IdealHomes Vol.11 2019 [Preview]

2019

SOLU TIONS

VOL.11

IN TERIORS

IDEAS

100+

pages of stunning home decor ideas

Inspired INTERIORS

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME INTO YOUR VERY OWN PRIVATE SANCTUARY

Scandi chic living • Colour therapy • Functional dining room style Open plan kitchen • Country-style kitchen • Hotel worthy bed & baths • Retreat centre

CREATIVE SPACES

Text Jasmine Goh

DESIGN BY THE SCIENTIST

AMAZING HOMES

Be inspired by these 10 unique apartments in Singapore

PINK IS THE NEW BLACK

While pink used to be relegated to a nursery or a girl’s bedroom, this colour is now gaining much street cred as the one that unabashedly defies convention.

Perhaps you still aren’t sold on using pink in your home, but you might after seeing this 4-room HDB flat designed by The Scientist.

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DESIGN BY NITTON ARCHITECTS

A HOUSE IN A FLAT

Designers Lee Liting and Chow Khoon Toong of nitton architects created a “mini house” out of their 5-room HDB flat in Sengkang.

All non-structural walls were hacked away and the entire layout was reconfigured to achieve fluid living spaces. Sliding panels and hidden beds allow space to be partitioned and used as a bedroom whenever needed.

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LIVING ROOM COLOUR THERAPY

BASIC BEAUTY

CHROMA KEY Welcome the right kind of vibe into your living area with the right splash of colour

You can never go wrong with classic timeless hues such as cream, beige, taupe and shades of grey. Although neutrals often get a bad rep for being blah, these colours make the best canvas for an interior. The trick is to stir up visual interest by layering with textures. Since they are fair shades, they help to visually open up an interior – a boon if you own a diminutive space. Use this scheme all across the room for a subdued and soft look, or as a backdrop to allow dramatic accents such as a statement feature wall or a bright pop of furniture to take centrestage.

IMAGE COURTESY OF SWEETPEA & WILLOW

Text Fidz Azmin

TOUGHEN UP

IMAGE COURTESY OF NEST.CO.UK

The masculine scheme offers a slightly lesser range of colour, but one that is undeniably packed with character and surprisingly versatile to boot. Shades that reside in this spectrum include the likes of charcoal, deep green, navy, black and chocolate.

Add pops of caramel like a single soft leather lounge to enliven the common space, or counteract the moodiness with clean tones such as white and pale grey for a brighter appearance. Natural stones, rugged wood, bricks and concrete screed do double duty by injecting hue and tons of texture at a go. Experiment with these materials – or surfaces that imitate these effects as an alternative.

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Although this interior’s communal area appears tough and rugged, it feels far from intimidating.

A statement sofa in a buttery shade of caramel doesn’t simply make the living room welcoming, it also helps to demarcate between the different zones in the open-plan space.

DESIGN BY MESH WERK STUDIO

MAKE A STATEMENT

IMAGE COURTESY OF BOCONCEPT

GIVE SHADE The fireplace feature wall and its adjoining storage console are swathed in darker wood surfaces to inject depth in this allneutral backdrop.

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DINING FUNCTION VS STYLE

IMAGE COURTESY OF BOCONCEPT

A metallic statement piece is sure to transform your everyday meals into sophisticated affairs.

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GET THE LOOK

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LUXE IT UP

Take your daily meals to the next level with some debonair mid-century modern style accessories Text & coordination Jolene Limuco

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1 Rover armchair $223.20 at Commune 2 Ball pendant lamp $195 each at BoConcept 3 SNAJDARE wall clock $24.90 at IKEA 4 Diamond vase $60 at BoConcept 5 FÖRÄDLA serving stand $29.90 at IKEA 6 Pink martini glasses $68 at Audenza 7 Rover sideboard $1,432.20 at Commune 8 TRÅDLÖS honey drip and tea measure $3.90 at IKEA 9 STORSINT carafe $14.90 at IKEA 10 Teaset glass teapot $60 at T2

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BED & BATH HOTEL-WORTHY HAVENS

WELL APPOINTED

FACE FORWARD Something that hotel rooms accommodate so well is a vanity area. Homeowners who occupy compact bedrooms can take a leaf from guestrooms by building a bespoke vanity area into a corner of their private quarters. Keep the foundation simple and accessorise it with statement pieces like a gold chair or mirror to make the incorporation of this feature achievable.

