Home Tour: A Park Hyatt–inspired renovation transforms a young couple’s 2-bedroom apartment in Reflections at Keppel Bay
A young family reimagines their second home as a calm, light-filled retreat that channels the quiet luxury of Park Hyatt Bangkok—where stainless steel, warm wood, and travel memories come together in effortless harmony.
By Gwyneth Goh -
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Morning light pours through the angled glass façade of Reflections at Keppel Bay, glinting off stainless steel and brushing across panels of warm wood. Within this 1,055-sq-ft apartment, a young couple has created a home that feels at once restrained and intimate—a space where architecture, light, and memory move in quiet dialogue.
For them, inspiration came not from a particular design trend but from a mood—one they encountered on their travels. “Much of our inspiration comes from travel,” they share, “and the Park Hyatt Bangkok has become a touchstone. It’s our go-to whenever we visit the city, especially since having a child. Its location and ease of movement made exploring with a stroller effortless, but more than that, it was the atmosphere that stayed with us.”
They were struck by how designer Yabu Pushelberg’s interiors balanced structure with intimacy. “The wood-clad walls, in particular, left a lasting impression,” they recall, “warm, tactile, shifting with the light throughout the day… and that was a quality we wanted to bring home: materials that adapt to mood and time, creating spaces that feel alive rather than fixed.”
The couple turned to Sze Ming of Studio Kabi to translate that quiet hotel luxury into a lived-in family environment. “We trusted her to give us the clean, strong bones we needed—a backdrop we could then layer with our own furniture, art, and objects.”
“They wanted a home that felt quietly luxurious—refined yet comfortable, with attention to subtle detail,” says Sze Ming. “When they referenced Park Hyatt Bangkok, I took that as a cue to focus on making the details of the home feel cohesive: clean lines, layered textures, and a palette that makes the space cosy and calm. My interpretation of the Park Hyatt aesthetic isn’t about opulence; it’s about how the smallest details—a shadow line, a tone shift, a tactile surface—can elevate the experience of space. That became our guiding principle throughout the project.”
The result is a calm, light-filled retreat that channels the understated opulence of a favourite getaway, made personal through the rhythm and rituals of everyday family life.
Who lives here: A couple in their mid-thirties, working in finance and the auction world, with their son
Home: 2-bedroom condominium at Reflections at Keppel Bay
Size: 1,055 sq ft
Interior designer: Sze Ming, Studio Kabi
A tastefully pared-back palette and layered textures lend the living area a sense of quiet luxury.
The search for space and stillness
“Our real estate agent is also a long-time friend who helped us with our first home, so he understood what we needed as our family grew,” the homeowners share. “We were searching for breadth—wider rooms, an open living area, and a layout that could hold our collections while leaving room to keep layering new pieces over time.”
Reflections at Keppel Bay had always lingered in their minds. “We kept returning to Reflections, drawn to its architecture and outlook, yet the right floorplan never seemed to appear,” they recall. “This unit came to us almost by chance, before it was even listed. The moment we walked in, with its broad windows overlooking the reflecting pool, it felt as though the decision was already made.”
Evening light softens the space, where warm wood, steel, and neutral tones create a sense of quiet continuity.
The home’s light and atmosphere sealed it. “The surface shimmered against the glass, light rippling across the walls, dreamlike and alive,” they describe. “It was calm, atmospheric—a home that could feel just as alive on bright mornings as it did soothing on stormy afternoons.”
The open-plan layout highlights the home’s sense of flow, with the steel island anchoring the space between living and kitchen zones.
Fluid open-plan living
For their second home, the couple sought a sense of flow—a space that could move easily between the quiet of family mornings and the conviviality of evenings. “It needed to be child-friendly without ever feeling compromised,” they share, describing how their son’s daily rhythm shaped their choices.
Povl Kjer’s Danish sheep rocker brings a playful touch to the living area—a sculptural piece adored by the couple’s young son.
Built-ins were designed for practicality without rigidity, allowing the interiors to evolve alongside their lives and collections. “We imagined it more like a gallery, where collected objects could be seen clearly and in dialogue with one another,” they explain. Among these pieces is a Danish sheep rocker by Povl Kjer. “It is both a whimsical piece our son adores and a thoughtful object of design, playful yet sculptural. It recalls François-Xavier Lalanne’s iconic Mouton sculptures—though, we like to joke, at a far more forgiving price.”
“The apartment’s long and narrow layout was a real challenge,” shares Sze Ming. “We had to accommodate the kitchen, dining and living areas within a compact footprint while keeping the flow open. Instead of the conventional layout where the sofa faces the TV, we positioned it to face the kitchen island. This shifted the home’s focal point to the heart of daily life—where cooking, eating, and conversations happen—which visually opened up the space, making it feel larger and more connected.”
Wood, steel, and fabric materials harmonise with the reflective architecture beyond, creating warmth within a modern frame.
A streamlined kitchen corridor enhances flow and symmetry, with warm light accentuating the grain of its timber cabinetry.
Kitchen: Heart of the home
The kitchen, lined in warm timber and anchored by a generous steel island, was planned as the home’s social core—a space where meals are prepared, morning light spills across the countertop, and conversation flows naturally between rooms. Its clean-lined cabinetry conceals ample storage, leaving the surfaces uncluttered and calm.
Clean-lined drawers and concealed lighting emphasise precision and calm in the cooking area.
Here, materiality takes centre stage. The brushed steel countertop catches shifting light throughout the day, balanced by the warmth of wood and the precision of detailing. Speaking fondly of their first home, which the couple would never have left if not for the arrival of their son, “It was there that we first lived with stainless steel—a vast counter that became the centre of daily life,” they recall. “Its resilience and quiet modernity made such an impression that we carried the material forward here.”
