We've had a couple previous house tours and house calls from across the Pacific in Singapore before, and now we can add this stylish apartment to our growing list of Asian city homes. Design studio KNQ Associates designed this apartment for a young couple in their 30's, trying to maximize the space and function within a moderate size living space, while drawing inspiration from the natural world...
How would you define your style?Our design studio KNQ Associates designed this apartment for a young couple in their 30s. Our studio's style tends towards clean-cut lines and contemporary details.
What is your greatest inspiration?
Nature inspires us as designers. In designing a compact space like this, creating a feeling of space and refinement is of utmost importance. Drawing inspiration from the female owner's love for florals, we took our cues from elements found in a garden and infused the space with a subtle sense of tamed wilderness - floral prints, stones, raw wood, greenery etc.
What is your favorite element of your home?
Our favourite part of this home is the entrance/ foyer area. We carved out a small pocket of space from the original living area to accommodate a nice entry point to the home, while maximising its function by means of incorporating a shoe storage area, a nice little bench for wearing shoes and even a mirror (which is actually the cabinet doors concealing the shoes) for checking oneself before stepping out of the house!
What is the biggest challenge of your home?
To maximise the space usage and functions within a constrained floor area.
For example, when we decided to segment the entry and living/ dining areas of this home, we were concerned whether the owners would mind having the original compact space being demarcated, which would mean the individual pockets of space would become smaller. But by means of the usage of materials like mirrors, wise choice of furniture and very detailed planning, we managed to eradicate this problem. And the clients are very pleased with the results.
What do friends say about your home?
Client commented their friends and relatives like the 'airiness' of the space.
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It's a lovely home - but 1000s/f for two people is anything but "compact".
view bepsf's profile
love that green chair! LOVE!
view chelleann's profile
very nice.
love the stone wall.
view art's profile
someone paid for this? the bedroom looks nice, but the kitchen and living space proportions look all off and the walls do nothing for the apartment.
view jchan's profile
I like the wallpaper.
view Aiekan's profile
nice
view ayz's profile
Wow, I love the lounge room wallpaper- so pretty!
view Kealoha's profile
can't wait to see the couple personalize the space. too clinical for my liking.
view ilovebc's profile
"...the kitchen and living space proportions look all off..."
Did I miss something?
Where's the pic of the kitchen?
view bepsf's profile
1000 sf is compact?? Place is nice, but could use some personalization, looks a bit cold.
view suzy8track's profile
Nice example of minimalism.
view kimg924's profile
This looks like a hotel room to me. Love the green chair though.
view jooly's profile
Love the entry with the glass divider (we've seen that before here, haven't we?), love the shiny/matte wallpaper, love the stone wall and LOVE the green womb chair. sigh.
I don't love the flower art or the furniture facing the TV, however.
view carolyn_suzanne's profile
i like the living room, but is it just me or does everything else look like CGI?
view Bozotown's profile
How do we do that glass? I'm trying to do that for my office as well. Any pointers?
carolyn_suzanne, where have you seen it before?
view Jason Yang's profile
Love it, although I would have preferred blond hardwood floors than the white (tile?) floors.
view david's profile
i love the big window in the bedroom. i wish i had those.
i actually quite like the whole thing but agree that it does look very clinical. i guess the owners haven't moved in.
view alicee's profile
this is ultra contemporary.
for such a tropical city, wouldn't it have been cool to somehow integrate that balcony into the living room? so those big doors/windows can be open more and be less dependent on air conditioning? more plants, too, maybe. i see reclaimed teak on the floor. dark, cool, muted color on the walls. ceiling and floor fans. an earthenware something to hold water and cool the room down.
as is the feng shui is very conflicting. the room appears cold, but the energy is very heated.
quick fix: deep-colored rug on the floor.
view khanzen's profile
funny, this is neither minimalism nor ultra contemporary to me. it's just plain old contemporary. not clinical. not cold. I like the concept, but there are many aspects of the execution that are lacking for me.
view charlenemcbride's profile
its nice, if your trying for the upscale hotel room look, but there are no real personal touches, its looks like a replica of a magazine. but it is "pretty"
all except the captains bed in bedroom. what is up with that? i just think it takes the 'scale' down a notch
view Faynilla's profile