A life of quiet luxury

Home Type: 5-room HDB flat

Floor Area: 1,100sqft

Text by Disa Tan

While public housing is not commonly associated with luxury, this BTO flat in Tampines changes the narrative with its minimalistic look of luxury. The homeowners, a married couple, were keen to explore the concept of quiet luxury – an understated style with a hint of grandeur – for their new home together. That led Chris Zhang, Design Director at Plush Interior Design, to propose design elements like curvilinear accents and tonal neutrals among other style accents to achieve their desired aesthetic.

A soothing symphony of off-white tones takes over when one enters the flat. Chris balanced the neutral palette perfectly by pairing matte laminate finishes of different tonal and textural depth, and incorporated accent lighting to create an ambience.

Not neglecting functionality amidst the carefully curated aesthetics, Chris built a privacy divider at the front entrance to block out prying eyes. Comprising an arch feature framing a custom-built settee with a pull-out drawer, the multipurpose storage fixture provides a comfortable space for the homeowners to put on footwear comfortably.

With the homeowners opting for an open-concept kitchen, Chris wanted to break up the communal zones through subtle visual demarcation. For example, a curved cove ceiling feature anchors the dining area.

Fluted design details on the laminate wall coverings also play their part in visually delineating the dining space from other zones. A sleek and sculptural pendant light was chosen to elevate the ambience with a touch of modern luxury.

The open-concept kitchen features cabinetry cladded mostly in white laminates, and the clean-lined setting is punctuated by a backsplash of mosaic tiles. Adding subtle dimension, the kit-kat tiles outline the pantry area with inviting textures.

The other side of the cookspace is tastefully accented by a backsplash of large-format tiles in a marble-inspired design.

A flexible approach was adopted for the configuration of the living area which includes a multipurpose room. Enclosed in glass, the room can be used as a separate entertainment space or be turned into a study in the future.

The art of quiet luxury is brought into the bedrooms as well where the master bedroom has merged with an adjoined bedroom, and this new spacious configuration has allowed Chris to design a boutique-style and generously sized wardrobe.

A fashionista’s dream come true, the elongated walk-in wardrobe features an exquisite showcase of tinted glass doors and curved shelving displays. This good-sized wardrobe offers the homeowners the luxury of having everything organised and within easy reach.

The sleeping area offers a greater degree of privacy. A cosy minimalist aesthetic is on display with a pared-back backdrop of warm neutrals.

Taking the idea of quiet luxury up a notch in the master bathroom, the designer has incorporated checkered tiles on the floor and built in a new bathtub. The unsightly piping has also been boxed up with a curved ceiling feature to soften the angular lines in the bathroom.

To instil design uniformity, the common bathroom adopts a similar curved ceiling feature. Another design similarity both bathrooms share is the application of premium fittings from hansgrohe.