A penthouse with a difference

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This five-bedroom, 1,905-square-foot penthouse in Kovan stands as a masterclass in balancing form, function and personality. The renovation, completed over four months for a family of four, has transformed a standard new-build condo into a seamless, organic space where sweeping curves replace sharp edges and textures tease the senses.

The project began with a simple yet heartfelt request from the husband: “Make my wife happy,” recalls interior designer Rei Ye and co-founder of typeface. The space also needed to cater to the husband’s love for cooking and hosting.

The design is a response to the family’s lifestyle – a love for quality time, the outdoors, and a passion for good food. Every room tells a part of the story. The living area, designed to accommodate a large Ligne Roset Togo sofa for family movie nights, was a challenge due to the original boxy layout. The solution? Reorient the setup to face the dry kitchen, creating a natural flow between spaces and avoiding any obstructions to movement. This dry kitchen also houses a short throw projector with a screen concealed on the false ceiling above, to be drawn down when required.

This clever planning allowed the home to feel more spacious and open, despite its original constraints. Curved features further emphasise this sense of fluidity, allowing one space to blend effortlessly into the next.

“Textured materials were crucial in breaking away from the typical layout,” says Rei. “Polished surfaces on the furniture contrast beautifully with tactile hand-troweled stucco and timber finishes, adding warmth and a sense of depth.” The design team opted to strip the space of its original glossy tiles, replacing them with microcement and warmer timber flooring to delineate the living and dining areas.

The wet kitchen is reimagined with a full stainless steel finish inspired by Chinese food stalls, allowing the husband to master the coveted ‘wok hey’ flavour. It’s this meticulous attention to the family’s habits and hobbies that defines the project, creating a home that feels as warm and inviting as it is stylish and functional.

In the common area, a panelled wall with concealed doors makes entryways ‘invisible’ and creates a smooth, gallery-like corridor that stretches from the bedrooms to the main door and pantry. Meanwhile, the master suite underwent a significant transformation. Rei says: “We combined it with an adjacent room, with the latter then becoming the owners’ walk-in wardrobe.” Further to that, the bathroom’s layout was reoriented to accommodate a more generous bathing area, and the bathroom wall was removed to enhance the connection with the dressing zone and bring in more natural light.

Style-wise, the master bedroom’s dark, masculine colour scheme contrasts with the rest of the home but retains continuity with the same microcement flooring, extending into the generous walk-in wardrobe for a cohesive feel.

From the specially commissioned pendants by Sergey Maknos that draw attention to the double-height ceiling in the living space to the clever use of ambient lighting, the penthouse is full of carefully considered details.

The result is a home that speaks to the homeowners’ personalities and tastes. It is bold yet understated, modern yet timeless, with spaces that invite one to linger and explore.

typeface
www.typeface.works
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Where to Shop

Living & Dining

Stucco wall by Mr PCI
Wall laminates from Lamitak
Pendant lights above sofa from Sol Luminaire, Galerie 5
Pendant lights above Dining and wall lights all from DCW
Tabletops from Caesarstone
Ligne Roset Togo sofa from Grafunkt
Pulp dining table from Roche Bobois
Puzzle dining chairs from W Atelier

Master bedroom

Stucco rock wall from The Design Vault

Master bathroom

Wall tiles from Hafary
Sanitary fittings from Pheonix and Toto

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