Though not at once obvious, this HDB flat has been specifically designed with cats and small children in mind, without compromising on style.
30 May 2019
Home Type: 4-room HDB flat
Floor Area: 1,001sqft
Text by Vanitha Pavapathi
With more and more homeowners opting for bright, white interiors, it certainly is a breath of fresh air when the owners of this flat requested for a dark and cosy interior. “Many have the misconception that dark colours make a space feel smaller, while light colours enlarge a space visually; but that’s not always the case,” says Siow Bee Wee from Metier Planner, who was the design lead for this project.
In this home, furniture, fittings and walls sport a predominantly dark colour palette. The vinyl flooring, albeit in a mid-tone brown, has been specifically chosen to complement the overall colour and material palettes of the flat.
The owners – a couple – share their home with their toddler and two cats; hence, the flat needed to be pet-friendly and childproof. Fragile items are to be kept enclosed and furniture should not have sharp corners.
As a response to that, Bee Wee designed a TV console with rounded edges to protect the toddler from accidental injuries. There’s even a custom designed glass display cabinet in the living space to house the wife’s collection of Starbucks merchandise. This helps keep them safe not only from the toddler, but the cats too.
The owner’s prized possessions can also be seen residing in a wall-hung glass display at the dining space. Here, a chalkboard painted wall gives the couple another outlet to express their creativity, or to simply write daily menus and notes for their family members. To further the café-like ambience, the wooden dining furniture, specifically the combination of dining chairs and bench provide varied seating options for the family.
While the kitchen adopts an open-concept, the tight footprint would mean having the fridge pushed to a corner. Instead of following the norm, the designer placed the fridge in the middle of the kitchen, allowing the door to be opened completely. “This configuration also created two entries to the kitchen, which maximises available space but still possesses minimum space clearance for the homeowners to move bulky items with ease,” explains Bee Wee.
In the master bedroom, an elevated platform negates the need for a bedframe and the available floor space allows for a walk-in wardrobe. There’s even room for a dressing table and wall space for the husband to display his collection of caps. The calculated design measures taken by Metier Planner not only created a cosy and functional family home, but also a safe haven for pets.
Metier Planner
www.metierplanner.com
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