The Chic Home: Bright, kid-friendly Bedok Reservoir maisonette

SINGAPORE – When Charmaine and Mike decided to move out of their executive apartment, they knew that they wanted a maisonette in the east.

Mike, who teaches English at an international school in Singapore, is from the United Kingdom and Charmaine lived there for eight years.

“Our home in the UK had two storeys. We like the separation and having spaces on two floors. I grew up in the east, so I love the area and wanted to move back here,” says Charmaine, a regional manager in the cruise industry.

The couple – who are in their 40s and withheld their surnames – engaged home-grown firm Distinct Identity’s executive interior designer Harshita Agarwal.

They told her they wanted their 1,614 sq ft HDB executive maisonette in Bedok Reservoir to be bright and spacious with plenty of storage. It also had to be low-maintenance and child-friendly, as they have two children, aged seven and four.

“We cook almost daily, so the kitchen must look nice, but also be very functional,” says Charmaine.

The main entrance underwent major reconfiguration. The main door was moved outwards to where the grille gate was, so the space is reclaimed as part of the apartment.

Removing the kitchen walls opened up a welcoming view of the open-concept kitchen and the dining and living rooms beyond. The existing utility room right beside the main entrance was also reconfigured into a pantry.

A kitchen island was on the couple’s wish list. Many islands have bar seating on one side but, as the clients’ priority was storage, Ms Agarwal incorporated cabinets and drawers below the island.

A counter top with cabinets and drawers below, and overhead cabinets, run the length of the kitchen, providing ample storage for appliances and other kitchen paraphernalia.

The dining area is located beside the kitchen and there is a seamless flow between the two spaces. The dining set can be moved to one side when the kids need space to play.

The living room is now a bright and airy space. The solid roof panel over the balcony was replaced with glass to let in more natural light.

The television console and built-in cabinets in the living room are clad with a warm brown laminate that is used throughout the first storey, including all the cabinets and doors.

“I like this particular shade of brown because it is not too stark or dark, and it conveys a modern, sleek and peaceful look,” says Ms Agarwal.

What was previously a dark stairwell with no natural light is now a bright and well-lit space, thanks to new window openings on the bedroom walls around the stairwell.

The former master bedroom with an attached bathroom has been allocated to the kids. The common bathroom and the corridor space in front of it have been reconfigured such that they are now part of the new master bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

The third bedroom serves as a guest room and study.

The overhaul cost about $120,000 and the family moved into their new home in November 2022 after an eight-week renovation.