House tour: An apartment in Singapore’s eclectic Tiong Bahru district

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Firm bout: An apartment in Singapore'southward eclectic Tiong Bahru district

Taken by the charms of Tiong Bahru, the owners of this three-bedchamber flat tasked their interior designer to pen a honey letter of the alphabet to the neighbourhood. The issue is a space that blends Fine art Deco influences with a Japanese wabi sabi sensibility.

The apartment is non situated in one of the beloved, pre-war conservation blocks that define the area, only a peripheral four-storey cake congenital fifteen years ago. (Photo: SEECK Photography)

fifteen Nov 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 11:52PM)

The gentrification of the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood has been widely critiqued, only there is no denying its idiosyncratic charm that nevertheless continues to describe people to want to alive there.

Apart 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-rise buildings.

Information technology is these reasons that led a professor and his married woman to buy an flat in the area. He teaches at a local academy and she is a manager at an technology firm. They migrated from Mainland china to Singapore in the 1990s for work.

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The home is not situated in one of the beloved, pre-war conservation blocks that define the surface area, but a peripheral four-storey cake built 15 years ago. The development is nondescript – tacky even, with drab biscuit and pewter facade paint – but the unit had good bones.

"Before we bought this flat in tardily-2018, nosotros lived in a condominium at Spottiswoode Park. Both of us similar the hip and charming Tiong Bahru neighbourhood. When we met our designer Ming Lim from interior design firm EightyTwo, we told him that nosotros would similar a identify that is uncomplicated, calming and pleasant," said the husband.

The original three-bedroom apartment had a pokey layout. A small kitchen and sleeping accommodation situated by the entrance meant that one had to traverse a long, dark corridor before reaching the living area.

By removing walls along the formerly nighttime and alley-like archway corridor, interior designer Ming Lim introduced light, space and a sense of arrival. (Photo: SEECK Photography)

"It felt every bit if y'all were walking through an alleyway," said Lim. As the couple lived hither by themselves – their son works and lives abroad – they did non need so many bedrooms, so he demolished the walls of these spaces upfront.

In their identify is at present a spacious open up kitchen, now flushed with light not 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 than usable. It terminates in a monolithic kitchen island clad with jade-and-cream Primavera marble.

The monolithic kitchen isle is clad with jade-and-foam Primavera marble. (Photo: SEECK Photography)

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, as the person cooking or preparing nutrient can converse easily with those lounging or watching television in the other areas.

The wall contrary the kitchen running from the entrance all the style to the living surface area's window is finished in a cream-coloured laminate. It visually connects all 3 areas, leads the eye toward the amicably-shaped window and the light streaming from it, and contributes to the minimal artful.

A cream-coloured laminate along i wall visually connects the living, dining and kitchen.(Photo: SEECK Photography)

To a higher place 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]. Information technology is also a nod to the Art Deco move that defines Tiong Bahru's architecture," said Lim.

On the unique marble choice, he explained, "Primavera marble was called to create a statement slice for the kitchen peninsula while serving as an ode to the original green metal window frames of the residence. The lesser section was finished in matte satin brass sheet."

This subtle gloss continues in the floor stop with a contumely strip dividing the micro-cement flooring of the corridor and living area, and the ceramic tiles resembling terrazzo in the kitchen.

"The micro-cement floor provides a seamless await beyond the spaces, and is piece of cake to maintain as information technology is non 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. Nosotros focused instead on nuances, textures and [layering of infinite] to accomplish a restrained notwithstanding refined home," said Lim.

Raw concrete structural beams uncovered during the renovation process were deliberately left unfinished. (Photo: SEECK Photography) "During the initial renovation phases, the raw physical structural beams and terracotta brick wall were discovered. They provide strong textural contrasts between raw and refined, matching the style of Tiong Bahru." – Ming Lim

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Colours are used sparingly as accents. An example is in the furnishing. "The living surface area and sleeping room curtains feature heavy fabrics in burnt orange, steel and pigeon grey respectively. A layer of sheer curtains filter calorie-free in the day," described Lim.

The living room drapery is peculiarly well selected to match the shade of the exposed brick wall. The soft, flowing textile contrasts with the latter's nonchalant roughness to reverberate Lim's idea of creating balance through opposing qualities.

Not only are the mutual areas better lit after the renovation, but the bedrooms are, too. The main bedroom and bathroom'southward doors were replaced with mild steel-framed, fluted glass doors that pass lite through both ways. As the original chief bath was quite pocket-sized, Lim pushed a wall out to expand it.

Inside, the countertop's curved profile resonates with the kitchen cabinetry. The terrazzo-lookalike ceramic tiles in the kitchen also make an appearance here, also as the second bedroom's en-suite. This bear upon of terrazzo adheres to the Art Deco scheme.

In the second bathroom, a quartz counter for the washbasin folds downward into a sitting ledge at the shower stall. Lim replaced the top half of the wall between the bathroom and bedroom with glass panels, bringing light into the sleeping area.

One of the "nuances" that Lim speaks near 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 home's industrial character and rugged charm.

"During the initial renovation phases, the raw concrete structural beams and terra cotta brick wall were discovered. They provide potent textural contrasts between raw and refined, matching the fashion of Tiong Bahru," said Lim.

The sense of calm he wanted to create drew from Japanese aesthetic principles. "I've always appreciated the Japanese wabi sabi concept [which celebrates imperfection rather than hide it], and I felt that the space could incorporate some of these [found] elements. I discussed it with the owners and they were agreeable," said Lim.

The owners trusted Lim with many of the design decisions, downward to the artwork. In the common areas, he picked pieces that help create a coherent interior.

"The art piece in the dining area consists of all the colours used for the interior. It ties in very well with the colour scheme. Another piece features interesting geometric shapes, which I wanted to complement the dining room light," said Ming.

Like a luminous bubble, the Bianca pendant lite from Fontana Arte hovers serenely over a geometric, timber dining tabular array from Karimoku New Standard. These simple forms echo the home's honest, distilled expressions.

Similarly, the living room piece of 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 end table from local brand JotterGoods adds shine.

The living room piece of furniture were chosen for their pure forms and suitable materiality. (Photo: SEECK Photography)

With its oak forest base and enlarged opal glass dome mimicking a mushroom – the designer Signe Hytte was indeed inspired by ane – the Karl-Johan table lamp from Danish brand New Works is a whimsical bear on.

While the couple enjoyed living in the apartment, they later on decided to stay at their former condominium every bit it had more space to cater for their son when he returned abode on holiday or concern.

They take since rented the apartment out to an expat couple that, like the owners, observe comfort in the simple yet well-designed interior, and love being shut to the culturally and socially rich Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.

"I've e'er appreciated the Japanese wabi sabi concept [which celebrates imperfection rather than hibernate it]." – Ming Lim

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