Home Tour: $410,000 Renovation for a young family’s 4-bedroom condo at Robertson Quay
A place that the family is excited to wake up to everyday sounds like just the perfect home.
By Lynn Tan -
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Who Lives Here: A couple and their two young boys
Home: A 4-bedroom condominium in Robertson Quay
Size: 1,798 sq ft
Interior Designer: Artistroom
Management consultant, Daniel and his wife, Qian, a business strategy manager have always wanted to live in this condominium development located in Robertson Quay. It was just a matter of finding the right unit. After years of waiting, the perfect unit finally came on the market. “For us, this is one of the special and rare units there with an extra-large balcony and resort style ambience overseeing the big outdoor pool, greenery and Singapore River,” says Daniel.
The move was timely. The couple, who are between 35 and 40 years old, have been living in a two-bedroom apartment in Spottiswoode for the past six years. With two young boys aged three and one, they wanted more space for their growing family and a home that would be more practical for the children.
They enlisted the help of Artistroom, who designed Qian’s brother’s home a few years ago. They kept to a similar concept and style from their former home, but drew on their previous experience and made it more practical with the kids in mind.
Living room
The existing marble flooring in the apartment has been replaced with herringbone wood flooring, something that the clients explicitly wanted. “We really love the feeling of the wooden floor, especially barefoot,” shares Qian. Their previous home also had wood floors and they took extra care to go with a lighter coloured wood this time, so that any dust would not show up so distinctly.
A Rolf Benz sofa with a semi-circular configuration anchored by a circular rug encourages interaction within the living area. The absence of a television set in the living room was a deliberate move to foster more meaningful exchanges and deeper connections between family and friends.
Dining room
The teal coloured wall of the dining room stands out against a predominantly neutral interior palette and is visible from the living room. An abstract artwork by one of the couple’s favourite Balinese artists further heightens the drama. It was a risk that paid off.
“It was hard to imagine how the teal wall colour would really turn out in the end as we had to pick the colour based on a tiny A6-sized sample, but it turned out really to our liking,” Daniel comments.
Kitchen
The existing kitchen layout was reconfigured to improve on the efficiency of the layout. The wall spaces have been maximised with full-height cabinetry that provides ample storage and counter space. Smart solutions such as a pull-out rack packs maximum storage capacity within a minimum footprint. A grey-black-white colour palette keeps the aesthetics clean and complements the rest of the interior.
Master bedroom and wardrobe
The expansive windows in the master bedroom let in plenty of natural light and make the master bedroom feel spacious and airy. In order to preserve this ambience, the Artistroom team avoided cluttering the room with too many elements.
The bed is tucked against one wall, while the built-in wardrobes are lined up along the opposite wall. A darker wood laminate adds some contrast against the light wood flooring. An open unit at one end is a useful compartment for placing day-to-day bags and for hanging the outfits of the day.
Master bathroom
Artistroom went with a linear approach for the master bathroom. The vanity counter extends from the door all the way to the shower compartment, along with mirrors above that rise all the way to the ceiling. More mirrors on the opposite wall heighten the overall sense of spaciousness and help to mitigate the narrowing of the circulation width as a result of the addition of the new vanity counter.
The family spent about $410,000 on the renovation, which took about seven months including the design period. One of the major challenges revolved around the timber flooring. It was a key element in the design, but it was only available on an indent basis and the lead time was four months. With only four months allocated for the renovation and a firm move-in date, time management and co-ordination were critical.
To make things even more tricky, the flooring was supplied through the homeowners’ vendor, so some things were beyond Artistroom’s control. However, working closely with all parties to manage the delivery and installation schedules to ensure minimal idle time, the team managed to complete the renovation on time and the family moved into their new home in November 2024.
“This will likely be our home for a long time and we are glad that the renovation turned out fully to our liking,” the couple expresses. Its timeless design is something that they will continue to enjoy many years down the road.