Inspired by wood and nature’s warmth: A 1956 heritage home in Joo Chiat undergoes $130,000 renovation
“The highest buildings are only five stories high. Whenever friends visit, they say they can see the sky.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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In a city like Singapore, waking up and seeing the sky every day is a hot commodity. Originally born in Peru, of Chinese heritage, and growing up in Canada, homeowner and nature enthusiast Johnny loves that this heritage area isn’t an amalgamation of high-rise buildings. Instead, the sky is always in sight, never disguised by concrete blocks.
Similar to the shades of nature, Johnny’s home exudes a natural warmth, playing around with the colours you see in autumn: sage green, orange bursts, burnt umber and terra cottas, as well as lots of yummy textures.
“I wanted something warm and calm. I ensured my kitchen cabinets were a wooden laminate and had hardwood floors,” says Johnny. “And then a lot of furniture is made from wood too; so I introduced wood, that was the canvas I was inspired by.”
Gravitating towards Mid-Century-style interior design themes, he felt that a more eclectic and colourful theme would suit him better than popular Singaporean themes like Japandi and Modern Luxe.
“There’s not a single white wall in my home,” he jokes. And unlike many homes in Singapore, his has a bath, too–which his interior designer, Ian from Tyler Design, installed.
A utility storage cupboard in the terra cotta palette matching the terra cotta-coloured clay bricks.
A 1956 Story
There’s a special story that somewhat inspired Johnny’s choice of colour palette, more specifically the terra cotta shades, that you see throughout the spaces, including for structural pillars and walls.
During the demolition stage, whilst knocking down the wall, Johnny stumbled upon this unique brick part of the original property’s walls.
“I found this beautiful brick behind it. It had the word ‘Alexander’ on it. I researched this and discovered that these bricks were from this factory that made really high-quality bricks, which they no longer make. This company went bankrupt, but they used to make these bricks throughout Singapore,” explains the homeowner. “The colour of the brick was terracotta, which kind of inspired the colour of the home.
I asked the contractors to save me some, and they saved me two. The day I went to pick them up, the contractor handed the one to me and his hand slipped and the brick broke. Lucky for me, it was a clean cut break into two pieces. I still have both bricks and have stored them. I want to put them on display.”
Who Lives Here: A 40-year-old AI Product Builder and his one-year-old Corgie, Maple
Home: 1-bedroom walk-up apartment forming part of a dual key unit
Size: 700 sq ft
Interior designer: Ian from TALA Design+
When Johnny began his house-hunting journey, he knew he didn’t want a property with a leasehold. A friend suggested he look at dual key units with one main unit and a smaller unit next to you, but both properties would belong to the homeowner.
Liking the idea, it helped narrow down his search. In fact, he found this property within a short two weeks!
Johnny now lives in the primary apartment, and leases the next-door 300 sq ft unit to his tenant. As the properties were very run-down and also an old building, he completely gutted and renovated both units.
“You get to keep your own space, and you get to rent it out,” he says.
His 700 sq ft unit was a two-bedroom, but he converted it into one to accommodate a larger living room-meets-study space. It comprises one and a half bathrooms.
The homeowner’s search for an interior designer who understands his vision was a natural one, as interior designer Ian is a friend and one of his fellow tennis-playing enthusiasts.
All-Natural Living Room
The home’s primary tones are evident throughout the living room…A sage green wall paired with a deep terra cotta back wall, painted ceiling beams and furniture to match, the result is a soothing space to retreat.
For a warm feeling, Johnny opted for compressed hardwood parquet floors.
“I really liked the colour of the floors; it’s the exact same colour as my dog, so when she sheds, I don’t see it,” he laughs.
A glass-block wall sections off the living room, but is also part of the bathroom wall.
“We built the wall from scratch. I was a little concerned that the bathroom might be too small, and I didn’t want a low ceiling for the bathroom either,” explains Johnny. “I also wanted some natural light in the bathroom as it doesn’t have a window, so we decided to add the glass blocks.”
Opting for a projector instead of a TV, the living room is free from jarring appliances, adding to the all-natural aesthetic.
“Because I have a lot of colourful walls, I used furniture in the home that is calm and neutral,” he adds. Black wall sconces with gold brass detailing match the kitchen’s finishings.
The scratch-proof and stain-free ivory-coloured sofa is from Castlery–the perfect pet-friendly fabric for Maple. A three-tiered bookshelf was installed into the wall displaying decor, travel souvenirs and a few puzzles.
“I bought the carpet online, but I wanted a huge rug. It’s custom-made as I couldn’t find one that would fit the size I was after, and I wanted something thick. It adds to the warmth.”
