The apartment nestles in the heart of the residential Cairnhill district, Singapore is home to a working professional couple and their young son. The design brief was to create an environmentally friendly home that would also resonate well with Fengshui principles.
The material selection and the construction methodology were carefully researched and executed to favour prefabrication and off-site finishing. Ecological friendly materials or having met local green standards were sourced alongside materials that emitted low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). These included the natural oiled timber floorboards for the bedrooms, the pre-finished timber veneer, the plywood for carpentry and the paints used.
Upon entry into the apartment, one is greeted by cabinets of 3 timber tones which transition vertically from the charcoal black Italian tiled floor to the graded timber tones. While the cabinets alongside the entrance were lightened gradually towards the top, the other facing cabinets were gradually darkened in a horizontal patchwork fashion. The intention was to create a transitional path that guides from a more public space to a more intimate setting, hence from lighter to darker tones. The ombré effect was migrated to the dining room wall with a spray painted finish from grey to pink toned gradients.
The dining room setting was envisaged to be a rather playful but intimate space. A 2.4 m long marble top with copper framed table anchors the space. This was specially customized and designed by the studio to match the overhead pendant lights and to match the adjoining preparation area. The juxtaposition of the masculine character of the study and the more feminine dining area creates a dialogue of opposites and balances the atmosphere in a complementary way.
The existing room next to the dining area was demolished and transformed into a semi porous study with visual connectivity to the adjoining spaces. The use of black textured sheet metal with dark tones of timber gives an industrial but intimate presence to the study, much suited to the working habits of the husband.
The dry kitchen area was conceived to serve as an intermediary zone between the formal kitchen and the dining room where food could be garnished and placed. This area also serves as the baking preparation counter for the wife. Complementary tones of navy blue with brushed gold handles add some blink to the large veined marble top and solid bamboo composite shelves (recycled off-cuts).
The entrance to the kitchen is guarded by custom industrial sliding doors which opens up to a monochromatic row of aluminum kitchen cabinets, the only hint of playfulness carried from the dining room are the random patterned floor tiles.
While black tiles demarcate all of the public zones, natural oiled oak floorboards were used in the bedrooms to transition towards a more private and warm realm. The master bedroom door is hidden and flushed with the timber patchwork wall and opens to a walnut veneered flanked volume which houses the wardrobes. This volume also leads to the master bathroom. A predominant dark brown, black and white colour palette was chosen for the bathroom with accents of luxury rose gold and yellow gold, meant to bring forth a touch of old fashioned glamour.
The Ombré Patchwork Apartment strings forth spaces that are unique to each individual user and blends them cohesively through this modern timber patchwork.
