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Easy tips to achieving a stylish, space-efficient home with modular furniture
From a clutter-free living room to a dining area for intimate gatherings, see how these families designed their homes with key pieces from King Living
The luxurious King Living recliner King Cloud V (left) is the centrepiece of Ms Valerie Sim’s family's living room, which they share with two adorable labradoodles.
PHOTOS: KING LIVING
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During her family’s move to their three-bedroom condominium apartment along East Coast Road, Ms Valerie Sim had brought along a number of items valuable to her. This included some artwork, trinkets, as well as the beloved family sofa.
The family of four – comprising Valerie and her husband, who are in their 40s, and two teenage daughters – and their two labradoodles had spent many precious hours on the two-seater sofa, the King Cloud V modular recliner by King Living.
It is not only a luxurious sofa with deep, generous seats but also an entertainment hub designed to provide a home cinema experience. What elevates it further is the TouchGlide technology that offers personalised reclining. Discretely tucked into the side of the seat cushions are buttons that let anyone adjust the back, headrest and leg angles, and even save their favourite reclining position with a simple touch. Valerie's husband, especially, loves winding down on it as he watches TV at night.
The sofa armrest doubles as a media console, where it conceals a Sonos speaker bracket and storage compartment, and features smart-charging capabilities. Its Smart Pockets, named as such for its seamless integration with the Sonos speaker, is also where you can tuck a minimalist standing speaker and reading lamp.
With nary a wire in sight, the living room remains chic and uncluttered – one of the many reasons why Valerie, who enjoys minimalist interiors, purchased the smart modular sofa.
Choosing furniture that adapts to evolving styles and needs
For her new apartment, Valerie wanted to try her hand at managing the renovation without a designer. This meant she designed the interiors, sourced for her own contractors, as well as curated the furniture and decor.
As the premium European black leather on the King Cloud V still looked impeccable, it was an easy decision to keep its cover without needing to re-upholster. However, should Valerie want to re-design her home in the future, she could still build upon her existing sofa.
This is because the King Living sofa’s robust steel frame foundation allows for a modular system with numerous configurations, like Lego pieces. For instance, Valerie could separate her two-seater into two one-seaters, have it fitted with future King Cloud pieces to form a longer sofa, or simply re-upholster the current set in a different fabric or leather. King Living offers over 200 premium fabrics and luxurious leathers to choose from.
The steel frame, which comes with a 25-year warranty, perseveres through different seasons of style, keeping King Living sofas relevant for decades.
Mr David King, founder of King Living, says: “We still have some King Living customers who bought their sofas 40 years ago come back to us for a re-upholster. People move, their lives change, and our furniture is made to move and evolve with them. To do that, we think about what would benefit the customer – including what they need that they have not even thought of yet.”
To find furniture pieces that complemented her sofa, Valerie returned to King Living. For the dining area, she picked out the Quay Indoor Dining Table in an onyx-finish timber and complementary Quay Indoor Armless Dining Chairs in a textured grey fabric. For the bedroom, she chose the Neo Bed with hardwood legs.
Opt for earthy tones to complement statement features
For another family of four, also called the Sim family, it was important that their four-bedroom condominium apartment in Serangoon – housing the husband and wife with two young children and a helper – had a good balance between functionality and style.
To achieve this, the family hired Parenthesis Studio, who took notes on the family’s lifestyle as well as inspiration from the interiors of upscale boutique hotels.
The living room of the 1,195 sqft apartment features a large storage space concealed behind teal cabinetry. This jewel tone not only brings out the gold-grey hue of the ceiling wallpaper, it also provides the perfect backdrop for a utilitarian-style statement lamp. The lamp adds an industrial touch to an otherwise contemporary interior.
Careful not to overdo with statement features, the family and their designer selected King Living furniture in earthy tones to help tie the look together. This included the two-seater Plaza Sofa in elegant grey leather, as well as quilted Cassia Counter Stools in tan leather.
Mrs Sim says: "We chose a leather finish for the Plaza Sofa because we love how soft and luxurious it feels. To match the look, we opted for Cassia Counter Stools in leather. My husband loves the stool's wide seat and how sturdy it is.”
Finally, soft furnishing, such as sheer pink curtains and a textured rug, adds warmth and texture to the family home.
Designing a home with intimate soirees in mind
A modestly sized home need not stop you from hosting lively dinner parties, as evident in Marcus S’ Tiong Bahru home, where he lives with his wife, eight-year-old daughter and a helper. Despite being only 1,206 sqft in size, the Build-To-Order (BTO) flat has become the ideal venue for many loved ones to come over and bond.
The finance industry professional, who is in his 40s, designed the interiors himself, opting for modular furniture that can be set up according to the theme and size of his parties. What is most helpful is having two Quay Dining Tables instead of a single long table. Marcus can choose to combine them – ideal when you have many diners or a pretty tablescape that runs along the length of the table – or separate them. The smaller piece can be used as a grazing table in another area of the house.
The Zaza Sofa has become a favourite with guests; many have spent hours lounging on it, with a drink or two. With adjustable arms and back that move seamlessly, letting the user choose an angle that best suits their comfort level, Marcus can easily switch it up depending on the type of guests he has over.
"I love sleek, minimalist design. Both the Quay Dining Table and Zaza Sofa matched my vision for this home,” he says.
Thanks to King Living’s wide range of breathable fabrics curated for Singapore’s tropical climate, Marcus could find a shade of grey that feels good to the touch and matches his interior. He had placed his customised order from the King Living Alexandra showroom and waited only eight to 10 weeks for his sofa to arrive.
Mr King says: “We not only design our own products, but also manufacture them in our own factories and sell them in our own stores. This means we control everything – from what goes into our furniture to the after-sales service. It’s easy to get your covers replaced or cleaned”.
Planning to customise a sofa or refresh your home? Visit the King Living Alexandra Showroom at 2 Leng Kee Road, #01-02/03 Thye Hong Centre; and the King Living Kallang Showroom at 22 Kallang Avenue, #01-00 Hong Aik Building.
