Kevin’s Natural & Nostalgic 450 Square Foot Singapore Apartment

Name: Kevin
Location: Singapore

Living in an urban concrete jungle the likes of Singapore means it is unlikely one can experience a slice of nature close to home. Yes, perhaps man made greenery abounds in the city, but natural landscapes are lacking in our space constrained island nation. I have always been fascinated about the idea of lumberjacks and mountain lodges. And I am a huge fan of the mid-century era, where fashion and design were at its purest.

So when I had full rein over the design of my tiny 450 square foot apartment , I decided to bring the two themes together and surround myself with a much needed dose of nature and nostalgia. I would call my home an amalgamation of mid-century and modern rustic sensibilities. Call it my next best thing to time or cross-continent travelling.

Due to the small footprint of my apartment, I took advice with a lot of space saving/visual expanding tricks I learned from Apartment Therapy’s beautifully curated website. Tricks such as choosing furniture pieces that have dual functions, pieces that are raised and light to reduce visual weight, choosing a unified color theme all helps to make my small home cozy and not confining.

Hence, my sofa is also a guest bed. My coffee table folds out and raises as both a work desk and dining table. Even my storage bed is well appreciated for its six huge drawers to compensate for the absence of a dresser. Ikea’s Helmer drawer unit tucks perfectly as night stands while providing handy extra storage.

Customized shelving takes advantage of the high ceilings, with walnut wood, white laminate and black metal mesh combination. Walls also feature a brick wall effect for textural interest.

I have styled my home with artwork I sourced online, many printed and framed by myself (thanks to affordable Ikea frames), keeping to a focused black and white, mid-century and nature-inspired content. My favorite art piece has to be the huge illustrated Elk above the sideboard that sets the mood of my apartment. White walls and black metal also bring out the warmth of walnut woods and evoke the 50s feeling. As a fan of Charles and Ray Eames, I added two shell chairs to reinforce the mid-century styling. Gold and yellow are chosen as accent colors to bring some vibrancy to the apartment. I love the yellow round rug that defines my living room space without truncating my small floor plan. Accessories came in all kinds of animal themed designs, from deer antlers/sculptures to birds and bugs, balanced with retro toy cars for a playful effect.

Thanks, Kevin!

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