The Chic Home: Mother-daughter apartment in Meyer Road

SINGAPORE – Ms Lynn Ng chose Mr Dennis Cheok, founder and creative director of UPSTRS_, to design her home after many months of following the local firm’s work.

Ms Ng, who works in finance and did not give her age, lives in an 883 sq ft two-bedroom condominium in Meyer Road. She shares the home with her daughter Tessa Liew, a 24-year-old law graduate.

“I wanted a separate and standalone walk-in closet, which I do not mind sharing with Tessa. I also wanted Dennis to work with a new sofa I had acquired,” says Ms Ng. 

The home’s size and layout were challenging to work around, but proved to be opportunities in disguise for Mr Cheok.

For one thing, the private lift lobby was small, dark and claustrophobic, and did not have enough space for the owner’s shoes.

To resolve this, Mr Cheok built full-height concealed shoe closets along two walls of the foyer. By removing the solid timber door separating the foyer from the rest of the home and replacing it with a slatted timber sliding screen, daylight from the living area can filter through to the vestibule without sacrificing privacy.  

The living and dining areas are the social spaces that form the heart of the home. Taking pride of place is a Gallotti&Radice Audrey Sofa from Singapore retailer Marquis QSquare. The sofa’s gentle arc echoes the curved profile of the balcony beside the living area.

Ms Ng requested a round dining table to encourage connection and conversation. Suspended overhead is a pendant lamp from IIII, with a twisted LED profile covered with semi-transparent fabric for a moire effect. 

The living and dining areas are her favourite hangouts in the home. These are also where her friends gather when they come over.

This was part of Mr Cheok’s design intent, he says. “We planned the living and dining spaces to be open and seamless to encourage an uninterrupted and organic flow. A small group of friends can gather and shift between the living area and dining table, while a larger group can fill this space and engage in conversations across both spaces unobstructed.” 

Along the walkway leading to the two bedrooms, a row of half-windows lines one wall. This custom-designed brise soleil lets natural light into the previously dark corridor. Detailing it as a casement window allows the screen to swing open for service access to the air-conditioner ledge. 

After exploring various iterations of the layout, Ms Ng and Mr Cheok agreed on a galley-style walk-in wardrobe that connects the two bedrooms.

Ms Liew’s bed is elevated on a platform, with a desk at the corner that overlooks the neighbourhood. Decked out in a similar light wood palette is her mother’s bedroom, designed as a cosy and restful retreat. 

The design and construction took three to four months, while the renovations took another four and cost about $200,000. Mother and daughter moved into their renovated home in July 2024.