I love rejuvenating old interior spaces. It's so much more challenging than to hack out everything inside the house and start decorating from scratch again. Conversely, I've gradually come to realize that it's actually easier to design from a 'clean platter'. Beginning from the ground up means everything in the house can be matchy matchy, and anything can be sparkling new. Well, literally everything and anything inside the house except the owners, ha. And even though I've been professionally trained to design based on such a 'conventional methodology', the experience of re-designing interiors just demand a slightly different set of skills.
Entrance - before
Dining area - before
Living area - before
Master Bedroom - before
Master Bedroom Bath - before
Consider the recent re-design of this Tanjong Rhu condominium apartment. While there are many things that definitely need to go out of the apartment before I worked on it, there are also certain elements, particularly in the living area, which I think can be retained to their best use. For instance, I just felt that the display cum partition wall in the dining area demands a place in my new design. Yet when major elements like these are retained, how do you make the same space perform better than before, while projecting a 'brand new' look and feel? But then again, we are not talking about changes for the sake of change. If something work fine as it is, there's really no point changing the status quo, right?
And although there's an attempt to play with some colors, textures, forms and shapes previously (is that a Balinese style they are trying to create, by the way?), something is clearly amiss. The kids seem to favor working in the living and dining areas than in their own rooms. Maybe they just love that huge dining table or the desk abandoned at one corner of the living room too much? I don't know. That is until I stepped into the congested bedrooms.
And although there's an attempt to play with some colors, textures, forms and shapes previously (is that a Balinese style they are trying to create, by the way?), something is clearly amiss. The kids seem to favor working in the living and dining areas than in their own rooms. Maybe they just love that huge dining table or the desk abandoned at one corner of the living room too much? I don't know. That is until I stepped into the congested bedrooms.
That clay color on the walls in the living room did nothing for me, and I have a strong feeling that guests don't even start to admire the beautiful settee in the middle of the room. 'Must be that imposing stone wall feature...', I thought to myself. But the most bizarre sighting must have been that artwork strategically positioned high up over the plasma TV. NBA players come over to visit often , I believe.
As such, for this exercise, I emphasized a lot on interesting color and material play. My own favorite spots of the rejuvenated apartment has got to be the private lift lobby, with the surrounding walls clad in beautiful limestone tiles, and the dining area. The colorful light feature over the long dining table is meant to inject a bit of visual impact in an otherwise lackluster room.
On the other side, a cantilevered study unit now mounts onto the back of the display partition, allowing work to be done without revealing so much of the mess (eh mm... at least not so 'in your face'). In the living room, the minimalist entertainment console with the glass sliding doors inlaid with silk conceals the TV and equipments when not in use, and (thankfully) does not bring excessive attention to itself. Innovative framing also adds a touch of class to the home - I really have my art framer to thank for that!
In a matter of weeks, the apartment assumes a contemporary identity. This same theme extends into the master bedroom and bathrooms. The curved TV feature opposite the newly acquired teak bed immediately brings a point of interest within the room. The only twist is in the bedroom of the owner's daughter, which was played up to the recent craze about all things Baroque. That deep purple wall. The dark Damask wallpaper. The overhanging chandelier. Sounds like a perfect palace to dream in. Kids are just so lucky nowadays...
Entrance - after
As such, for this exercise, I emphasized a lot on interesting color and material play. My own favorite spots of the rejuvenated apartment has got to be the private lift lobby, with the surrounding walls clad in beautiful limestone tiles, and the dining area. The colorful light feature over the long dining table is meant to inject a bit of visual impact in an otherwise lackluster room.
On the other side, a cantilevered study unit now mounts onto the back of the display partition, allowing work to be done without revealing so much of the mess (eh mm... at least not so 'in your face'). In the living room, the minimalist entertainment console with the glass sliding doors inlaid with silk conceals the TV and equipments when not in use, and (thankfully) does not bring excessive attention to itself. Innovative framing also adds a touch of class to the home - I really have my art framer to thank for that!
In a matter of weeks, the apartment assumes a contemporary identity. This same theme extends into the master bedroom and bathrooms. The curved TV feature opposite the newly acquired teak bed immediately brings a point of interest within the room. The only twist is in the bedroom of the owner's daughter, which was played up to the recent craze about all things Baroque. That deep purple wall. The dark Damask wallpaper. The overhanging chandelier. Sounds like a perfect palace to dream in. Kids are just so lucky nowadays...
Entrance - after
Dining area - after
Living area - after
Master Bedroom - after
Master Bedroom Bath - after
Bedroom 2 - after
Posts
wow..... so nice. i like the lamps. i fall in love with the chairs too. seems very comfortable. what a nice rejuvenation, kus.
Nice transformation. I so love the colourful light feature
Sorry but this place is groooosssss. The maroon / purple room looks quite nice, but that glass plate lighting fixture over the dining room is hideous and that yellow / green color in the living room is not good either.
anon #2 must be looking at a different set of photos than I am because all the spaces are fantastic. Great job!!
Thanks for the feedback, anon. We definitely need people like you to offer different perspectives!
Looks like yellows and greens may not exactly be everybody's cup of tea! ha... But as long as everything's to the home owner's liking, it's more than good enough, isn't it???:)
'grooossss' may be too strong a word to use. it boils down to individual preference i tink.
overall, i tink the design of the house was quite simple and nice.
Looks great as usual, guys!
Seems like somebody here can't really appreciate modern design...
Awesome work KUS!
I personallly don't like too much glass inside the house (prefer more natural raw materials), but I fell in love with the light fixture! What I like about it is the fact that it has such a beautiful play of colors!
The daughter's bedroom is quite dramatic - love the chandelier!
So what time is your flight to India? ;-)
The redesign is marvelous. Like bhavna, I think the daugther's room looks dramatic and sexy!
Time reads: In the very near future!
looking Amazing !!