A 4-room BTO flat inspired by a couple’s Mediterranean holiday memories
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A 4-room BTO apartment inspired past a couple's Mediterranean holiday memories
CNA Lifestyle'southward Making Room series looks at small homes with big transformations. This week, a i,022 sq ft home get a nuance of relaxed, rustic European flair.
This i,022 sq ft BTO flat was inspired by the simple, rustic aesthetics the couple loved during a trip to Italia pre-pandemic. (Photo: The Local Inn.Terior)
28 Aug 2022 07:21AM (Updated: 28 Aug 2022 07:21AM)
Homeowners Fazlie and Corinne consider themselves old souls who love holidaying in Europe – recall the expert ol' pre-pandemic days?
One popular destination they've had very fond memories of visiting was Italy dorsum in 2015. "Nosotros went to the usual hotspots, Rome and Florence, just also made information technology a betoken to visit other mannerly places like Tuscany and Lucca. In Florence, we stayed in an Airbnb a stone'due south throw abroad from the Duomo, and our stay at a celebrated subcontract in Tuscany was particularly memorable – we lived in a suite with a terra cotta terrace overlooking its centenary olive groves," recalled Corinne, who's a teacher.
"Nosotros also rented a Vespa and did day trips to hilly medieval villages like Roccatederighi. The aboriginal surroundings and relaxed, lived-in temper at these properties were awe-inspiring."
Then when they bought their one,022 sq ft, four-room BTO HDB flat in Canberra, they decided their home should reflect that memorable Mediterranean lifestyle.
It was up to interior designer Teck Hou of The Local Inn.Terior to evoke that rustic, relaxed and timeless vibe.
Hallmarks of Mediterranean-way interiors include the use of weathered stone and wood, ceramics in the class of organically-shaped pottery, stunning patterned tilework and terracotta flooring, textiles in colours inspired by the earth and the body of water, rustic furnishings, biconvex doorways, and the blending of indoor and outdoor spaces.
All of these were incorporated into the couple's home. For starters, almost of the flat's walls are whitewashed, while the flooring of the entire apartment is done upward in vinyl planks that mimic the expect of forest.
Rounded ceiling arches help to subtly demarcate different zones inside the apartment, such as between the living and the dining areas, and betwixt the living area and the corridor that leads to the bedrooms.
The living surface area is anchored by a feature wall that's clad in wallpaper with a deep terra cotta hue (which the couple installed themselves) – which the chocolate-brown leather sofa seems to blend right into.
"I of the things nosotros really looked out for while piece of furniture shopping was for our purchases to be meaningful ones, something that actually spoke to us," said Corinne.
Cushions in muted shades of yellow, blueish, and grey-and-white stripes, too every bit a choice of hanging and potted plants, add pops of colour.
A large, freestanding glass-fronted cabinet in grey stores the couple'south book collection, and displays a selection of artwork and ceramics.
A round Berber coffee table in whitewashed latticed forest, which they found at Originals Piece of furniture, anchors a beautifully textured greyness, beige and white carpet that was placed deliberately askew to evoke a quirky yet relaxed temper.
A black string armchair topped with a white sheepskin rug, a mid-century rattan-backed wooden armchair, a plain wooden TV console and sheer, obviously white cotton curtains consummate the living room ensemble.
"We try to have everything modular so that even if we get tired of it, we tin can just motility it around and and so spice information technology up and add a little fleck more furniture or fixtures, and information technology'due south merely equally good as new once more," said Fazlie, who'south an art director.
Correct adjacent to the living room is a small balcony with terracotta floor tiles and a collection of potted plants that go on the Mediterranean blueprint theme.
"The apartment is somewhat due north-facing. Nosotros do get the afternoon sun, which some people might hate. Just information technology'south been actually good for our plants ... they've been pretty happy," Corinne quipped.
Their cosy dining surface area is built correct into a corner that backs onto the kitchen.