Interior designs often take inspiration from beautiful hotel suites around the world but you’d want to take inspiration from these real-life private sanctuaries that look like they belong in five-star lodgings

DESIGN BY FREE SPACE INTENT

DESIGN BY THE SCIENTIST

Text Jolene Limuco

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IN THE DETAILS Walk into any hotel room and you’ll probably notice how furnishings and accessories are well placed within the small confines. Keeping the bedroom neat and uncluttered is the key to making it feel luxurious. A nightstand with ample storage room will keep all your necessities within reach but never crowd the table top, leaving room to display accents like flowers for a mood-lifting effect.

If there is one thing that makes hotel rooms so comfortable is the bedding. A good quality mattress and a pile of downy pillows will contribute to a sense of wellbeing. Make your sleeping area cosy and oh-so-satisfying by investing in the good stuff.

DESIGN BY FUSE CONCEPT

IMAGE COURTESY OF DULUX

SOFT LANDING

CLASSIC TWIST HDB bathrooms may be small but that doesn’t mean that you can’t transform into a calming space to get away from it all. A black and white palette is classy, and it easily emulates the stately ambience of heritage hotels. Complete the hotel en suite look with a glass screen, mosaic tiles and that all-important rain shower that will soothe tired muscles after a long day.

ESSENTIAL WARDROBE

DESIGN BY ICON INTERIOR

Clutter is one of the things that can make a small space like the bedroom feel uncomfortable. As such, having a good wardrobe system in place can be a saving grace. If having a walk-in wardrobe is not an option, then the next best thing is a wardrobe system that helps you keep things in order. For that splash of style, tinted glass panels evoke a contemporaryindustrial vibe seen in so many hip boutique hotels these days.

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BED & BATH HOTEL-WORTHY HAVENS

IMAGE COURTESY OF WALL CATALOG

Jazz up a black and white bathroom with whimsical wallpaper, which you can customise at wallpaper retailer Wall Catalog.

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GET THE LOOK

HERITAGE CHIC

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Furnishings and accessories for replicating the glamour of legacy hotels in your own private spaces Text & coordination Jolene Limuco

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1 AYTM Circum mirror POA at Inhabitant 2 TÄNKVÄRD easy chair $129 at IKEA 3 Decay glass art $445 at BoConcept 4 Arkipelag suspension lamp POA at Inhabitant 5 Neri & Hu Lantern table lamp POA at Space Furniture 6 Ethnic tapestry $75 at BoConcept 7 GAGNET armchair $99 at IKEA 8 Stripes basket $95 at BoConcept 9 HEMNES/ ODENSVIK washstand $590 at IKEA

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PROJECT SHOWCASE

All Spruced Up Functionality and aesthetics come together in equal harmony in this three-bedder apartment that boasts clean lines and tailored furnishings

S PA C E AT E L I E R

Space

Size

Location

Home To

Designer

3-bedroom condominium unit

Approx 2,000 square feet

Belmont Road

2 adults, 2 children

Jonathan Kuok from Space Atelier

W

hen designing a space for a family with growing children, simplicity and practicality are always major considerations, and things were no different for this family of four. With a modern luxury theme in mind, the owners then employed the help of Jonathan Kuok from interior design firm Space Atelier, who through his clever design sensibilities and keen eye for detail, carved out an idyllic yet fully functional space perfectly suited for the occupants.

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Reno Period 10 weeks

Living Although most of the furnishings within the space were loose pieces, a huge built-in cabinet offers plenty of storage solutions for the family’s shoes. However, the inclusion of a series of open shelves prevent the fixture from feeling too boxy.

