Home Tour: $458,300 Calm-luxury renovation for a 4-bedroom apartment in Marina Bay Suites

High above the bustle of the CBD, a 2,067 sq ft apartment in Marina Bay Suites has been transformed into a serene retreat for a couple and their parents. This home by Collective Designs embodies a quiet kind of luxury—one built on warm materials, gentle curves and a steady sense of balance.

From the outset, the homeowners envisioned a place that could slow life down. With busy professional routines, they hoped for a home that felt elegant, restful and easy to gather in—equally suited to family dinners and private moments of rest. Feng shui guided parts of the palette as well, with auspicious greens and reds introduced in subtle ways to harmonise energy and bring warmth.

Who Lives Here: A couple and the husband’s parents—a close multi-generational household who value calm, comfort and togetherness
Home: A 4-bedroom apartment at Marina Bay Suites
Size: 2,067 sq ft
Interior Designer: Collective Designs

The Foyer

Stepping out of the private lift, the home opens into a foyer that sets the tone for its quiet, understated aesthetic. Collective Designs reimagined this lobby as a subtle transitional passage to the rest of the apartment.

“The goal was to transform the private lift lobby into a welcoming prelude to the home,” shares the team. “Textured walls add depth and tactility, while a sculptural ceiling light softens the geometry with its warm glow.” Travertine flooring extends inward from the lift, creating a sense of continuity from the very first step.

A custom walnut console topped with marble introduces the natural materials used throughout the home. “We wanted the foyer to make a confident first impression,” the designers explain. Clean-lined cabinetry and carefully scaled surfaces keep the space simple and measured—intentional without feeling overworked.

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Open-Plan Living and Dining

From the foyer, the apartment opens into a generous living–dining sequence that forms the social core of the home. Collective Designs reconfigured these zones to better suit the family’s everyday routines and the small gatherings they host. “We merged the dining, bar and balcony zones into one open, continuous social area—the heart of the home for meals and gatherings,” the designers explain.

Travertine flooring runs across the entire space, grounding the room and giving it an easy visual flow. Walnut cabinetry, brushed metal details and layered lighting create a steady, cohesive palette that links the different functions without making them feel uniform.

A sculptural ring pendant hangs above the dining table, its warm glow echoed by the natural stone backsplash of the bar cabinet behind it. The bar itself was designed to be flexible: “a coffee counter by day and a serving bar for entertaining,” says Collective Designs. Set beside the dining table, it works as a practical extension of the communal space, supporting the family’s hosting habits without demanding attention.

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Feature Wall with Hidden Door

Further into the living area, the travertine gives way to a striking expanse of dark walnut fluting. Its vertical lines bring quiet structure to the space, acting as a sculptural backdrop for the seating without dominating the room. The slight curvature of the panels softens the surface and helps it sit comfortably within the home’s overall palette.

The wall also conceals one of the home’s most subtle details: an invisible door leading to the master suite. Integrated seamlessly into the fluted timber, it preserves the room’s uninterrupted lines. “The invisible master bedroom door and bespoke bar cabinet are standout features,” says Collective Designs, “seamlessly integrating functionality with the home’s clean visual rhythm.” 

Here, the neutral scheme gains depth with the introduction of richer, more saturated tones. “To introduce character and individuality, we incorporated exotic stones such as Malachite and Royal Peacock—their rich green hues adding vibrancy and a subtle nod to the homeowners’ feng shui considerations,” they share. In the living area, these greens appear through soft furnishings, a polished stone coffee table and an olive-toned armchair adored by the homeowners.

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Master Suite

Behind the concealed door, the master suite unfolds in a lighter palette that distinguishes it from the communal areas while still echoing the home’s overall rhythm. Here, the design shifts toward gentler textures and muted tones, creating a composed retreat for the homeowners.

“The tranquillity of the master suite is achieved through a careful interplay of light colours and material selection,” the design team shares. Subtle shifts in tone shape the room, allowing it to feel set apart yet connected to the rest of the home. Warm timber flooring adds natural texture, while the upholstered headboard and built-in bedside storage keep the space visually quiet and well-proportioned.

