A seamlessly-connected communal space, with ample private spaces for personal time.
It was the first time we’ve conducted an interview with three people, and homeowner Fareed quickly explained why he, together with Gerald and Jia Rui from Jialux Interior, all agreed that this is the best way.
“It was a true team effort to renovate this home,” he says over the phone. “There were a lot of discussions that sometimes went into the night, about design ideas, space planning, furniture selection, things like that. We all contributed a lot to this renovation, so I think it’s quite apt that the three of us are doing this interview together.”
Aside from the level of collaboration and coordination involved in this Pasir Ris executive apartment’s renovation, one thing that stood out to us from the start was the amount of space planning it involved – something that both Gerald and Jia Rui agree is the core of the project.
“Fareed and his wife have three teenage kids,” says Gerald, “so finding ways to make sure everyone has their personal space while creating a cosy communal area for family bonding was quite challenging, but I think both Jia Rui and myself enjoyed the process.”
About the homeowners and the home
Although the maisonette they previously lived in was approximately the same size, Fareed and his wife slowly came to realise that it wasn’t ideal.
“We had two main issues,” he explains. “The first was that there were only 3 bedrooms, so while my daughter had one room to herself, my two sons had to share a room. As they’re older now, we wanted each of them to have their own personal space.”
“The second issue was that the two-storey layout wasn’t conducive for family bonding. The ‘private’ areas on the second floor were quite separated from the communal space below, so when the kids were holed up in their rooms, it became quite a hassle for them to come downstairs for meals or to chit chat with everyone else.”
“So, our solution was to find an executive apartment, which not only had enough space to create four bedrooms, but also a single floor layout. This way, it’s easier for everyone to come out or go into their rooms without needing to climb the stairs.”
“Also, because there are five people living in the house, we had to think of ways to keep the space practical,” says Jia Rui. “They each needed a lot of storage space for their things, but the space also needed to be designed in a way that ensures it seamlessly fits into the overall design while remaining accessible.”
WATCH: Homeowner Fareed and IDs Gerald and Jia Rui share more about the home's renovation
About the living room
Wanting a space that feels cosy and timeless, Fareed opted for a neutral colour palette featuring off-whites and wood tones.
“I don’t really follow trends or what not,” he says. “The important thing is that the home still feels like a new home even after 5, 10, or 15 years.”
“It feels more like a ‘character’ house than a themed house,” Gerald adds on. “By that, I mean that the design of the house is centered around the people living in it instead of having a specific theme – like, for example, a cafe theme. So that makes this house more interesting.”
Aside from that, Fareed also opted to rely on loose furnishings to fill up the space, which gives him and his family the flexibility to shift things around or swap them out whenever they want to refresh the look.
“And speaking of furniture, I’m a very particular guy,” he says, which elicits laughter from both Gerald and Jia Rui. “I pay a lot of attention to alignment and measurements, and it irritates me when something doesn’t line up properly, or fit into the space.”
“So when it came to finding a sofa that fits along this wall, it took us a long time to find one. The length of the wall is about 3m, so I wanted a sofa that was exactly this length – nothing more or less.”
“In fact, I think this is one of the ways the three of us bonded, because we are all equally particular about this,” he says amusedly.
About the kitchen and dining area
“Previously, the kitchen was secluded in its own area, which made it quite dark and cramped,” says Jia Rui. “So we tore down the wall to merge it with the living room area – this way the communal space feels much bigger.”
“I like to say that the entire communal space now has a three-way contact point,” Gerald adds. “The living room, dining area, and kitchen are all connected, so the family can talk to one another no matter where they are. For example, the kids can be eating their breakfast at the island or dining table, but still be able to talk to their parents in the living room.”
“At the same time, each area is distinct from one another, with specific zones for specific functions.”
“As a family, we cook almost every single day,” Fareed says. “I know people say that you shouldn’t have an open concept kitchen if you cook regularly, but we don’t really have a problem with it.”
“The smell does spread around, true, but the open space coupled with the number of windows around the house creates good airflow. Besides, I would say that the cooking smell is quite nice, and it entices the kids to come out of their rooms without us needing to knock on their doors.”
About the common toilet
Where the common toilet entrance used to be
“The door to the common toilet used to lead into the kitchen, but we shifted it to face the corridor instead,” says Fareed. “This way, it faces away from the space where we prepare food and eat, while making it more accessible for the kids.”
“This house is about 30 years old and both toilets were in their original condition,” says Jia Rui. “So we basically gutted both toilets to ensure they wouldn’t give Fareed and his family issues down the road.”
“There were a fair amount of false walls built and walls sealed to conceal the pipes as much as possible,” Gerald adds. “Actually, if you look around the house, you’ll notice that there is no visible trunking or piping; this was something that Fareed was quite particular about.”
“Yes, they are ugly,” Fareed chimes in, making everyone laugh.
About the kids’ bedrooms
“My kids were quite involved in the renovation,” Fareed says. “At their age, having their personal space is very important to them, so I wanted them to share their input with Gerald and Jia Rui to ensure they get what they want.”
“I told them that I will cover the basic things like their beds, wardrobes, and study tables. But things like the colour palette, wardrobe design, and decoration was entirely up to them.”
“Through these aspects, you can see their personalities from their room. The one with a lot of purple is clearly my daughter’s room – she likes something softer, so she went shopping and bought fairy lights and fake plants to put around her room.”
“For my eldest boy, he’s into music and has framed music posters on the wall. My youngest son’s bedroom used to have a basketball hoop, but we’ve since revamped it because he wanted to change the look.
“Due to the structure of the house, each room had a recessed niche,” says Jia Rui. “We thought it would be a waste to seal it up, so instead, we mounted shelves that the kids could use to display the things they like.”
About the master bedroom
While the communal space was bright and airy, the master bedroom has a darker, moodier facade – which Fareed says is intentional.
“My wife and I wanted a hotel-like look,” he says. “Personally, I don’t believe in staycations – I would rather relax at home instead of wasting money on an expensive hotel. So we thought that having a room that looks like one from a hotel is good enough.”
“Lighting choice was quite important here, because we wanted the area to feel cosy,” Gerald adds, “which is why we added warm LED lights to the shelves.”
“The effect is quite cool,” Fareed says. “What you see in the day is completely different from what you see at night. The warm lights add to the atmosphere and feel very relaxing.”
To sum up
“It’s been about a year and a half since my family and I moved in,” Fareed says. “I know I’m a particular guy, but at the end of the day, my goal was to create the perfect house for me and my family. And I truly believe we have that, because what we have now is perfect for us.”
“Of course, there were some challenges here and there, but thanks to the chemistry we have, we pushed one another to go the extra mile and overcome them. I can say that the journey to achieve this was quite beautiful, and I’m very grateful to both Gerald and Jia Rui for helping us get here.”
“Fareed is a homeowner that’s hard to come by, in my opinion,” Jia Rui says. “He was very involved in the renovation from the start, and you can see how dedicated he was in creating the perfect home for his family.”
“As IDs, we can only give our professional input on the design,” Gerald adds. “It’s up to the homeowners to give the human touch and transform the space into a home. Fareed being active in the discussions helped, and like what I said earlier, I think this is one of the homes where it’s the people that characterise the space.”
“So, yes, it was a true team effort, and it’s probably one of the more memorable renovation projects we’ve done so far!”
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