Warm timber cabinetry and a brushed steel island lend the kitchen a refined, sculptural presence.
“The same instinct guided countless smaller choices: the fabric and colour of our curtains, the exact tapware and shower fittings, the feel of the faucets,” they continue. “Those details, small as they may seem, shape the rhythm of everyday life. Lighting, too, has become an obsession—sconces and table lamps are non-negotiable, essential for creating pools of warmth and atmosphere.”
A brushed steel countertop reflects soft light through the day, echoing the building’s glass façades beyond.
“We spent a long time searching for the perfect shade of wood—something that had warmth without heaviness,” says Sze Ming. “The veining and tone were important to ensure it sat harmoniously against the neutral envelope of the apartment. We paired that with stainless steel finishes that were carefully picked out for their polish level and non-directional grain. That subtle interplay between warmth and coolness, matte and sheen, created a sense of balance that feels both composed and lived-in.”
Even the smallest details—the tactile pull of a handle, the seamless storage integrated behind cabinetry—reflect an awareness of touch and proportion. As daylight fades, concealed lighting brings a gentle glow across the backsplash, turning the kitchen into a soft, reflective plane that transitions effortlessly into the living area.
Soft-filtered light through roller blinds from Coulisse maintains privacy while preserving the apartment’s airy, open feel.
The custom banquette creates a room-within-a-room effect—a versatile nook for meals, work, or quiet family time.
Banquette: A corner for connection
What began as an awkward corner has become the soul of the home. Once a study knocked through by the previous owner, the space was reimagined into a dining banquette—intimate yet open, a spot that anchors the apartment’s daily rhythm.
“We wanted a central feature to anchor the open-plan area, and that nook naturally lent itself to the banquette,” explains Sze Ming. “The homeowners had the idea to frame a large artwork there, which became the perfect focal point. The upholstered seat introduced a subtle touch of colour—a soft counterpoint to the otherwise neutral palette—bringing a sense of warmth and personality while maintaining the home’s elegance.”
A circular table and compact seating make the space feel intimate yet adaptable.
“At first, we weren’t sure how to reclaim that area,” the couple share. “We wanted it to feel purposeful but not prescriptive—a space that could carry more than a single function.” Through the design process, the idea of a banquette emerged. “It created a room-within-a-room… and gave us a place that could shift effortlessly: from family breakfasts to dinners, from a quiet nook to a desk for working.”
Simple detailing and warm textures ground the built-in banquette in timeless functionality.
Upholstered in a warm rust tone, the custom seating forms a tactile contrast to the steel island. Overhead, a black-and-white photograph by Belgian photographer Jean Paul Brohez holds quiet meaning for the couple—a memory of Darjeeling, and a piece that, as they put it, “will move with us wherever we go.”
Soft afternoon light catches the textured upholstery and framed photograph above the dining nook.
“Since moving in, it’s become the heart of our daily rhythm,” they reflect, explaining why the banquette is now their favourite feature in the apartment. “It’s where meals, conversations, and everyday rituals unfold—from morning coffee to late-night reading.”
The master bedroom opens to views of greenery, framed by soft drapery and natural light.
Master bed and bath: A quiet retreat
In the master bedroom, calm is distilled to its simplest form. Pale timber floors, soft drapery, and a restrained palette create a cocoon-like atmosphere that shifts gently with the light. Morning sun filters through sheer curtains, while greenery beyond the glass softens the apartment’s modern geometry.
Warm timber flooring and a neutral palette evoke a sense of ease and restfulness.
Subtle lighting and tactile finishes enhance the room’s quiet atmosphere.
Every element serves a quiet purpose—the upholstered headboard for warmth, the wall sconces for ambient glow, the view framing the start and end of each day. Nothing feels decorative for its own sake. The room’s ease lies in proportion, tone, and the feeling of unbroken calm that extends from the living spaces.
In the bathroom, dark stone and timber cabinetry create a warm, cocooning ambience.
That same language continues in the bathrooms, where stone, timber, and light meet in deliberate simplicity. Textured walls and marble surfaces lend depth, while built-in lighting introduces a soft radiance. The effect is timeless and grounding—an everyday luxury that feels both minimal and intimate.
Soft lighting highlights the natural variations of the stone and marble surfaces.
The walk-in shower combines textured stone and concealed lighting for a serene, spa-like feel.
At dusk, the reflective façade of Reflections at Keppel Bay mirrors the warm glow of the family’s apartment within.
Two-month renovation
Completed in just two months, the renovation balances clarity and warmth with remarkable precision. Within Reflections at Keppel Bay’s glass-and-steel geometry, this family home glows with a gentler rhythm—one shaped by light, texture, and a timeless sense of calm.
By night, the apartment reads as a warm tableau within the building’s shimmering façade: a family gathered around the banquette, the soft gleam of lamps, reflections rippling across the pool below. It captures exactly what they had hoped to create—a home that evolves with the day, grounded in routine yet alive with atmosphere.
“What makes the apartment feel ours,” they say, “is not a single piece but the way everything coheres… The balance between restraint and intimacy, between modern lines and lived-in warmth—that’s what makes it unmistakably home.”
After dark, the apartment glows with the quiet warmth of togetherness.
“What I’m proudest of,” Sze Ming says, “is how cohesive the space feels and how it fits their personality and lifestyle. Every line, junction and material transition was carefully considered, yet the home doesn’t feel stark or cold. Seeing how they live in and enjoy the space now, it truly feels like a reflection of them—which is always the most rewarding outcome.”