Penthouse Design With Oriental Flair

         

Penthouse design can be a tricky affair for properties in Singapore where many are space challenged.

When local interior design specialists CAD Associates were hired to revolutionise a three-bedroom penthouse in Mergui Road, the clients offered the team a simple brief – to imbue a cosy ambience in the apartment. What followed was a design that would keep the clients on their toes across the various design seasons and nurture a comfortable ambience ideal for the growth of a family.

During the consultation with the CAD Associates design team, the client noted the unearthed potential in the soaring seven-metre high ceiling in the living hall. However, the extended ceiling was an issue during cleaning and maintenance, and the air-conditioning systems would have to work doubly hard to cool the common area on the first level. Taking the client’s feedback into consideration, the design team proposed a mezzanine above the living area to function as a study room.

Making way for more space

With space a premium in most modern apartments, the design team had to shake things up by introducing space-saving furniture and strategies. Past the entrance door, the dining room was modified into a dining corner. The trick was to avoid spatial segregations among rooms and to create a continuous flow throughout the floor. A customised dining table was then designed over the common-sized circular table as the homeowner wanted to utilise the table as a bar counter – the table height was raised and the tabletop was customised using a special range of granite from Conscentino.

What a tactful interior designer would do is to incorporate elements of the client’s lifestyle into the home for a seamless fit. Upon surveying of the home by the Feng Shui master, the homeowner had to install religious idols and paintings in the living room to boost their luck and fortune. What the design team proposed next was for an ‘oriental zen’ outlook by going for a darker colour scheme on the television console for a seamless transition. Similarly, the staircase leading up to the master bedroom was painted the same colour.

Making use of the area under the staircase, the design team converted the empty plot into a laundry area by shifting the washing machine from its original residence in the kitchen. This frees up much-needed storage for cooking utensils and ingredients with the construction of kitchen cabinets in its place.

There was some confusion initially regarding the sizing and allocation of space in the master bedroom due to the oversized balcony. The design team found the existing size of the bedroom too small to accommodate the essentials in the bedroom like a television console and storage cabinet, while the oversized balcony left much to be desired. Not to be restricted by pre-allocated divisions from the developer, the design team suggested the reclaiming of half the balcony to hold a customised television console and a 60-inch flat screen. Bi-fold doors were installed for when the owner would like his bedroom and balcony to be connected as one. To break the monotony and introduce vibrancy to the room, a brightly coloured mural was painted across the entire wall behind the storage cabinet.

Mezanine turned study

In the bedroom, the focal point of the room lies in the headboard. Connected to the king-sized bed, the headboard proclaims a Thai authenticity through the use of wallpaper that is silk-like in texture. Together with the luxurious black marble laminate surrounding the headboard and the royal colours of purple, they pay a respectful homage to the Thai heritage of one of the homeowners.

On the same level, the mezzanine-turned-study is curtained off as a private workspace of the homeowner. The design team proposed the use of wallpaper of a darker colour and silk-like textures to project a mood of luxury and class. As the mezzanine was an add-on area, the floors were completed using vinyl strips, synchronising with the parquet areas of the master bedroom without shelling out a huge cost. A customised cabinet was proposed as an organiser for the homeowner’s documents. To accommodate a two-door refrigerator in the study for chilled drinks and the occasional snacks, the design team suggested a precise cutout in the center of the cabinet.

In the design of the Mergui Residences, the CAD Associates team paid careful attention down to the heritage of the homeowners for a true reflection of their status and personality. Not only that, the furnishings and add-ons chosen were designed to play off each other to build a mood that has a gentle soul and a classy personality. The CAD Associates team credits this success to a relationship and connection with the homeowners forged on trust, honesty and open communication.

Photography by Michael Dur, Best Arts Photography

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