Monochrome Wonder

A perfect balance of being immaculate and practical, this sleek five-room apartment shines bright with a monochrome palette

- Germaine Cheah

As a family grows, the priorities and needs for a home changes. And with two growing boys, things for this family of four are no different. Having already become accustomed to this five-room flat in Hougang, they didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding a new place all over again. So, they opted for a renovation instead. With a modern-contemporary design concept in mind, they commissioned interior design studio Icon Interior to create their dream home.

“In addition to a desire to update their existing abode to something more modern, they also wanted a bold and edgy design language for their home,” says Max Lee, the design director of Icon Interior and designer-in-charge of this renovation project. The design team responded to the request by keeping to a monochromatic colour scheme throughout the home. Pristine white walls were layered with a series of off-black and grey laminates, timber carpentry and soft furnishings for a rich and luxurious effect. Meanwhile, large format homogeneous tiles in a matte stone-finish were selected for the flooring to help create a more elegant living space.

One of the main gripes the owners had with their home’s previous configuration was the lack of storage, which led to visual clutter being a frequent sight in the home. With the male homeowner being a pilot, he had plenty of model airplanes and souvenirs he wanted to display. This is further supplemented by the large collection of textbooks and storybooks accumulated by the two sons. But while storage was an important factor, there was also a need to keep the overall design neat and clean.