wood tones in the home. The team introduced large-format stone-like porcelain tiles in the living room and bathrooms to break the monotony.

They also incorporated wood sparingly to soften the effect and also allow the furniture and art to stand out. 

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Framed paintings by Seychelles-based artist Michael Adams adorn the walls of this 3,500 sq ft 4-bedroom Pandan Valley condo.

Art collection

Pieces of artwork line the walls of the home. A number of them are prints of works by renowned artist Michael Adams, who has a gallery in Seychelles. Homeowner Thomas came across the artist’s works when he first visited the archipelago some 30 years ago on business.

“I am fascinated by his use of vivid colours and they reflect the very nature of Seychelles,” says Thomas. Taking pride of place in the living room are two other pieces that Thomas holds dear.

Framed artworks on the wall sandwich a mid-size Chen Wen Ling sculpture.

A son's memory

One captures a snippet of a streetscape along Club Street, while the other depicts a barber serving a customer along a five-foot way. Thomas lived in Club Street for a few years after he was born. It was also where his father operated a barber service along one of the five-foot ways.

“I chanced upon a tourism brochure featuring my father, the only image that I have of my father performing his trade. I commissioned an artist in the Philippines to paint a watercolour version based on the brochure,” Thomas shares. 

Artwork line the clean, minimal, white walls of this 3,500 sq ft 4-bedroom Pandan Valley condo.

Irregular layouts

The unique layouts of the apartments in Pandan Valley may have their architectural merits, but it did pose some challenges during the renovation. As the units with different floor plans are not directly stacked on top of each other, this means that the pipes and services do not line up vertically. In most high-rise apartment blocks, the discharge pipe from say, a bathroom, would align with that of the bathroom below. In this case, it could end up above a bedroom, for instance. What this meant for the renovation team was that when gutting out the apartment, they had to understand where each pipe connects to and resolve any leakages immediately. 

The family moved into their new home in July 2023 after a 7-month renovation. There was a slight delay in completion as some fabrication and installation works were held up due to materials that had to be imported. 

The Artistroom interior design team expressed that the project was a very enjoyable one as the clients gave them full rein in terms of the interior design. They are also very pleased with the result as it showcases their strength in space planning and proportioning.

For the meticulous couple, they appreciate that the design helps them keep the home looking immaculate. In addition, Linda points out: “Although this is a condominium, the outdoor spaces make it feel like the landed home that we were used to, so we do not miss much. We love the lower patio where we can sit, relax and enjoy the outdoors.” 

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