House Tour: An amazing 1,808sqf apartment home for a family of three styled in a variety of grey tones, industrial sleek and modern nordic sensibility
By Young Lim -
Think 'Nordic design' and pastel hues with wooden textures would usually spring to mind, but not so in this contemporary-styled apartment designed by Hao Design. In fact, the cement tones and stone textures point more towards an industrial influence. So what gives?
According to the design studio, the contrast in styles stems from the homeowners personalities. The young couple is made up of a husband, a steel engineer who loves the metallic industrial look, and the wife, a flight attendant with poise and elegance.
With such vastly difference in characters, the design solution was to adopt a calm and grey tone throughout, while accenting it with smooth textures for a warm and inviting atmosphere.
“After a series of discussions, we decided to employ a colorless gray industrial undertone, using a Lotos cement wall surface, mock-cement tiles, kiln colored patterned tiles, and steel wool stained wood veneer to create a gray and black base.”
“The metallic pieces commonly used in industrial designs would be incorporated through exposed pipes on the ceiling, stainless steel holed plating and furniture, and metal elements. White wood grain cement boards, natural solid oak veneer, and wood colored furniture were selected to create the bright Japanese style favored by the wife.”
“While planning the layout, the primary concern was openness and visual penetrability, to allow natural light to enter the indoor space and creating different shades and rhythms on the gray spacethroughout the day.”
“Simplistic aesthetics is not about enforcing strict restraints on material desires. On the contrary, it is about training ourselves to internally reflect on what we really need and care about, and getting rid of the excess to achieve ideal practicality.”
“The sliding door in the multi-functional Japanese-styled chamber allows flexible adjustment of the connection between the chamber and living room, making the space more functional, and improving the light and air flow.”
“The more simplistic and spacious the space, the more crucial the furniture choice and coordination becomes. The color, silhouette, materials, and craftsmanship all affect the functionality and overall style of the space.”
“The RH dining table was made with recycled pine wood and concrete, creating a contrast of textures and ages.”
“In the living room, we chose the Case Study Daybed pull-out bed and table from the Modernica collection. The V-shaped foot can lighten the visual load, while the 1.5 inch wooden frame displays the elegance of simplistic Japanese design.”
“The Danish classic Y-Chair combines eastern and western elements by incorporating the designs of traditional armchairs from the Ming Dynasty to create a modern silhouette with classic undertones.”
Storage is designed with “planned exhibition” in mind, for example, using stainless steel boards with holes to hang items.
“This not only makes it easy to find and retrieve things, it also displays the designs of the objects. Closets are also removed from the bedroom, and replaced with a separate, larger walk-in closet where clothing, shoes, and handbags are kept. Space is saved by not using too many cabinets, and a closed-off storage room can give the open space a cleaner visual effect.”
Images courtesy of Hey!Cheese
Additional text courtesy of Hao Design