History and sentiment lend richness to this eye-catching flat where contemporary Nordic design meets colourful Art Deco touches.
25 August 2021
Home Type: 3-room HDB BTO flat
Floor Area: 710sqft
Text by Janice Seow
The lady of the house is an educator and art enthusiast who wanted a home filled with sentiment. It had to have the same “feel” as her previous home, which had been full with memories and objects that she had inherited from her parents. Her old residence had also housed her own personal collections, which she had accumulated since she was a child.
“She had the idea of a Nordic look for her new home at the start. However, in further discussions, she mentioned her love for art and craft. One of her favourite design movements is Art Deco, which uses a lot of streamlined geometric shapes and some pop colours,” says Ean Chu of Happe Design Atelier.
With these discoveries, the designer set out to build a home inspired by the clients’ treasured collection of objects and memories. “The theme of this house can best be described as eclectic with its mix of contemporary Nordic design and some pop/Art Deco accents,” says Ean. “We applied different colours, textures and materials in the house to bring all of the owner’s collection together and display them harmoniously.”
The first thing one sees upon entering the flat is the dining area and a colourful memories wall. The wall feature displays a rich assortment of objects, such as the owner’s old unit number plate, art pieces, puzzles, et cetera. A built-in settee with storage anchors the space and makes for a casual dining setup.
Many of the colourful artworks and old furniture pieces were moved here from the owner’s previous home. The latter were reupholstered to give them a new lease of life. “The rattan sofa is in fact one of her favourite pieces where she had spent most time with her family. All the furniture pieces were given a new look, but the core remained the same,” shares Ean.
There is no built-in carpentry in the living room, leaving the space flexible and keeping the flat feeling spacious. Translucent glass panels have been introduced on doors and walls to draw more light into the different rooms while still ensuring privacy. Their curves echo the friendly shapes to be found on furnishings throughout the home.
The kitchen brings in more memories from the past. Like the owner’s previous home, this one also features a countertop made of white square ceramic tiles.
The chill out room is a cosy space for quiet reading or to listen to vinyl records. Like many of the other furniture pieces, the owner’s old lounge chair has been reupholstered and given new life.
Wood surfaces lend warmth to the bedroom. The dresser is partly a repurposed design where the mirror was taken from the owner’s old one and reframed.
Colourful, geometric shapes play out in the bathrooms – a bold and cheery design in the common bathroom, and a more elegant one for the master.
Even while this home holds fond memories from the past, like the many furniture pieces here that have been updated for a life moving forward, it also carries the promise of many more happy memories to come.
Happe Design Atelier
www.hda.studio
www.facebook.com/HappeDesignAtelier
www.instagram.com/happedesignatelier
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