An old HDB flat now a timeless mid-century modern home

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Text by Jasmine Goh

The new owner of this Everton Park unit is a huge fan of mid-century design. His main objective for the refurbishment of this resale flat was to have a home that would bring out the beauty of mid-century modern furniture pieces. With that in mind, Mikael Teh from Monocot Studio undertook the task of transforming this apartment into the charming space that it now is.

Part of the charm comes from the apartment’s original terrazzo flooring, which Mikael retained in the living area and bedroom. Mikael say: “Keeping the terrazzo flooring was, for me, a must. I then added basic architectural materials such as concrete and plywood to complete the retro look and feel of the entire apartment.”

A number of walls were hacked away to achieve an open-concept layout with a single bedroom. The walls of the remaining bedroom were also taken down and replaced with black-framed glass panels, further opening up the space and imbuing the home with the snazzy vibes of a studio apartment.

This open-concept layout, which allows the different areas to flow seamlessly from one into the other, is visually pleasing. What we may not immediately notice however, is the subtle demarcation of space using different types of flooring.

For instance, the change from terrazzo flooring to concrete screed marks the transition from the living room to the combined dining and kitchen area. Mikael explains the choice of concrete: “We wanted the terrazzo to stand out, so we chose concrete flooring to downplay the dining zone.”

To tie the different spaces together, Mikael applied the same colour and material palette throughout the whole apartment. The shade of green used in the dining area is the same shade that we see in the bedroom. Dark wood furniture pieces, in the homeowner’s favourite mid-century modern style no less, complements the stained plywood cabinets and trimmings.

Monocot Studio
www.monocotstudio.com

 

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