Having lived in the United States for 41/2 years, married couple Andrei Teo and Averyl Chen were heavily influenced by Western and European design elements such as coffered ceilings and fireplaces.

In particular, the 30something couple wanted a coffered ceiling in their new home in Sembawang, a three-bedroom executive condominium.

"We love coffered ceilings, but most of the interior designers we consulted were clueless what they were," recalls Mr Teo, an engineer.

His wife, a finance executive assistant, adds: "Then, we came across some photos of a project by (interior design studio) Cottage Crafts, which featured them in the right way."

A coffered ceiling has decorative recesses or indentations on its surface and is common in ancient Greek, Renaissance and Roman architecture.

For instance, they can be found in the Pantheon in Italy and the Palace of Versailles in France, and also in American architecture in a variety of styles and applications.

Mr Daniel Ho from Cottage Crafts, who is no stranger to the design feature, says: "We have had a lot of experience with European-style interiors over the years, so we are used to customising or tweaking to suit clients' preferences."

With coffered ceilings, height is a prerequisite - and something the couple's top-floor unit had a lot of.

They chose the living room for this treatment and it turned out to be a bit of a challenge.

Mr Teo says: "In order to achieve a uniform grid, we took a long time to work out the coffer sizes relative to the ceiling dimensions with Daniel and the contractor."

Mr Ho adds: "It was important the proportions were right. The positioning of the chandelier and the sofa in relation to the coffered ceiling also had to be carefully considered."

The result of the 21/2-month renovation, which cost $70,000 excluding furniture, made it all worthwhile.

Upon entering the 1,066 sq ft home, the coffered ceiling is a showstopper. Drawing one's gaze upwards, it adds a somewhat palatial aura and makes one feel like one has stepped into a mansion.

Enhancing the European-American theme are wainscoting panels, which run along the lower section of the walls; and the quintessential fireplace and mantelpiece, which were bought in the US and brought over from their old five-room flat in Punggol.

Before, the structure sat on the floor and served as a faux fireplace.

In the new home, it is elevated on a console to create a hearth effect and frames the television set.

The couple also brought over a lot of other furniture pieces from their flat, such as the dining set and the armchairs flanking the fireplace feature. Some pieces were shipped from their home in the US when they returned to Singapore.

Ms Chen says: "They are well-made and in good shape. All we had to do was to reupholster them and add a fresh coat of paint."

They also repurposed a few pieces. For example, the four-poster bed from their flat did not fit into the new smaller bedroom, so they removed the posts and suspended them over the dining table, gazebo-style, which complements the balcony setting.

Excess mouldings from their previous home renovations were used to create wall features in one bedroom that they turned into a dressing room.

Some furniture items such as the sofa were custom-made by Design Intervention's Nikki Hunt, who is married to Ms Chen's boss.

"I saw the sofa when I went for my job interview and it was love at first sight. When my boss knew we were moving into our new home, he offered to get Nikki to make us one," she says.

The couple have been living in the well-kept apartment for a year.

"We are at work a lot, but we treasure our time at home. We especially enjoy hanging out in the living room with its high ceiling and sense of openness, and the music room," says Mr Teo.

• This article first appeared in the April issue of Home & Decor, which is published by SPH Magazines.

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