Making Living Spaces More Liveable And Aesthetically Pleasing

Designing interiors for homes involves making living spaces more liveable and aesthetically pleasing for their occupants. Sometimes, a project presents the opportunity for a deeper narrative. LYNN TAN dives deeper to learn what it is.

- Lynn Tan

A lawyer who works for a technology company lives in this ground floor condominium unit. Wanting it to be a retreat to unwind after long business trips and long working days, she sent her brief to Lim Shing Hui, the principal architect at L Architects and a long-time church friend whose work she follows.

Besides these requests, Shing Hui also realised the full potential of this 12-week renovation project. “As soon as I stepped into the apartment, I noticed that the living room and bedroom opened onto a beautiful patio with trees, plants, and water features. I wondered if I could make the living room and bedroom feel as if they belong in a house where doors or windows open up onto a garden,” she adds.

In general, apartments on the first floor aren’t the most popular among homebuyers, who prefer privacy and views on higher floors. Well, Shing Hui changed all that.

When the existing false ceiling was removed and the team discovered the additional ceiling space above, it was as if the apartment itself was sending a subliminal message that it concurred with Shing Hui’s vision. The landscaping in the common area coupled with the discovery of the tall, lofty ceiling space provided the very catalyst for the design strategy.