Home Tour: A finance couple’s condo penthouse in Telok Kurau

A home is like a book. It tells the stories of the people who live within its walls. Instead of words, their stories are revealed through the spaces, aesthetics, materials, colours and furniture. 

Who Lives Here: A couple and their young daughter
Home: A duplex condominium penthouse in Telok Kurau
Size: 2,285 sq ft
Interior Designer: Lawrence Puah, design director of akiHAUS Design Studio

2-Storey Penthouse

For Jon and May, a couple in their 30s who work in the finance industry, their home draws inspiration from London and New York, cities where they met and lived. They knew that they wanted their home in Singapore to capture and remind them of the old-world charm of these cosmopolitan cities, and one from which they could entertain and work from on occasions. They also recognised the potential of this two-storey penthouse apartment, but needed some help in transforming it into a dream home for them and their young daughter.

akiHAUS Design Studio

The couple turned to Lawrence Puah, design director of akiHAUS Design Studio for help. With his background in architecture, he was able to look beyond the property’s existing shortcomings, from its oddly planned spaces to the lack of natural ventilation and light, and visualise various design options. “I did a few sketches to show Jon and May the possibilities and they were very excited,” he recalls. 

Kitchen Renovation

The original layout underwent extensive reconfiguration, starting with the kitchen, which occupies a relatively central location within the apartment. The walls around the existing kitchen and yard were hacked to create an open-concept kitchen, which gives off distinctly bar-like vibes.

The U-shaped counter with seating along two sides functions exactly like a bar where guests can sit and the couple can serve food and drinks while going about their preparations.

Open shelving above the counter in brass and black finishes hold alcohol and glasses, further reinforcing the bar concept while the subway wall tiles are reminiscent of the train stations in London and New York. 

Dekton Kitchen Countertop

Despite the absence of built-in cabinets above the counter, the kitchen has ample storage below the black Dekton counter. The drawers and cabinets are finished in British Racing Green laminates, a colour that pays homage to the couple’s stint in London. The same colour can be found on the television console and wainscoting on the columns in the living room, tying the various spaces together. 

Kitchen Wall Columns

In the process of demolishing the kitchen walls, an existing column and beam in between the kitchen, dining and living areas were unveiled. As a solitary element, the column would have wreaked havoc on the layout, circulation and spatial flow.

However, by introducing a mock column and beam that mirror the existing structures, interior designer Lawrence managed to inject a sense of balance and symmetry into the scheme, which is further accentuated by inserting mirrored panels on the ceiling in between the two beams. 

In the original plan, the pair of columns would have been in the dining room and placing a dining table in between the columns would not have been feasible. A sofa, however, slots in nicely between the twin columns. This prompted interior designer Lawrence to swap the locations of the dining and living rooms.

Dining Room Design

In the former layout, the main entrance opened into the living room, followed by the dining room. Now, the dining room is up front. Other considerations supported this move.

Television Console

“The living room needed a television console. This would have ended up beside the main entrance in the original plan, which would stick out between the main door and the spiral staircase. With the flip, the design is cleaner and more seamless and this also contributes to the illusion of a larger space,” interior designer Lawrence explains. His approach also reflects his philosophy that “design is a response to site as much as it is about aesthetics”. 

Spiral Staircase

Another element worthy of mention is the spiral staircase that connects the two floors of the penthouse. Homeowners Jon and May were initially concerned that it might stick out like a sore thumb, but Lawrence has managed to integrate it into the new interior to the extent that it not only complements the revamped abode, but makes a statement within the open-plan spaces.

Cast Iron Staircase

Its black, cast-iron structure with timber treads, together with the teak wood flooring and patterned tiles in the living and dining rooms, kitchen and study room instantly transport you to New York lofts and walk-up apartments in London. 

Study Room

Next to the spiral staircase, a former bedroom is now a study room. The whitewashed brick wall that extends horizontally from the main entrance and dining room, behind the spiral staircase all the way to the study, and vertically up the double-volume spiral staircase void, has the effect of drawing the eye across and up to heighten the appreciation of the horizontal and vertical expanse of space. 

Master Bedroom

The second storey layout was also tweaked in order to extend the master bedroom while still allowing access to other spaces such as the balcony and terrace. Interior designer Lawrence conceptualised the upper floor as a master suite comprising a foyer, bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, en suite bath, study, balcony and terrace. Glass panels around the master foyer accord the master bedroom the desired privacy while still allowing independent access to the rest of the spaces. 

Pitched Roof

The master bedroom benefits from a pitched roof and ceiling that makes it feel like the upper floor of a landed home while evoking a sense of loftiness.

More British Racing Green accents can be found on the upper part of the bedroom walls and the wardrobe doors. White wainscoting on the lower section of the bedroom walls and a simple four poster bed strike the perfect note as a modern interpretation of classical, old-world elements. 

The design process took about three months, followed by about four months of renovation before the family moved into their new home in January 2022.