The Chic Home: Warm and cosy walk-up apartment

SINGAPORE – When business operations manager Melissa Tai had her second daughter and was looking for a new home, she wanted somewhere that offered tranquillity similar to that of her previous place.

“We always seem to gravitate towards quiet, small estates. This place was kind of what we were looking for, and within the budget we were willing to spend,” says Ms Tai, who lives with her husband and two daughters.

The family’s new 1,400 sq ft walk-up maisonette is surrounded by foliage and housed in a mature development in the east of Singapore.

White walls and brick define the exterior, like many other estates built in the 1980s.

To design her home, Ms Tai called upon her friend Stephanie Er, the founder of cross-disciplinary design studio Cream Pie. The company’s portfolio includes food and beverage establishments such as Binary and Mr Holmes Bakehouse.

Ms Er says: “We had to consider the couple being able to work from home, so we needed areas where they could work separately and still have enough space for two young children to run about and play.

“For example, we intentionally left the living area pretty sparse in terms of fixed furniture, so that they can introduce whatever they need as their family dynamic changes.”

Next to the entrance door is a round structure housing the spiral staircase to the second storey. This inspired the curve motif in the common areas.

“Because this feature directly affected the entryway on the right, we introduced another curve on the opposite side. It creates a sense of symmetry when you enter from the main door into the dining space,” says Ms Er.

This new curved wall defines a dedicated foyer space so that the living area is not immediately visible upon entering the home. It also doubles as a shoe cabinet for the sneaker collection of Ms Tai’s husband.

In addition, Ms Er carved out a storage room near the band of windows that hugs the living area.

“All the curves present themselves as functional spaces,” she says, adding that extra storage is useful for a family with kids.

She dressed the walls of the living and dining area in timber laminate. Above it all is a rim of corrugated metal sheets with articulated ribbing.

The use of metal reflects the couple’s liking for industrial elements, while the warm lighting adds cosiness.

A Louis Poulsen PH5 lamp lights the foyer while a Tekio lamp from Santa & Cole brings drama to the dining area against a black-painted pegwall, mirrored by the kitchen, which is dressed in grey tones and stainless steel accents.

On applying industrial touches, Ms Er says: “Once you incorporate industrial elements, you won’t achieve a ‘perfect’ finish. But that is its beauty.”

The timber was added to “balance out the use of corrugated metal and stainless steel so that it is not overbearing for a home with two young children”.

An RGB light adds colour to the stairwell, while a barn-shaped partition with a peephole in the daughter’s room offers opportunities for both privacy and play.

Against the bed are scalloped microfoam walls to soften the room’s look.

Ms Er says: “We wanted the family to come home to a fun space – fun, but still grounded and not too whimsical. It should be functional as well.”