Home Tour: $130,000 Renovation for a 30s doctor couple’s freehold Clydeswood condominium in Potong Pasir

The angular shapes and age of the apartment were something the homeowners, both doctors in their early thirties, worried about. But they decided to make the leap when they learnt that this condominium unit in the Potong Pasir area is freehold. That said, the couple also liked that the condominium comes with high ceilings and little nooks.

Discovering Home Philosophy from friends, they went to interior designers Rashi Tulshyan and Melissa Wan with their brief for a Parisian-like aesthetic. “However, they also wanted to steer away from how this would typically look and switch things up by incorporating colour,” Rashi, the founder of the interior design studio, says. 

Parisian interior design

The interior design team retained the existing living area layout but opened it up by removing the kitchen wall behind the seating area for a more spacious feel than before. “We had a good amount of space to work with in each area, which allowed for a lot of storage opportunities in tasteful amounts without making the space feel too bulky,” Melissa says. Mid-century modern furniture and accessories add a vintage touch to the interior and soften the angular spaces as well.

Parisian-style dining room

Due to the awkward layout, the dining and living areas felt dark and small before the overhaul. So, the interior design team removed several walls to maximise the space. As a result, there is more natural light.

Wood-looking vinyl flooring was installed over the white tiles, warming up the spaces instantly. Melissa, the lead interior designer and project manager, says, “Classic herringbone-style flooring (a must-have for any Parisian home) was chosen to add warmth to the space.”  The interior design team introduced arches to soften the odd angles and created a cosy nook for dining.

Parisian-style kitchen

The kitchen was enclosed before the makeover. The interior design team hacked away the service balcony’s walls, which brought in more natural light. This move also created a more spacious kitchen. with removing the kitchen walls, the couple was able to have the open kitchen they had dreamed of. The kitchen comes with a peninsula that serves as a breakfast counter.

Parisian-style master bedroom

While the master bedroom did not go through a layout change, the awkward angles were challenging. The interior design team installed an L-shaped wardrobe for the couple. But, because it was not exactly a 90-degree angle, they ensured that no internal space was wasted during the planning and construction.

Of note, the colours in the master bedroom are kept consistent with the soft palette in the rest of the home. 

Parisian-style bathroom design

Both bathrooms were overhauled with fresh tiles, bath ware, furniture, and accessories. Like many of the spaces, the bathroom also had an awkward layout. The bathroom vanity, nestled into the space, eliminates the awkwardness, making it something to embrace. The same goes for the open shelves by the window, which turns the window into a feature. The interior design team proposed mint green wall tiles that brighten the dark cabinets and gold touches to add elegance to the space.

Home Philosophy interior design

With the belief that Singapore can have more design gusto, Rashi Tulshyan, founder of Home Philosophy, aims to expand the vocabulary of design in Singapore. The design studio is guided by the philosophy that the home reflects the individual. Interior designer Rashi and her team bring their detailed approach towards interior design through their creative and expressive use of space planning, styling and colour to give each space a personalised feel.

Interior Design Challenges

1. Lack of light

The area that lacked light the most was the kitchen. Making the entrance to the service balcony and turning it into an open-concept kitchen transforms it into a light-filled space.

2. Awkward Layout

Almost every space comes with awkward angles and corners instead of the standard square or rectangular spaces, which posed challenges to space planning, furniture layouts and construction of customised solutions.

3. Angular walls in common spaces

To overcome the angular walls, the design team restructured the layout. This enhanced the overall feel and improved the spatial flow.

4. Wardrobe area

The master bedroom has a small space with angular walls before the bed area. Turning into a wardrobe area, the design team worked with the angular walls to fit in the L-shaped wardrobe.