Home Tour: A teacher & bank vice president's mini condominium in River Valley

When you're dealing with a small home design, embracing space saving design solutions is key. The Lim family's compact 840 square foot condo at River Valley Road is a perfect example. "While lacking in area, this apartment makes up for it with clever space saving design," says Reggie Lim, a teacher who resides there with his wife and daughter.

Maximizing space

Their interior designer Kelvin Bing truly maximized every inch with his space saving design approach. "We uncovered so much unused space by removing the false ceiling," Bing says. He transformed that area into a cozy study loft accessed by custom-built step storage. Though petite, the snug study fits cupboards on one side and a long work table on the other - ideal for this small home design.

Study Room

"Amanda does her homework there, and we do our work there as well," says Mr Lim's wife, Low Wan Hoon, who is a vice-president of a bank. The stairs' panels open for extra storage space - a must-have for the family in this space saving design. "Kelvin has designed three of our homes, so he knows that we always like to have plenty of storage space," says Ms Low.

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Condo Kitchenette

The condominium's kitchen is tiny, with only a small induction hob but that suits the family just fine. Ms Low says they do only light cooking - "pastas and soups". She's more concerned about having her own baking space, where she makes bread. "Before, I had to use Amanda's desk to roll out my dough, but now I have a proper work space," she says.

Multi-purpose spaces

Thanks to the double volume ceiling in the living room, this area looks much bigger than it is, but still, there isn't space for a dining table. So Mr Lim decided to do away with a dining area, and the family have their meals out on the balcony instead. "It is breezy out there, and we get to look out onto the neighbourhood. But if it rains, we simply move indoors and dine on the sofa," he says.

The balcony is also big enough for the family to have frequent barbecues. The couple say they chose this apartment for its location. It is within the one kilometre radius of Amanda's primary school, and close enough to Ms Low's parents. They also liked the apartment's layout, "such as the two bedrooms, which are on the same floor", says Ms Low. "Most of the other developments we saw had bedrooms on different floors."

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Space saving design

Again, the family didn't let the compactness of the bedrooms bother them. Amanda uses a loft bed, so she can have both a sleeping and play area. Just like with downstairs, Mr Bing built steps to the bed, which also double as storage space.

The couple's bedroom has space for only a bed and two side tables, and nothing more. "We used to have bigger bedrooms, so this bedroom took getting used to," says Ms Low. "It is strictly for sleeping, that's why we usually spend more time in our study."

Small condominium size

Some may find the space small for three, but the family say they do just fine. "Since we moved to a smaller space than before, we could only keep what we really wanted. We got rid of a lot of books and clothes in the process," says Mr Lim. What they have kept and display proudly around the home, include artworks done by Amanda, as well as little decorative items, such as a pair of African teak hippos, and a pair of bronze elephant figurines.

While the apartment's size is just right for three, it has proven tough when the extended family comes over. For Amanda's birthday party last year, the family hosted 20 guests. "We had people all over the apartment, everyone had to spread out," Mr Lim chuckles. 

Will they move after she finishes primary school? "Ask me in a few years," Ms Low laughs. For now, this teacher's family is mastering small space living through smart space saving design.

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This article first appeared on The Business Times in 2016.