café-culture concept for work & play

The owners’ desire to embrace the café culture is evident as soon as one steps into the entryway.  A pair of curvy bar stools with rattan backings sits daintily on spindly brass legs behind an island counter with a marble top.  Similar marble clad walls, which stretch out from the kitchen and pour into the interior here and there, add an organic texture to an otherwise midcentury mix of glass, steel, and concrete.

“We balance these elements from the Art Deco to Modernism to fit into today’s fusion theme. Not forgetting the neon light as one signature element popular in these cafes as well. We custom-made the neon light to complete the whole cafe ambience,” notes Ng.

That delicious tension between old and new, intimate and grand, soft and fun carries through the hallway, where a ubiquitous neon light hangs on the wall behind a bucolic foliage of leafy palms.

Down the entryway is the kitchen, where the bar counter hides a discreet space for the messy work of cooking and entertaining. It floats in the same space as the dining and main living room, where wood paneled walls mimics those from the hallowed halls of a stately British manor and opposite structural walls wrapped in a fabric inspired wallpaper lend a softness to what is essentially a box showcasing a desirable collection of furniture.

Ng who has been designing homes for nine years admits that harmonising different elements can be a tricky affair. Ideally in a completed space, everything should have a place and sits comfortably in its place.

“The challenge is mixing all different types of clashing elements from a different era and taking the essence of it to offer the cafe vibe while ensuring that the space still feels homely to the homeowners. Balancing the colours, in this case, plays a very important role to tie everything together without feeling that every corner is shouting for attention, however, every corner serves its own purpose and it feels coherent all in all.”

“The challenge is mixing all different types of clashing elements from a different era and taking the essence of it to offer the cafe vibe while ensuring that the space still feels homely to the homeowners. Balancing the colours, in this case, plays a very important role to tie everything together without feeling that every corner is shouting for attention, however, every corner serves its own purpose and it feels coherent all in all.”

At one end of the apartment lies the understated primary bedroom, functional and modest, with shelving against a mirrored wall, overlooking the view outside to create moments that really connected to the outside. In the study, a custom desk system which sits comfortably for two overlooks the greenery outside.

The spatial transformation which started just before the circuit-breaker took almost eight months to complete.

Like those other projects, this private residence required a sense of intimacy but with specific areas for work and entertaining that would be easy to maintain. A home which is purely for the couple as a background for their life together with many more stories to tell.