The brief
Our clients — a young family relocating from a smaller condo — wanted a home that felt warm and grounded rather than minimal-cold. They needed open social spaces for entertaining, a quiet study for both adults working from home, and a layout that could grow with two young children. Budget and timeline were both tight: they wanted to be in before the school year started.
The challenge
The existing layout had a long, narrow living area that fought the natural light from the balcony, and a kitchen closed off from the rest of the home. We needed to open the plan up without losing the structural columns that ran through the centre of the apartment — turning a constraint into a design feature.
The concept
Three design moves shaped the project:
- A wrapping joinery wall in fluted walnut that ran from the entryway, through the living room and into the dining area — turning structural columns into a continuous design element
- An open kitchen with a 3.2-metre island in honed Caesarstone, doubling as breakfast bar, prep surface and homework table
- Layered lighting — recessed downlights, linear LED in the ceiling cove, and three statement pendants over the island, each on a separate dimmer for mood control
Materials
- American walnut veneer joinery, oil-finished
- Honed Caesarstone "Cloudburst Concrete" island top
- Travertine effect porcelain flooring (1200×600 mm)
- Brushed brass hardware and tapware
- Soft wool rugs and natural linen upholstery throughout
The outcome
Project delivered in 13 weeks from contract signing — two weeks ahead of schedule. The family moved in three days before the school year. Six months on, the open kitchen and joinery wall remain the most-photographed spaces in the home, and the clients have since referred us to two other families in the same development.
Project facts
- Property type: Private condominium, 4-bedroom
- Floor area: 1,650 sq ft
- Location: Central Singapore
- Scope: Full design and build, including FF&E
- Timeline: 13 weeks from contract to handover
- Photography: Project completion shots by Mr Cow Interior Design