A Warm and Rich Kitchen Design
Opposite the living space is an open-concept designed kitchen, reflecting the same palette as the living room. Looking around, a splash of wood-like textures and earthy tones complement one another. Cabinetry sports a bamboo-like laminate finish, which Johnny chose to honour some of his heritage roots. Above the white-coloured subway tile backsplash is a charcoal grey wall with a shelf built across the top.
Originally, the homeowner thought of adding cabinets all the way to the ceiling, but decided against it to avoid a heavy appearance, choosing a display shelf instead.
Kitchen countertops, as well as the round-edge island, are quartz, which Johnny preferred for its heat and scratch-resistant properties and the fact that the quartz is not shiny. Instead of using laminate, the underside of the kitchen island is constructed from durable sage green tiles. An LED strip light beneath the island adds warmth to this area. Two bold pendant ceiling lights complete the space.
Dining Nook Doused in Natural Light
Sharing a section of the kitchen, the wooden dining table and bench (both from Nitori) face the window, which gets drenched in natural light thanks to its floor-to-ceiling window position.
“I have a bench but also chairs, as I didn’t want it to be too matchy-matchy.”
It’s a fantastic use of space for a part of the home that was once a balcony. However, Johnny decided to have the balcony wrapped up, extending the kitchen for the open-plan dining area.
Terra Cotta and Turquoise Master
Colour isn’t just limited to the living areas in this home. Even the primary is an explosion of it, but done in a way that isn’t overpowering. It suits this bachelor pad’s mood and feels lively yet soothing at the same time.
He chose more classic-appearing bedside tables from an online store, and the shutter blinds (a favourite feature of interior designer Ian) tie in with this feeling.
“I wanted the light; in the morning, I open the shutters and let the morning light flood in.”
Above the colour, perhaps the most obvious and notable bedroom feature is the terra cotta cement wall structure separating the bedroom from Johnny’s bathtub.
The interior design team had to run the bath’s piping underneath the floors from one end of the room to the other. Instead of having a wasted gap, the team created a custom piece which was placed against the wall, doubling as a second 3D headboard-meets-wall feature. Cut-out indent blocks were added, where the wall sconces and electrical plugs were placed. A deep burnt orange suede bed base and headboard fit the king-size bed.
The Primary’s Bathtub
Growing up in Canada, a bath was pretty much a requisite for Johnny’s new home.
“I was set on having a bath…I said if I am going to spend all this money on a renovation, then I want a master where I can relax and have a hotel-like feel,” says the homeowner.
Not a common feature of Singaporean homes, the design team and Johnny came up with a way to accommodate this, forgoing some of the master bedroom’s living space for his relaxing soaking station instead.
Matching the cement terra cotta elements as seen in other parts of the house, the team constructed a wall between the bed and bath, building it from individual blocks. Small waterproof floor lights were installed on either side of the wall, highlighting the wall’s architectural design.
“At night, it’s very pretty, and it creates the same pattern on the wall with its soft lighting.”
Zig-zag deep blue wall tiles further section off this part of the room from the rest, and the rounded orange sink corresponds with the terra cotta vibes.
Guest Bathroom
One of Johnny’s favourite spaces is the guest bathroom.
“It’s a high traffic area that I wanted to be very calm and spa-like. I was inspired by brands like Aesop, which use the same principle in their shops: only two materials and colours. So, we ensured we only used two tiles and colours.”
This guest bathroom’s (comprising a shower, vanity and floating Japanese smart toilet) colour palette features light green and cream. It shares the glass block wall with the living room for natural lighting purposes. Fluted glass and a black rim doorway match the master bedroom. The vanity countertop was custom-built using the same quartz as the kitchen.
Entrance and “Backstage” Store Room
“The original inspiration for this was because of the sign leading to my bedroom, which says ‘chambre,’ meaning bedroom in French. I learned French in Canada, so I thought it would be quite fun,” tells the homeowner. “Then Ian said it’s a little unbalanced because you have it leading to your bedroom, so we needed something by the other door. We came up with ‘backstage.’”
Guests’ first question is always where this ‘backstage’ sign leads.
“I always trick people, you know. They also don’t know how to open the door because it’s flush to the wall. But it’s very anticlimactic as it’s just store space.”
Right next to the storeroom is the home’s charcoal grey front door. The entrance is sectioned off slightly by replacing the wooden floors with tiles. Whilst the front door is dark on the inside, on the other side, it is painted sage green. It’s the very first colour visitors are greeted with before stepping inside.
Johnny and Tyler Design spent a few weeks on the design of the two apartments, and construction was approximately four months.
“I am very thankful to my friend/designer/architect, Ian, who was very accommodating on changing things and being very flexible. I was very lucky that we were on budget and on time.”