The Chic Home: Jalan Besar flat features modern metals, pops of colour

SINGAPORE – This 42-year-old three-room Housing Board flat in Jalan Besar had a dark, claustrophobic interior when the home owner bought it.

The bachelor in his mid-40s – who declined to reveal his name, occupation or further details of the renovation – engaged local interior designer Joey Khu to revamp the place and gave him free rein.

Mr Khu made major alterations to the flat’s layout, opening up one bedroom to create an airy, open living-cum-dining area and adding a wardrobe, general storage and kitchen made of dark stained elm wood and stainless steel without inserting new partitions.

Milled-finish metal laminates from building materials supplier Catalyste brighten the home and bring a soft, reflective quality.

Used in the dining area, bedroom and kitchen, these large-format metallic surfaces cast elegant shadows into the interior. These are paired with the dark stained elm wood veneers and limestone plaster from Performance Coating, plus fluted glass, tiles, marble and terrazzo in various shades of grey.

The materials are also used in custom-made furniture, giving a sense of order and unity to the 819 sq ft flat’s overall look.

Mr Khu says: “The combination of designs in different grains and colours creates a collage effect, contrasting with the off-white limestone plastered walls.”

This monochromatic palette was layered with pops of colour via the furniture and accessories for a look reminiscent of the Bauhaus design movement.

The centrepiece of the living-dining area is a stately 2.5m-long angled dining table that doubles as a work desk and meeting table.

“The form of the tabletop and leg placements allow flexibility of usage and cater to more seats. I designed the tabletop with different directions for the veneer joint arrangement to enhance its forms,” Mr Khu says.

Sleek custom-made stainless steel chairs complete the look.

The bathroom comprises a dry vanity area and wet shower area.

A tinted fluted-glass door separates the shower and the toilet, while another stainless steel fluted-glass door can be slid over the shower fixtures to hide them when not in use.

Another standout in the home is a painting made with paper tags from Japanese fashion brand Comme des Garcons, which form an abstract portrait of the brand’s designer Rei Kawakubo.