House Tour: An ultra industrial-style five-room HDB BTO home with unique features
By Home & Decor Team -
Interior designer Kelvin Teo redefines the industrial look with warm wood accents and a contemporary style in this spacious apartment home.
When Norica Ng and Jaret Sim received the keys to their BTO flat, they were faced with a myriad of ways to design their dream home. The young couple were open to radical concepts and wanted to do away with conventional furnishings, such as a sofa and dining table.
While they didn’t have a specific look in mind, they knew that it had to be easy to maintain and complement their modern lifestyle. In addition, the forward-looking homeowners required plenty of storage space to keep their home clutter-free.
Leaning towards an industrial style for their abode, they consulted a few interior designers before deciding on the ideas proposed by Kelvin Teo of Space Sense Studio. The homeowners were inspired by Kelvin’s vision of adding a twist to the industrial look with unique accents, door and ceiling treatments.
Stepping into the home, the masculine interiors of black, grey and silver, with eye-catching red accents, make for a visually arresting sight.
These metal latches, inspired by the flight cases used by musicians, were sourced from overseas.
Built above two steps, the platform’s wooden decking is seemingly supported by I-beams, which can be made out from its edges. “Initially we wanted a cosy area for us to watch TV without a couch,” says Jaret, “but I think Kelvin’s platform idea turned out nicely. When we lay on our bean bags to watch TV, it is very comfortable because the screen is at eye level.”
A coffee table-cum-storage compartment can be pulled out from the two-step platform
The TV is nestled within a full-height console built with storage cabinets, with metallic angled vent detailing on the doors, making them look like lockers – another unique product of Kelvin’s design.
Kelvin wove in features borrowed from industrial worksites for a more compelling theme. For example, the cage lights in the kitchen are “shipyard-inspired”
Steel bolts were added to the top and bottom of the couple’s walk-in wardrobe doors to make the concrete and steel encasement aesthetic more realistic.
Surprises abound in this modern home. What appears to be a door for an escape route turns out to be the entrance to the common bathroom. This cheeky touch is enhanced with a fluorescent exit sign over its fire engine red door and a decorative crash bar.
Inside, the wall tiles of the shower area sport the same striking hue accented by tints of beige. The master bathroom is clad in the home’s other standout colour, black.
Kelvin designed a long wooden closure, with planks randomly nailed across it, mimicking the hastily sealed doors of old buildings. This closure seals up the old opening of the adjacent bedroom.
The wall between the master bedroom and adjacent bedroom was partially hacked and fitted with a barn door for extra privacy.