Meanwhile, Jonathan dressed up the bay window with padded cushions on the top to carve out additional seating arrangements in the space.

Overall Underlined by a modern luxury theme, this three-bedroom apartment perfectly embodies the image of a home that is designed for everyday living. Sticking to a clean palette of whites and neutral colours, the space is kitted out with understated furniture pieces, such as grey-accented seating arrangements and wood-toned tables. These also pair well with the marble flooring that was repolished to give it a new sheen.

Dining Backing the elegant furniture set that comprises a live edge dining table and comfy upholstered chairs, the dining area also plays host to a floor-to-ceiling bar counter that comes complete with open shelving units for their alcohol collection as well as closed-door storage slots that keep drinkware and other serving essentials tidy.

Master bathroom The pairing of stone-effect tiles with the dark wooden plank-lookalike tiles give the en-suite bathroom a luxurious ambience, while the removal of a bathtub creates a spacious and airy atmosphere. For privacy purposes, a full-height wall was erected between the WC and the rest of the bathroom, but the use of a glass panel on the upper part of the wall still allows natural light to flow through freely.

Tip Don’t overlook bay windows, for they can be converted into functional fixtures like seating arrangements or storage units.

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PROJECT SHOWCASE

A Rosy Finish Ornate fittings and Victorian-style adornments transform this four-room flat into a cosy and charming residence

DARWIN INTERIOR

I

f you’re looking for the usual minimalist home, you wouldn’t find it in this four-room HDB abode. Hoping to create a unique Victorian-style interior unlike any other in modern home design, the homeowners approached Trina Lim of Darwin Interior to turn the space into a whimsical oasis complete with pastel walls and elegant furnishings.

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Space

Size

Location

Home to

Designer

4-room HDB unit

Approx.1,295 square feet

Pasir Ris

7 adults

Trina Lim from Space Atelier

Reno period 6 weeks

Overall Upon entering this home, one would feel as if they were transported into a pink paradise. This was attributed to the glow emanating from the chandelier that casts the wall in a pink hue. The furnishings, particularly the dining set and sofas, were sourced from Cluck Cluck Country Living Home Decor by the lady homeowner, picking out matching floral, embellished pieces. Meanwhile, the Victorian beadings, made of nyatoh wood, were sourced from a niche wood supplier by Trina, who spray-painted and fitted them on the walls.

Living The television console is placed against a feature wall, made of birch wood to blend in with the rose-hued walls. The chandelier hangs as the centrepiece of the home, which paints the room in a pink glow. Hidden storage was created through a settee that sits beneath the window, which serves as a part of the decorations seamlessly.

Tip Make use of r t eiling uilt in a inets in kit ens t i e all a lian es an reate an un luttere rks a e t i up meals.

it en Keeping to the Victorian theme, the walls of the kitchen appear to resemble a brick wall, and was made using ceramic wall tiles from White Horse Ceramics. The counters, sourced from CO-TOP Marketing, are made of quartz and wood, with the former in black to contrast sharply with the white cabinets and greywhite walls. The porcelain floor tiles used in the kitchen was also fashioned after wood, to create a homely traditional feel without the trouble of water spills damaging the tiles.

aster e r The master bedroom may look simple after the fancy living room and patterned kitchen walls, but it serves its purpose as a cosy retreat for the married homeowners. A custom-made television console of solid plywood with a laminated finish was created in front of the Queen-sized bed so that they may catch up on their favourite shows in the comfort of their room, which also appears pink due to the orange light used. A floor-toceiling sliding door hides away all clothes and living essentials.

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PROJECT SHOWCASE

A Winning Combination Instead of going for the usual luxury penthouse look, this family changed it up with a mix of vintage and modern furnishings for their dream home

NOTION OF W

Space

Size

Location

Home to

Designer

3-bedroom penthouse condominium

Approx 2,200 square feet

Telok Kurau

2 adults, 2 children

Notion of W

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ou don’t always have to stick to a single style when realising your dream home. Featuring an eclectic mix of themes – a little vintage, some country and even a tad modern – that somehow work, this penthouse serves as a luxurious sanctuary for a family of four.

