OVON has thoughtfully redesigned a resale condo for a couple who loves the Japandi aesthetic, and who desires a home that is both spacious and practical.
30 July 2024
Home Type: 861sqft
Floor Area: 3-bedroom condominium unit
Text by Janice Seow
The Japandi aesthetic is essentially a hybrid of two cultures – Japanese and Scandinavian. It marries the wabi-sabi and minimalist sensibilities of the former, with the comfort and functional aspects the latter. It is centred on calm and simplicity, earthy elements, and neutral tones.
It has emerged as a popular concept in recent years and was one that also appealed to the owners of this resale apartment in Bukit Merah, who included it as part of their brief to interior designer Simon Chin from OVON. Given that this three-bedroom unit was only 861 square feet, they also wanted it to feel spacious while maximising storage.
Done at a renovation cost of $88,000, judicious decisions were made when it came to features in the apartment that had to go, and ones that could be kept. While kitchen islands are often sought-after in modern homes, it was decided that the existing one in this unit had to be removed in favour of space. “The island did make the apartment feel more cluttered, and so we demolished it and inserted a pantry beside the dining area instead to address the need for more storage,” says Simon.
Rather than a standard dining setup, the interior designer has created a full-height storage dining bench that seamlessly connects with the pantry, thus maximising the functionality of the space.
Rounded edges are used to soften the look of the home, while gentle shades of light browns and creams, accompanied by grounding accents of grey, craft a serene atmosphere. The carpentry is designed to be seamless. It gives the home a harmonious and soothing ambience, and smoothly conceals and blends in features such as the door next to the television wall, which serves as the entryway to the bedrooms/private quarters.
The open L-shaped kitchen setup has ample bottom and top hung cabinets to store kitchenware neatly out of sight, and the cream-coloured quartz counters and backsplash blend in effortlessly with the similarly coloured cabinetry, and with the rest of the apartment.
Not everything in the apartment was redone, and the approach instead was to retain features that were in good shape. “We kept the original marble floor, which was still in good condition, because the colour blended well with the overall scheme,” says Simon. The wood flooring in all three bedrooms were also kept.
A touch of wabi-sabi influence makes its way into the cosy master bedroom where a textured cement wall visually anchors space. The original false ceiling was replaced with a higher one to make the room feel airier and more spacious. The integrated custom dresser, bedside table and wardrobe also make highly efficient use of space. In addition, the vanity area has been brought out of the master bathroom for greater convenience.
Both bathrooms follow the home’s neutral scheme, but are overlaid in different coloured tiles, with the master en-suite being darker and more intimate.
One of the two common rooms has also been designed as a study. It is a simple and minimalist space, and the storage cabinet and open bookshelf blends in effortlessly.
Within this compact-size apartment, the Japandi sensibility and artful integration of storage have made this a comfortable sanctuary, where form and function go hand in hand.
OVON
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