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Best Small Space
- Interior Designers: Chio Wen Tian (SIDS ID1.), Chua Yi Xi
- Address: 91 West Coast Vale Singapore 126755
- Contact: 9837-2013
- Website: www.mono-poly.co
- Type of home: 2-bedroom condominium
- Size of home: 764 sq ft
'Aloft' is a home that feels light, layered, and human-scaled.
The Brief
For mono.poly, the brief for this compact Mayfair apartment was deceptively simple: to turn 764 square feet into a sanctuary that felt spacious, grounded, and personal. “The couple had a clear vision of the home they wanted but needed help translating it into reality within a tight space,” they recall. “They knew how they wanted to live, but not how to build it.”
The designers took time to understand not just what the couple needed, but how they moved through their day—from morning coffee on the balcony to winding down in the loft. From this dialogue came Aloft, a home that feels light, layered, and human-scaled. Every inch serves a purpose, yet the apartment never feels constrained.
Daylight travels freely through the home.
Making Light of Limitation
What makes Aloft exceptional is how it turns limitation into invitation. “In space-tight Singapore, mastering compact yet characterful living is an essential skill,” says Wen Tian. “This home, with its lofty potential and clever layout, presented the perfect opportunity to push boundaries.”
Lighting was a key part of that strategy. Daylight travels freely through the home, reflected across pale wood and muted finishes to visually expand the 764-square-foot apartment. Concealed LED strips, pendants, and soft wall washes add depth without clutter, shifting gently with mood and time of day. Through careful orchestration of light and layout, mono.poly demonstrates how sensitivity, not scale, defines the quality of space.
Concealed LED strips, pendants, and soft wall washes add depth without clutter.
Making Every Inch Matter
Beyond aesthetics, Aloft shines in its planning. “We are most proud of the way essential daily functions were strategically distributed across the layout,” says Wen Tian. “Every zone, every surface, and every corner has a purpose that enhances the couple’s lifestyle.”
The designers treated functionality as a starting point, not an afterthought. The “witches’ stairs,” for example, rise compactly to the loft, each tread calibrated to the owners’ heights and each riser doubling as storage. “It’s a staircase, router cabinet, and feature piece all at once,” says Yi Xi, “and one of our proudest executions for this apartment.”
Above, tcc—a private retreat suspended within the home. These small but deliberate moves, orchestrated with precision, give the apartment a sense of generosity that belies its size.
The loft reclaims unused void space, forming a cosy perch for gaming and quiet time.
Details that Define the Home
For mono.poly, materiality completes the story. The home is anchored by warm wood tones, dried florals, and an earthy green palette that flows through the kitchen and study. “The muted green subway tiles are both backdrop and design pivot,” says Wen Tian. “Paired with natural wood tones and dried florals, they create a warm yet refreshing palette that anchors the calm residential retreat.”
Above the kitchen, the designers introduced a plant ledge that brings life to a typically overlooked area. “It turns an often-forgotten overhead space into a carefully framed moment of greenery and growth,” they explain. The balcony extends this connection to nature—an outdoor corner for slow mornings and views of Bukit Timah Hill. Together, these details give Aloft its distinctive balance of character and calm.
Warm wood tones, dried florals, and an earthy green palette that flows through the kitchen and study.
The Appeal
With its clarity, warmth, and ingenuity, Aloft proves that small spaces can live large. Every inch has intent, every surface meaning. Compact yet characterful, it demonstrates how purposeful design and spatial intelligence can make small-space living feel cohesive and complete.
mono.poly is an interior design practice established in 2021 by local architecture graduates Chio Wen Tian and Chua Yi Xi.
mono.poly
mono.poly is an interior design practice established in 2021 by local architecture graduates Chio Wen Tian and Chua Yi Xi, who bring a decade of combined architectural training and built experience into the realm of residential interiors. Grounded in a dual philosophy that balances disciplined spatial design with a deep understanding of client lifestyle, the studio specialises in transforming existing homes through innovative layout reconfiguration, material clarity, and meticulous detailing.
Operating through an integrated design-and-build model, mono.poly offers a seamless journey from concept to completion—upholding rigorous quality standards while giving homeowners the assurance of single-point accountability. This approach has earned the studio industry recognition, including the Singapore Good Design Award 2024 in Spatial Design and the Singapore Interior Design Awards 2024 Best in Residential Design (51–100 sqm).
Focused on mid to high-end private homes, mono.poly works closely with each client to reinterpret how space can better support daily living—beyond styling, beyond convention. Every project is treated as a tailored collaboration, driven by the belief that a well-designed home should not only look refined, but also feel intuitive, meaningful and deeply personal to its owner.