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Private Study

Tucked within the master suite, the study serves as a shared workspace for both husband and wife—a private zone for reading, work and daily routines. Custom joinery wraps the room, providing concealed storage that keeps the room organised and calm.

“We wanted the master bedroom and private study to feel distinct yet connected,” the designers note, “so, subtle design decisions like the choice of wallpaper help define each space while maintaining visual harmony.”

Deep, matte-finished cabinetry creates a focused backdrop, while the U-shaped desk runs the length of the room to comfortably accommodate two workstations.

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Master Bathroom

“One of the key features was transforming the master bathroom into a statement space,” shares the design team. The master bathroom stands out as one of the home’s most striking areas, defined by engineered marble, ombré glass mosaics and quietly reflective surfaces.

Collective Designs shaped the bathroom to feel elevated but practical for everyday use. Full-height mosaics shift in tone across the feature wall, creating a subtle gradient that adds depth and dimension. These are paired with Italian-engineered marble slabs, giving the room a sense of presence while maintaining restraint.

Mirrored cabinets extend storage and open up the room, while the basin and counter were positioned carefully to keep the layout clear and comfortable. The proportions are deliberate: strong, crisp planes balanced by softly reflective finishes.

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Parents’ Bedroom

The parents’ bedroom continues the home’s restrained palette but shifts into a gentler, more restful tone tailored to their needs. Collective Designs approached this space with a focus on comfort and softness, creating a room that feels warm and uncluttered.

Muted wallpaper brings quiet texture to the walls, while warm timber flooring grounds the space. Storage was a key consideration, but instead of large monolithic cabinets, the designers adopted a lighter-touch approach.

“While the clients appreciated every detail, the parents’ room deserves special mention—its fragmented wardrobe design and ambient lighting help soften the visual weight of storage, creating a space that feels both refined and restful,” shares Collective Designs.

This strategy prevents the built-ins from overwhelming the compact room and complements the broader design principle of easing edges and silhouettes throughout the home. As the team explains, “Gentle curves introduced across key joinery pieces further blur edges and volumes, lending the entire home a sense of softness and ease.”

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Powder Room & Sauna

The powder room is one of the home’s most unexpected surprises—an intimately scaled space reconfigured to accommodate a compact sauna. This was a specific request from the homeowners, who wanted to introduce a wellness element into their daily routine. Integrating it, however, required careful spatial planning.

“We completely redefined the common bathroom—relocating the entrance, updating all finishes and fittings, and transforming it into a powder room that now also houses a compact sauna,” shares Collective Designs. The team carefully reworked the layout to ensure the sauna fit comfortably without crowding the room, while still leaving enough space for a vanity, mirror and essential circulation.

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Soft-toned tiles and a streamlined vanity help the room feel open despite its size, while the warmth of the cedar sauna becomes the natural focal point. Gentle curves in the joinery echo the design language used throughout the home, softening the geometry and tying this small but indulgent space back to the broader project.

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The Kitchen

The kitchen adopts a clear, practical layout that supports everyday use while maintaining the home’s understated aesthetic. “In the kitchen, efficient storage and ease of maintenance were key priorities,” the team shares. Upper cabinets were kept minimal, while full-height storage and deep drawers provide capacity without adding visual weight.

The homeowners were closely involved in choosing appliances and finishes, helping refine the details in a way that suited their routines. “We strongly believe that functionality and calm, refined design can, and should, coexist,” says the team. The kitchen reflects this mindset with choices that are practical, clear and unforced.

$458,300 Renovation Cost

“The homeowners were genuinely delighted when they first saw the completed space. There was a real sense of joy and excitement as everything they had envisioned came to life,” says the team. The handover was lively and full of gratitude, and the relationship continued well beyond completion. The family later invited the design team back for a Chinese New Year gathering, a gesture that spoke to their warmth and appreciation.

The renovation took around four months on site, or six and a half months including design, with the sauna requiring the most careful coordination. While the $458,300 cost covered major works across the communal areas, bathrooms and built-ins, Collective Designs emphasises that the project’s strength lies in intention rather than scale. The completed home reflects their principle of “doing the right things well”, supporting both connection and quiet retreat for this multi-generational family.

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