Home Tour: $115,000 European-style interiors for a flight steward's 2-bedroom condominium at Sims Drive
When he is not flying high in the air, this homeowner spends his time chilling with friends over wine in his high-ceilinged home. Lynn Tan finds out what it is like to live the high life, literally.
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The interior design of this home was a few years in the making. Homeowner Mr. Tan started discussions with The Cottage Crafts, who also designed his previous home, in 2019 while awaiting TOP, shortly after he purchased this two-bedroom with study unit at the end of 2018. His job as a flight steward takes him all around the world and being so well-travelled, he is exposed to a myriad of styles and trends, especially in Europe and the US.
The interior design concept evolved from modern to European to modern classic, before he eventually settled on a classic contemporary style.
Who Lives Here: A flight steward in his early 50s
Home: A 2-bedroom with study condominium at Sims Drive
Size: 800 sq ft
Interior Designer: The Cottage Crafts
Living room in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
European style interior design
“The design must be unique and not so common. I wanted a comfortable home with a modern design and nice colour combination where I can entertain regularly,” says Mr. Tan.
With a thorough understanding of the client’s brief, Daniel Ho, manager at interior design firm The Cottage Crafts set out to design Mr. Tan’s new dream home.
Grey blue wainscot living room walls Living room in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
High ceiling in condominium
One of the most striking qualities of the apartment is the 4.2-metre ceiling in the living area and this was also one of the main reasons that Mr. Tan bought this unit. Naturally, this was one of the key spatial elements that interior designer Daniel addressed in the design.
“We installed a coffered ceiling and new lighting points to enhance the appearance of the high ceiling. It gives the home a luxurious look and the height variations and different light settings achieve a three-dimensional quality that enhances a sense of depth,” he points out.
A chandelier adorns the 4.2m high ceiling in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
Living room chandelier
Further drawing the eye upwards is an Italian chandelier that is hand painted with silver leaf. The light holders are individually hand-blown to shape, so each piece is unique, making the chandelier one-of-its-kind.
White leather sofa in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
XZQT Sofa
Anchoring the space below is a sofa from XZQT. Its white leather with contrast black hand-stitching exudes a timeless quality without competing with the interior design features overhead.
Coffered ceiling in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
Wainscot Walls
The coffered ceiling is complemented by wainscot wall paneling below, which continues from the entrance foyer and dining room, leading the way into the heart of the home. The wainscot wall panels were spray painted at the factory, but a final coat was added after installation on site to achieve a flawlessly smooth finish.
Wainscot walls and striped wallpaper run along the walls in a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
Striped Wallpaper
These wainscot wall panels extend up to the height of the adjacent dining room ceiling and the rest of the wall surfaces above are covered with wallpaper and mirrored panels that meet the coffered ceiling.
“The reflection from the mirrors above the wall paneling helps to create an illusion of space and also amplifies the effect of the wallpaper,” interior designer Daniel explains.
Half-height wainscot walls in the dining room of a flight steward's 2-bedroom with study condominium along Sims Drive designed by The Cottage Crafts.
Half-height wainscot walls
Half-height, wainscoting style wall panels in the dining room further reinforce the style of the home, paired with vertical-striped wallpaper above. The blue and white colour scheme, which reflects Mr. Tan’s favourite outfit combination extends across the wall panels, wallpaper and furniture around the house.
A mirror above the cushioned dining bench with storage.
Cushioned dining bench
Even the custom-made sintered stone dining tabletop was carefully selected to match the colour of the wall paneling. The dining room also has a chandelier to echo the one in the living room. This one takes on a circular form adorned with multi-coloured Swarovski crystals.
A mirror above the dining bench captures the iridescence of the crystals when the light is switched on.
LED light strips line the corridor.
LED Corridor Light
The corridor leading to the bedrooms has LED light strips embedded into the wall and ceiling, giving the home a modern, hi-tech edge amidst its classic language.
The master bed is positioned next to a full-height glass window offering views of the neighbourhood.
White and Grey Bedroom
The white-and-grey colour palette and backlit headboard feature wall in Mr. Tan’s master bedroom were inspired by a five-star hotel room to provide him with a good night’s rest at home when he is not travelling for work.
These are presented against a panoramic view of the surrounding neighbourhood accorded by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Floral wallpaper gives the guest room a softer, feminine touch as it has been set aside for Mr. Tan’s sister when she stays over occasionally.
$115,000 Renovation cost
The renovation cost about $95,000 with an additional $20,000 for furniture and light fixtures.
Mr. Tan is very discerning when it comes to the furniture, fittings and even wallpaper, so Daniel and he went to great lengths in their selection process. They visited many shops before shortlisting the sofa and dining chairs and he also expressed a preference for European wallpaper.
Mr. Tan moved into his new home in the first quarter of 2023 after a three-month renovation. As someone who travels for work so frequently, he really wanted a cosy home where he can rest and relax when he is not flying.
“I enjoy drinking wine and my home has been designed to provide the perfect environment where I can do that with my friends,” he says.