House tour: An apartment in Singapore’s eclectic Tiong Bahru district
Advert
Obsessions
House bout: An apartment in Singapore'due south eclectic Tiong Bahru commune
Taken by the charms of Tiong Bahru, the owners of this 3-bedroom apartment tasked their interior designer to pen a love letter to the neighbourhood. The consequence is a space that blends Art Deco influences with a Japanese wabi sabi sensibility.
The apartment is not situated in 1 of the beloved, pre-war conservation blocks that define the expanse, simply a peripheral iv-storey block built 15 years ago. (Photograph: SEECK Photography)
fifteen Nov 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 11:52PM)
The gentrification of the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood has been widely critiqued, just at that place is no denying its idiosyncratic charm that nonetheless continues to draw people to desire to live in that location.
Autonomously from the packed weekend crowds, there is the winning formula of the timeless Art Deco architecture, central location, off-beat mix of mom-and-pop shops and Instagram-worthy cafes, plus the walkability and relaxed air due to the low-ascension buildings.
Information technology is these reasons that led a professor and his wife to purchase an apartment in the area. He teaches at a local university and she is a director at an applied science firm. They migrated from China to Singapore in the 1990s for piece of work.
READ> Business firm tour: A home in Singapore, inspired by the gardens of Suzhou
The home is not situated in one of the dearest, pre-war conservation blocks that ascertain the area, but a peripheral four-storey block built 15 years ago. The development is nondescript – tacky even, with drab beige and pewter facade paint – just the unit had good bones.
"Before nosotros bought this apartment in tardily-2018, we lived in a condominium at Spottiswoode Park. Both of united states like the hip and charming Tiong Bahru neighbourhood. When we met our designer Ming Lim from interior blueprint firm EightyTwo, we told him that we would similar a place that is simple, calming and pleasant," said the married man.
The original three-bedroom apartment had a pokey layout. A small-scale kitchen and bedroom situated by the entrance meant that one had to traverse a long, dark corridor before reaching the living area.
"It felt as if you were walking through an alleyway," said Lim. Equally the couple lived here by themselves – their son works and lives abroad – they did non need so many bedrooms, and then he demolished the walls of these spaces upfront.
In their place is now a spacious open up kitchen, now flushed with light non only from the arched window in the living area, but also from the window of the demolished bedroom. A long, Silestone quartz counter makes the kitchen more usable. It terminates in a monolithic kitchen island clad with jade-and-cream Primavera marble.
This counter bridges the kitchen, dining and living area into one continuous zone. It is conducive for the teas and dinners that the couple likes to host, equally the person cooking or preparing food tin can converse hands with those lounging or watching television in the other areas.
The wall opposite the kitchen running from the entrance all the mode to the living area's window is finished in a cream-coloured laminate. It visually connects all 3 areas, leads the centre toward the amicably-shaped window and the lite streaming from information technology, and contributes to the minimal aesthetic.
Above the kitchen counter, a line of cabinetry terminates with a rounded edge. "I did this to complement the biconvex window that [was implemented during the renovation]. It is also a nod to the Art Deco movement that defines Tiong Bahru's architecture," said Lim.
On the unique marble choice, he explained, "Primavera marble was chosen to create a statement piece for the kitchen peninsula while serving equally an ode to the original green metal window frames of the residence. The bottom section was finished in matte satin contumely sheet."
This subtle gloss continues in the flooring finish with a brass strip dividing the micro-cement flooring of the corridor and living surface area, and the ceramic tiles resembling terrazzo in the kitchen.
"The micro-cement floor provides a seamless look beyond the spaces, and is easy to maintain as it is not prone to hairline cracks. With the exception of the marble and brass, the other fabric choices were kept to muted, earth tones like beige, grey and off-white. We focused instead on nuances, textures and [layering of space] to achieve a restrained yet refined domicile," said Lim.
READ> In Singapore, two siblings build a home side by side door to their parents to foster familial ties
Colours are used sparingly as accents. An instance is in the furnishing. "The living area and chamber curtains feature heavy fabrics in burnt orangish, steel and dove grey respectively. A layer of sheer defunction filter light in the day," described Lim.
The living room curtain is specially well selected to match the shade of the exposed brick wall. The soft, flowing fabric contrasts with the latter'due south nonchalant roughness to reverberate Lim'south thought of creating balance through opposing qualities.
Not merely are the common areas better lit after the renovation, just the bedrooms are, too. The master sleeping room and bathroom's doors were replaced with balmy steel-framed, fluted glass doors that pass light through both ways. As the original master bathroom was quite pocket-sized, Lim pushed a wall out to expand it.
Within, the countertop'due south curved profile resonates with the kitchen cabinetry. The terrazzo-lookalike ceramic tiles in the kitchen also make an appearance here, too as the second bedroom's en-suite. This touch of terrazzo adheres to the Art Deco scheme.
In the second bath, a quartz counter for the washbasin folds downward into a sitting ledge at the shower stall. Lim replaced the summit one-half of the wall between the bathroom and bedchamber with glass panels, bringing light into the sleeping surface area.
One of the "nuances" that Lim speaks about is exposing parts of the architecture – a raw brick wall at the living expanse and a beam across the dining. This narrative of layering time adds to the abode'southward industrial graphic symbol and rugged amuse.
"During the initial renovation phases, the raw concrete structural beams and terracotta brick wall were discovered. They provide strong textural contrasts between raw and refined, matching the style of Tiong Bahru," said Lim.
The sense of calm he wanted to create drew from Japanese artful principles. "I've ever appreciated the Japanese wabi sabi concept [which celebrates imperfection rather than hibernate it], and I felt that the space could incorporate some of these [establish] elements. I discussed it with the owners and they were agreeable," said Lim.
The owners trusted Lim with many of the pattern decisions, downwardly to the artwork. In the common areas, he picked pieces that help create a coherent interior.
"The fine art slice in the dining area consists of all the colours used for the interior. Information technology ties in very well with the color scheme. Some other slice features interesting geometric shapes, which I wanted to complement the dining room light," said Ming.
Like a luminous bubble, the Bianca pendant light from Fontana Arte hovers serenely over a geometric, timber dining table from Karimoku New Standard. These simple forms echo the home'due south honest, distilled expressions.
Similarly, the living room furniture were chosen for their pure forms and suitable materiality. The black aluminium Poller java table by Wendelbo has a slight hint of marble at the base, and the Rivet finish table from local brand JotterGoods adds shine.
With its oak wood base and enlarged opal glass dome mimicking a mushroom – the designer Signe Hytte was indeed inspired past one – the Karl-Johan table lamp from Danish brand New Works is a whimsical touch on.
While the couple enjoyed living in the apartment, they later decided to stay at their former condominium as it had more space to cater for their son when he returned home on holiday or business organization.
They have since rented the apartment out to an expat couple that, like the owners, find comfort in the simple yet well-designed interior, and honey being shut to the culturally and socially rich Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.
"I've always appreciated the Japanese wabi sabi concept [which celebrates imperfection rather than hide it]." – Ming Lim
READ> House tour: A three-storey penthouse in Singapore with a rooftop Jacuzzi
Recent Searches
Trending Topics
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/house-tour-an-apartment-in-singapore-tiong-bahru-247051
0 Response to "House tour: An apartment in Singapore’s eclectic Tiong Bahru district"
Post a Comment