The Chic Home: Family’s East Coast condo perfect for enjoying tea and views of the sea

SINGAPORE – This 1,313 sq ft, three-bedroom condominium apartment in the East Coast area is the ideal place to enjoy a cup of tea.

The large window in the living room of the home – where graphic designer Chuan Yeo, his wife Angeline Wan and their eight-year-old son Nathan live – looks out towards the sea, a view that promises many relaxing evenings of sunset-watching.

Mr Lawrence Pua, akiHAUS studio’s founder and director, together with senior designer Ash Ashiqin, designed the home around this vista. The apartment is minimalist and clean, with a warm neutral palette and low-profile furniture that does not block the view.

Renovation began at the height of the pandemic and what would otherwise have been a three-month project – which cost about $205,000 – was delayed. It was only in December 2020 that the family moved in.

Although the owners have a large teaware collection, the apartment looks uncluttered. Choice pieces are on display in a niche carved out in the wall behind the living room’s sofa.

The rest are on adjustable shelves concealed behind timber and glass sliding screens that can be opened to reveal not just the rest of the teaware, but also the television set.

These shelves are lit from both the front and back, so warm light peeks through even when the screens are closed.

The design team drew inspiration from the husband’s collection of intricate hand-carved screens, which he had acquired in Lijiang, China. These line other walls in the living room.

Many items in the home tell a story, from the teapots crafted by potters in Shanghai and Tokyo, to the paintings gifted by an artist friend of the husband’s.

The kitchen has been opened up for cross-ventilation. The home is now naturally lit during the day and there is a constant breeze from the kitchen to the living room.

Subtle textures can be found throughout the home, such as a backdrop of white hexagonal tiles and a marble-look Dekton Aura countertop. The doors were custom-made and painted to blend into the wall. Gently rounded corners create a soft look.

As with any family home, functionality and storage are essential. In the master bedroom, the bed sits on a platform so there is room for the wardrobe. Instead of the standard pull-out drawers, custom-built nightstands open up to reveal the contents, as well as concealed power sockets.

The master bathroom features three mirrors that echo the sliding screens in the living room. These open up to reveal deep-set niches with shelves for toiletries.

An access panel behind a console table in the bedroom can also be opened up to start the bathtub.

Meanwhile, there is a cosy media room where the husband can play his vinyl records. Here, soft fabrics serve as acoustic insulation.

Since there were two structural columns that could not be removed, the design team covered them with timber laminate and added recessed shelves between them to house the media collection and sound system.