Small & Stylish

Can a small space sport a dark material palette? Absolutely, as this compact West Coast condominium unit shows. Asih Jenie takes a tour.

- Asih Jenie

When homeowner Christopher Lum purchased this one bedder condominium unit near Clementi, he already had a clear vision of what he wanted the interior to look like and who to approach to translate it into reality. An educator in the private sector, Christopher got his first job as a marketing executive at the interior design firm Distinct Identity. “Naturally, I went to them for the design as I trust their eye,” he shares. Christopher worked on the design directly with Keith Kum, one of the firm’s co-founders. “He knew exactly what I like,” Christopher adds.

Christopher chose the unit because of its quiet neighbourhood. Populated mostly by landed houses, the surrounding areas also provide an uninterrupted view. The existing unit was virtually empty. Christopher wanted to turn it into a chic home resembling some of his favorite hotels that he had enjoyed staying in, both local ones like Raffles Hotel and overseas one he visited during his travels before the pandemic.