Here’s how the designer from Notion of W combined a variety of elements into a single, cohesive unit.

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Reno period 16 weeks

Overall The first floor of the abode is home to the living and dining areas as well as the kitchen, which each take on white as its base shade with dark coloured furnishings.

Only a single wall in the living room is dark brown to match the leather sofa. Adorned with nyatoh wood trimmings over the solid plywood and laminate finished surface, it serves as the cover of the home’s bomb shelter. The wide windows of the living area and kitchen allow light to stream in freely, making the space bright and breezy.

Tip Add a splash of bold colours to a monochrome room for added impact.

Living Situated next to the kitchen, the living room utilises stone colours in both its vinyl flooring and laminated feature wall. The wall, where the home entertainment system resides, also features wood trimmings similar to the dark wall to give it a period feel. The laminated television console was also customised just for the home.

Dining Unlike the wide expanse of the living room, the dining area is a cosy niche in the same area. A small dining set and three seats are matched by a cushy sofa bench and chic hanging lights, making for an interesting mix of furnishings – all were, however, sourced from local furniture store Inhabitant to ensure they complemented each other perfectly. Meanwhile, a built-in cabinet for the homeowner’s collection of precious minerals was created behind the dining set to give the space a bit more colour.

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PROJECT SHOWCASE

Natural Beauty Evoking a quiet and relaxed quality, this predominantly woodaccented apartment is the perfect personal haven for two

ZLC

W

Space

Size

Location

Home to

Designer

5-room resale HDB unit

1,184 square feet

Simei Lane

2 adults

Jake Yeoh from ZLC

ith no strict design perimeters to follow and a result that’s guaranteed to be timeless, there’s something to be said for homes that don’t cater to a specific design theme. Case in point: this five-room HDB apartment that had only one main design requirement – to be wood-centric. Under the purview of interior designer Jake Yeoh from ZLC, this home now boasts varying shades of brown and a collection of unobtrusive furnishings that carve out an atmosphere of warm tranquility.

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Reno period 10 weeks

Overall For a spacious and airy atmosphere, the walls in the communal zones were kept free from any built-ins, which pair well with the large-format homogeneous floor tiles that have been repolished to give it a new shine. The choice of an understated palette also helps to bring out the full depth of the sofa’s rich caramel colour, as well as the natural wood layers from the adjoining fixtures and furnishings.

Dry pantry To make the owners’ entertaining duties more seamless, Jake carved out a dry pantry outside the kitchen and filled it with plenty of thoughtful fittings. In addition to the floorto-ceiling cabinets, a custom-made island unit dominates the space. Made out of a quartz worktop and dual-toned laminated base, the fixture offers additional prep space while encompassing hidden storage units beneath.

Entryway A full-height cabinet installed here helps keep shoes tidy and off the floor. Additionally, the use of sliding doors instead of swing doors prevents any unnecessary blocking of the entryway. Meanwhile, a couple of open niches offer the occupants added functionality.

The first is the middle niche that serves as a landing spot for wallets and keys, while the bottom niche provides an easily accessible spot for shoes.

Tip While not necessary, making a conscious choice to use the same aterials an finis es t r ug ut the whole home will result in a more cohesive and seamless aesthetic.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF THREE-D CONCEPTWERKE

END NOTE

WELL GROOMED Colourful printed tiles can inject an uplifting vibe to a utilitarian zone like the bathroom 112 idealhomes

While predominantly functional, the bathroom can and should be considered a sanctuary in every sense of the word.

This is where you get refreshed for the day ahead and where you relax after a long day at work or play. When it comes to decorating the bathroom, why not go down the path less beaten and deck it out in some vintage poster tiles? Available at auction websites, these tiles will add colour and character to your grooming space, and will surely put you in a great mood come day or night.

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MAR 2019

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