Home Tour: Interior designer couple’s $200,000 renovation for their 4-bedroom condo in Toa Payoh
Designing a contemporary luxury home for themselves and their family is a deeply personal journey for this interior designer couple.
By Lynn Tan -
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When it comes to designing their own home, interior designers, Jeffrey Heng and Jean Sim, who are the director and general manager of Ace Interior Design respectively see it as an opportunity to exercise their full creative freedom and to focus on what feels authentic and meaningful to them.
In contrast, working on a client’s home is about understanding and designing for the client’s lifestyle, aspirations and needs. While both require creativity, problem-solving and attention to detail, the key difference lies in the approach, emotional connection and decision-making process.
“My own home is a reflection of my personal design philosophy and I get to explore bolder or more experimental ideas,” says Jean, who is 38 years old.
Who Lives Here: A couple, their three children and a helper
Home: A 4-bedroom condominium in Toa Payoh
Size: 1,485 sq ft
Interior Designers: Homeowners Jeffrey Heng and Jean Sim, both from Ace Interior Design
Frameless doors line the corridor.
Ace Interior Design
Their line of work exposes them to a plethora of design styles, materials and concepts, which can sometimes be a little overwhelming, especially when designing their own home. 39-year-old Jeffrey admits: “The paradox of choice can make decision-making more stressful and I find myself constantly questioning which aesthetic truly reflects me, should I experiment with new materials or stick to tried and tested ones, and whether I will still love this design five years down the road.”
A view of the storage space alongside the artificial tree, offering both practical storage and artistic flair in the home’s design.
Contemporary Luxury Interior Design
Fortunately, the couple were able to settle on an interior design theme for their new home, which they share with their three children - two girls aged 10 and eight, and a three-year-old boy. They wanted a combination of warm contemporary, understated luxury and soft wabi-sabi.
A neutral and earthy colour palette comprising soft greys, warm beiges and natural wood tones establish a calm and inviting ambience with a timeless aesthetic, complemented by subtle pops of brass and muted pastels. Texture wise, a layering of fluted wood panels, leather laminates, woven rattan and brass trimmings offer contrast, tactile richness and depth.
There is also a balance between geometric and organic forms where the sharp, structured lines of cabinetry and fixtures are juxtaposed against the rounded edges of furniture, lighting elements and decorative accents. The organic veining of stone tiles, textured walls and intricate wallpaper designs enrich the interior without detracting from its minimalist aesthetics.
An artificial tree surrounded by pebbles, softly illuminated, creating an art-like presence, with discreet storage space tucked behind it.
Foyer Design
At the entrance foyer, brass inlays within the warm wood cabinetry add a subtle touch of luxury. The combination of smooth stone, fluted detailing and metallic accents create an interesting visual tapestry.
The dining area with a marble dining table and chairs, complemented by a dark wood feature wall and a whisky display shelf, creating an inviting atmosphere for family meals.
Dining Room Design
The dining and living rooms read as one large space with a dark wood feature wall that stretches across both areas. It incorporates the television and a column of discreet shelving where the couple displays their whisky collection.
The light colours of the marble dining table and dining chairs contrast with the dark coloured wall while the rounded profiles of the table and chairs foster a sense of ease and relaxation in addition to being child friendly.
The couple dispensed with a coffee table in the living area, so that the children can have a big space to run around in. “When we host, the space can be used to set up an extra portable dining table, a poker table or mahjong table,” says Jeffrey.
A functional yet elegant kitchen with deep wood-toned cabinetry and veined stone countertop.
Organic Luxury Kitchen Design
The functional kitchen has been elevated into a space that exudes an organic luxury. Embedded LED strip lighting draws the eye up towards the curved ceiling that accentuates the contours of the space and highlights the architectural quality of the kitchen. Deep, wood-toned kitchen cabinets inject a sense of warmth and contrast with the veined stone countertop and backsplash.
A well-organised space featuring ample storage cabinets and hanging rails, with the washing machine tucked neatly away.
Service Yard
Tucked discreetly behind the kitchen, out of sight from the rest of the home, the yard is a well-organised space with ample storage cabinets for the vacuum cleaner and laundry items, as well as multiple hanging rails for clothes. The door panels with slatted wood addresses ventilation issues.
A sleek, modern door seamlessly integrated into the wall, enhancing the minimalist aesthetic of the home.
Corridor Design
Visible from one end of the passageway that leads from the living and dining rooms to the master bedroom, an artificial tree surrounded by pebbles, set against a textured wall backdrop and illuminated by soft ambient lighting that casts poetic shadows conveys an art-like presence that draws you into the master bedroom.
The palette of soft greys and light wood create a calming ambience befitting a room for rest. Floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobes with smooth grey surfaces reinforce the clean aesthetic and contrast with the textured wood flooring.
Kids Bedroom
The girls share a bedroom and they explicitly requested for a pink interior, so Mummy and Daddy designed them a room with an enchanted forest theme aptly reflected in the wallpaper and a pink ceiling and pink bedsheets. Natural textures such as the rattan wardrobe doors and wood flooring complement the nature theme.
In the boy’s room, wallpaper depicting animals in hot air balloons and in wagons on a tight rope inspires a sense of child-like wonder. “In designing the children’s rooms, we embraced a child-centric approach that balances whimsy with functionality. The murals create an immersive storytelling experience, while soft tones and natural elements in the wardrobes and flooring introduce an organic, nature-inspired texture that further reinforces the cosy, earthy theme,” Jean explains.
Bathroom Design
The bathrooms were also given plenty of design attention. The master bathroom was intended to feel like a spa and the choice of finishes and fittings - from the satin-textured tiles and brushed bronze fixtures to the double rain shower design, all contribute towards a luxury resort experience at home.
The common bathroom features large format floor and wall tiles, along with shelving niches built-into the walls of the bathroom and shower compartment that give it an overall seamless and clean look. The third bathroom may be next to the yard, but its rough-hewn stone walls, the ribbed detailing of the standing wash basin and the brushed bronze fixtures are worthy of a resort bathroom.
$200,000 Renovation Cost
The renovation took about 3.5 months, including a two-week break over the Chinese New Year period. The cost came up to about $170,000, plus an additional $30,000 for furniture and electrical appliances. The family moved into their new home at the beginning of April 2024 even though the renovations were only completed mid-April as they had to vacate their existing home.
To ensure that they could move in promptly and safely while allowing the contractor to continue with the remaining carpentry works, they opted for Ecoply, a solid plywood that has been certified and tested to comply with the World Health Organisation’s formaldehyde emission standards.