Singapore Houzz Tour: Singapore Flavour Meets Scandi Seasoning
Two designers fulfilled a brief for a “practical and minimal” interior while creating an apartment with warm elegance
Chiquit Brammall
30 July 2020
Design journalist and freelance editor. Dollhouse architect. Serial renter.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A newlywed couple
Location: Telok Kurau, Singapore
Property: A two-storey apartment
Size: Three bedrooms (one now converted into a study) across 148 square metres
Project duration: Two months
Designer: Eric Chua and Terence Chia of Sync Interior
The newlywed owners of this flat called on Sync Interior to renovate their first home, a two-storey apartment in Telok Kurau, in south-east Singapore, with “a simple and minimalist concept”. Designers Eric Chua and Terence Chia worked together to fulfil the brief, which asked for a “functional and practical” space, and they added stylish local flavour to the design.
Who lives here: A newlywed couple
Location: Telok Kurau, Singapore
Property: A two-storey apartment
Size: Three bedrooms (one now converted into a study) across 148 square metres
Project duration: Two months
Designer: Eric Chua and Terence Chia of Sync Interior
The newlywed owners of this flat called on Sync Interior to renovate their first home, a two-storey apartment in Telok Kurau, in south-east Singapore, with “a simple and minimalist concept”. Designers Eric Chua and Terence Chia worked together to fulfil the brief, which asked for a “functional and practical” space, and they added stylish local flavour to the design.
The first floor of the apartment contains the public areas, with a foyer leading to an open-plan living room, dining space and kitchen, which sets the tone with a neutral Scandi-style palette.
Are you considering renovating your own apartment or house? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to discover what’s possible
Are you considering renovating your own apartment or house? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to discover what’s possible
A run of cupboards along the window wall creates plenty of storage. “In the living room, we made use of the existing sunken structure under the window to create a built-in cabinet,” says Chua.
“That’s [also] the bar area,” he adds. The designers imported a timber slab from Indonesia to use for the bespoke, built-in bar top. “The owners do some of their work here, as well as chill with friends,” says Chua. “It gets plenty of fresh air and daylight.”
The window treatment reinterprets Colonial-style shutters in a contemporary way.
“That’s [also] the bar area,” he adds. The designers imported a timber slab from Indonesia to use for the bespoke, built-in bar top. “The owners do some of their work here, as well as chill with friends,” says Chua. “It gets plenty of fresh air and daylight.”
The window treatment reinterprets Colonial-style shutters in a contemporary way.
The dining area connects to the ‘dry kitchen’ (used mostly for food preparation), creating the ideal entertaining space for when the owners invite friends and family over. There’s also a ‘wet kitchen’, seen in the reflection of the dining area’s mirror, which is used for cooking.
For a seamless flow between the living and dining spaces and the dry kitchen, the designers chose vinyl flooring (they also used this on the second floor). They paired the quartz benchtop with deep-green laminate for the kitchen cabinets, while the owners created the metal-framed open shelving over the benchtop themselves, says Chua.
The dining table and chairs were custom-made in Indonesia and put an updated twist on both mid-century and ‘Colonial-style’ furniture.
For a seamless flow between the living and dining spaces and the dry kitchen, the designers chose vinyl flooring (they also used this on the second floor). They paired the quartz benchtop with deep-green laminate for the kitchen cabinets, while the owners created the metal-framed open shelving over the benchtop themselves, says Chua.
The dining table and chairs were custom-made in Indonesia and put an updated twist on both mid-century and ‘Colonial-style’ furniture.
“We kept the uniqueness of the staircase structure’s design, simply staining the steps and handrail to a darker wood finish,” says Chua.
The walls and ceiling are white, the windows trimmed in black, the timber detailing is dark, and the furniture has a mid-century silhouette.
The walls and ceiling are white, the windows trimmed in black, the timber detailing is dark, and the furniture has a mid-century silhouette.
There are two bedrooms (one of which has been converted into a study) and a bathroom on the second floor.
“In the master bedroom, we built an L-shaped wardrobe and made use of the existing sunken structure under the bedroom window to create a built-in storage cabinet [see previous photo],” says Chua.
A soothing combination of grey and navy complements the neutral base of white walls and dark flooring, an archetypical Scandi palette.
A soothing combination of grey and navy complements the neutral base of white walls and dark flooring, an archetypical Scandi palette.
The designers accented the white bathroom with black fittings for a minimalist and timeless design.
This bedroom was converted into a study and hobby room.
The designers opted to keep the balcony’s existing mosaic floor tiles for their uniqueness and simply decorated it with potted plants.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story, and join the renovation conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Speedy Turnaround: A Genius Home Makeover on a Tight Deadline
The designers opted to keep the balcony’s existing mosaic floor tiles for their uniqueness and simply decorated it with potted plants.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story, and join the renovation conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Speedy Turnaround: A Genius Home Makeover on a Tight Deadline
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Very pleasant and comfortable looking space. Useful to have the dry and wet kitchens, a photo would be helpful to see how the two spaces work together.
Such a clean, neat, fresh design but still with style and character. I usually dislike 'bars' with bar stools, but this one in front of the window is just lovely. I'd actually want to sit there. The only thing that jars is the open clothes rail in the bedroom.
Super transformation. The dining area connects to the ‘dry kitchen' brilliantly.