Clad in olive-dark-green shiplap, the space features a built-in, cushion-topped L-shaped banquette with storage underneath, a round white marble tabular array with a space-saving pedestal leg from Condolement Design Furniture, and two black chairs with natural rattan backs and padded leather seats – the couple purchased these from secondhand article of furniture store Hock Siong.
Overhead, an oversized pendant lamp, made of small pieces of wood assembled together in an intricate pattern, casts interesting shadows. A shelf ledge above the shiplap wall console displays home decor items.
"It was conceptualised every bit a space not simply for dining – we can use information technology for studying, piece of work and fifty-fifty board games. Other than that, this infinite is great for displaying my drove of ceramics and artwork," explained Corinne, adding that the decor items were amassed over the years. Some were gifts from friends and family, others were purchased on overseas trips, while the remainder were sourced online.
The original wall separating the kitchen from the dining area was demolished, in order to create a galley kitchen, with one of the counters adjacent to the dining nook. That makes it easy for food and drinks to exist passed betwixt the kitchen and dining areas.
"This is where I play masak-masak – I play chef or baker here," said Fazlie, who wanted wet and dry areas in the kitchen to provide convenience and accessibility for their daily kitchen routine.
A dab hand in the kitchen, he cooks Western fare such every bit pasta, oven-baked fish or steak with roasted vegetables, Asian dishes such equally sayur lodeh, ABC soup and stir-fried vegetables, and bakes cookies, brownies and cakes.
Equally such, the kitchen's black steel-framed ribbed glass piano accordion windows and doors can be opened or airtight, depending on whether there's heavy cooking taking place.
Within, the modern country-themed kitchen features forest-expect countertops, beige modern Shaker-style cabinets with rustic-looking hardware, and glazed variegated taupe-coloured ceramic tiles as backsplash.
Fazlie is specially proud of the strip of recessed task lighting that runs the entire length of the wall-side kitchen counter. "At dark, when I'1000 thirsty, I can but come over without having to switch the main lights on, and I tin just grab a drink without pain my eyes. And it functions really well because I can see clearly what I'm cooking and while I'thou cutting."
The couple'southward curated selection of kitchen accessories – rounded ceramic pots concord plants and kitchen utensils, while other blueprint details, such every bit a aureate-framed oil painting of a European countryside mural, a rattan hanger for their grocery bags, and tea towels featuring muted prints – add rustic charm and a sense of homeliness.
The chamber is austerely furnished, with a queen-sized bed covered in manifestly white bedlinens, dark biscuit cotton wool roman blinds, a wooden chest of drawers, a minor wooden ledge shelf that holds a modest painting and features hooks below for hanging accessories such as handbags, and an old launder basin on a stand.
Another wall is festooned with hooks for hanging up Fazlie'southward hats – a smart fashion to make the most of vertical storage space, while displaying a collection. A string of ornamental seashells adds a holiday vibe, evoking the feeling of staying in a rural pensione (or pocket-size boarding house) by the sea.
While decorative tilework is a key characteristic in achieving that Mediterranean aesthetic, the couple had to stick within their budget.
Even though Corinne had initially wanted all four walls of the common bath to exist covered in glazed bluish-grey tile, and all four walls of the ensuite bathroom to exist covered in Castilian tiles featuring a graphic arced design, they decided to just cover one wall of each bathroom with the tiles they wanted, leaving the original white tiles that came with the apartment, intact on the other walls. The determination helped keep costs down. Both bathrooms feature round sinks atop a wood-wait cabinet, and nighttime gray terrazzo floors.
"Our friends and family tell united states of america they look forward to visiting united states of america every time considering there's always something new or dissimilar, because we can't aid ourselves from moving things effectually, or embarking on a DIY project, like the wallpaper we installed in the living room," Corinne said.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/living/singapore-home-renovation-tips-hdb-bto-interior-design-mediterranean-277301
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