The Chic Home: Three-room condo’s elegant curves echo Bedok Reservoir setting

SINGAPORE – After a long and extensive hunt, digital marketer Haikal Mohamed, who is in his 30s, picked home-grown interior design studio Pivot to revamp his 1,055 sq ft, three-bedroom condominium at Bedok Reservoir Road.

“Pivot’s scheme was unique, out of the box and I could tell that a lot of effort had been put into it,” he says.

Designer Keith Low brainstormed no fewer than 10 schemes for the project. He was inspired by the Golden Mean, a mathematical ratio used to come up with aesthetically pleasing proportions.

“The design echoes the curved banks of Bedok Reservoir, as if they are engaged in dialogue,” he says.

He shifted walls and doors to achieve an open layout and more efficient use of space. Almost everything was replaced, except for the main door and windows, as well as part of the bedroom flooring.

The original galley kitchen is now an open-concept L-shaped kitchen which flows seamlessly into the enlarged dining area. The curved ceiling, rounded corners of the kitchen cabinets and oval dining table reinforce the circular theme.

The Belgian-inspired timber dining table was designed by Mr Haikal.    

One bedroom has been converted into an open study. With the walls hacked, the study and adjacent living room are now in one large space. Visually connecting the spaces are the sweeping arcs of the custom-built, reinforced concrete work desk that was built over an existing bay window, plus the curved Tacchini sofa from Made & Make.

The wall that extends from the main entrance to the dining and living rooms is finished in a terracotta limewash which Mr Haikal says “makes the home feel earthy and warm”.

Elsewhere in the home, an existing corridor was removed and replaced with a cosy nook behind a curtained opening that leads to the two bedrooms and common bathroom, each accessible via an arched doorway. The green curtains and doors, along with the botanical wallpaper, evoke nature.

By incorporating an en-suite wash basin and vanity area within the master bedroom, the enclosed toilet and shower areas are smaller but, combined with the new vanity counter and repositioned bed, offer a more efficient layout overall.

The lowered, curved ceiling above the wash and vanity area, as well as the transition from timber flooring to tiles, visually separate the wet area from the rest of the bedroom.

The guest bedroom – which is also where Mr Haikal reads or takes work calls – is in line with the original request for a Japandi (Japanese-Scandinavian) style, with a tatami platform built over a bay window with pool views.

He moved into the home in February 2021 after a four-month renovation that cost $70,000, excluding furniture and furnishings.

Although he initially wanted the Japandi style for its serene and organic qualities, he is happy with the elements of eclecticism and modernism.

“My full personality would not have come through if we had stuck to a pure Japandi concept,” he says. “I am glad that it evolved into what it is now, which truly reflects my tastes and lifestyle.”