Inside An Architect's Charming Old Apartment with a Cosy Loft | Singapore

We didn't want a specific style or to emulate a certain look. Our approach is centered on creating a space to have a sense of humanness that it would shape and evolve through time. It's quite rare to find a space that makes you feel grounded yet uninhibited at the same time. That's exactly what we hope for with our home and I think it's important that the space be supportive of our lives rather than to take them. When we first visited the space, we thought the apartment felt quite unassuming but it embodied a distinct old-school charm in its architectural details like the terracotta paving along the corridor and the wrought iron staircase within the unit itself. The original layout of the flat came with its quirks. In many ways, the existing condition of the space and the budget constraints helped determine what we didn't want in our home rather than forcing a complete overhaul of the space. We designed it as an open-ended canvas to gradually fill with things we love and would come to love. We're not collectors in the traditional sense but we enjoy thrifting and holding on to the little pieces that we've accumulated from places we visited like stones, lava rocks, seeds or curious finds from various markets those meaningful objects that carry stories with them. Having a mudroom in our home is something we consider to be essential as a dedicated entryway and a transitional space where we can comfortably remove our footwear before stepping into the rest of the house. It is especially relevant in the Southeast Asian context where it's customary not to wear shoes indoors. I wanted to carve out an area that could serve both as a physical and mental threshold of sorts where we could pause, sit down and take off or put on our shoes. We have a custom bookshelf that separates the mudroom and the living area which also acts as a privacy screen especially when we leave our front door open for ventilation. It's also flexible with removable shelves that are accessible from both sides one facing the entry for everyday items and the other opening into the living space to hold books and personal objects quite effectively doubling the storage. The dark terracotta flooring mirrors the paving found on the ground floor which we wanted to create a sense of continuity with the exterior architectural elements of the building. Originally, the dining room was sandwiched between the two walls with a bedroom and kitchen on either side making it feel narrow and dim. We then opened up the communal spaces by removing an existing partition to create a more balanced and well-distributed layout that allowed the dining area to be extended out. The dining and kitchen spaces are finished in a matcha green epoxy with a slightly textured surface that is easy to clean and practical to manage. It flows throughout the other areas except for our bedroom in contrast to the dark terracotta flooring in the living area and mudroom. The kitchen is open and we have a seven meter long gallery style countertop and upper cabinets that maximize both natural lights and the outside views. The island worktop has been especially practical for our lifestyle. Whenever we need more space in the dining area, we simply just push it back. During our recent launch party of our design firm the openness of the layout came to life. People moved freely between the living, dining and kitchen areas naturally gravitating to different corners of the home. It was a nice reminder of how this space encourages connection while allowing everyone to feel comfortably at ease. Adding warmth and texture to the space we added a continuous wooden panel as a backdrop for the living area that incorporates a muffy door that leads to the studio and powder room. Initially, this room was entirely dedicated to being a pottery studio with plenty of room for storage, pottery materials and tools. But soon I realized the need for a home office so the space became a multifunctional room for us. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that the room had a double volume ceiling during construction and it was so beautiful that we just had to keep it. The powder and main bathrooms are lined with white tiles and finished with subtle blue grout giving the space a fresh clean look. We intentionally kept the wall simple so that any colourful elements or decor like flowers or photographs could stand out and bring character to the space. Our main bedroom combines two smaller rooms from the original layout. To keep the cost low, we decided against built-in cabinetry and instead went with a modular wardrobe system. We use curtains in place of closet doors which not only save space but also gives a sense of volume through the soft drapery. This setup lets us customize the layout to suit our individual needs and it worked well for us. We kept the existing broad iron staircase leading to the attic as it adds character to the space. The previous owners used the attic as a storage space but we see it as a potential for expanding into a functional and cozy area. The original wooden flooring was retained and we added storage along the room where it meets a pitch roof to utilize what would otherwise be dead space. Now the attic is a space where we play or enjoy music and watch movies. When we host large gatherings, this spot becomes a quiet place for close and intimate conversations. Although the house is only 116 square meters, the flexibility gives the illusion of a much larger space adapting to our daily needs. I often joke about calling our place the picnic room. It's a term of endearment that captures how the space is filled with objects gathered from different places, each being uniquely different yet coming together in an unexpectedly harmonious way. Much like a picnic where it reflects a kind of improvised eclecticism that somehow adds up to something undeniably ours.