3-Bedder Condo in River Valley Marries Contemporary and Classic Design

Balancing traditional elements with modern aesthetics for a timeless result.

Decked out in neutral tones and understated finishes, this 3-bedroom resale unit at The Trillium is a blend of old-world charm and modern aesthetics.

Belonging to a family who moved from Indonesia and had only rented before, this apartment is their first permanent residence here.

“It’s much more comfortable for the family since they have a bigger space than their previous place, including two balconies” shares Johan, their interior designer from Mr Shopper Studio.

Keep reading to find out how he helped turn the space into a modern classic wonder while maximising every inch of space for the owners.

About the homeowners and their home

Johan (J): The house belongs to a family of four – a couple and their two children, a son and a daughter. Their helper also stays with them.

They wanted a timeless modern classic look while retaining most of the existing finishes like the walls and the floors since they were in good condition.

In terms of space, the communal area is impressive, with the balconies occupying a sizeable amount of floor area.

On the other hand, the junior bedrooms were pretty small, so we had to think about how to efficiently use the space.

J: Before working on the design, I actually studied other units in The Trillium – they had a more conventional modern look.

That’s why I wanted to come up with a design that’s different from the usual and include more curves to break the sharp lines.

On making over the living and dining rooms

J: For the living room, the owners were concerned about the heat since about three-quarters of the space has glass windows and glass sliding doors (leading to the private lift).

One solution was to install motorised curtains along the curved window. They close up automatically when the system detects that the temperature is high.

We also extended the TV feature wall with a fluted panel door to cover up one balcony entrance – this helps with blocking the heat from the balcony area.

J: For the feature wall itself, we backed the display shelving with a black tinted mirror. Unlike the regular display cabinets, this makes the space look bigger.

To incorporate the modern classic vibes, we used neutrals like browns and cream tones around the space, and added more traditional features like trimmings to the storage cabinet doors.

J: Some owners have the misconception that curves take up space, but I think that depends on the design approach.

In this case, we blended the curves subtly into the design to soften the hard lines and make it feel more homely, like the edges of the TV feature wall and storage cabinets in both the living room and the master bedroom.

These are quite gentle curves that don’t eat into the existing space.

J: The false ceiling curves too, up to the right edge of the dining feature wall where we couldn’t continue it due to the position of the air conditioning vents. This curvature follows the original curve of the window for a more organic feel.

J: While the accents on the carpentry might look like gold from afar, we actually used a hairline bronze finish laminate from EDL. It has a brush finish which is also easier to maintain, unlike a polished one which would reflect fingerprints.

J: These days, I don’t see homeowners opting for heavy gold finishes since they can seem gaudy, so this is a classy yet subtle alternative that blends well with the rest of the earthy tones.

This ties in with the overall design concept, balancing modern simplicity with classic luxury.

About the kitchen

J: In the kitchen, the owners’ priority was ease of maintenance. While cabinets in a modern classic kitchen typically have protruding panelling like in the living room, they’re difficult to maintain.

Because of this, we proposed rectangular groove lines that are cut into the door panels. This way, dust won’t collect as it would on a raised trimming.

We also chose a darker cream tone for the cabinet laminates compared to the ones in the communal area since dirt/stains won’t show up as easily.

J: The owners are coffee lovers, so we made room for a coffee station next to the built-in oven.

We installed a black tinted mirror for the backsplash because not only does it visually enlarge the space, but it’s also more chic.

On renovating the junior bedrooms

J: For both junior bedrooms, the children needed a study desk and space to store their items. The biggest challenge was fitting all they needed while managing the limited space.

J: In the son’s bedroom, the owners initially wanted a queen-sized bed but the space was very tight, so we did a semi-platform over the existing bay window to fit a super single bed instead.

Extending from the edge of the bed, we built a custom bedside table with a flip-up cable management system to hide any messy cables.

J: For the desk, we highlighted the space constraints and clearly explained the feasible dimensions to the owners so they would know what to expect.

Considering the son’s safety, we curved the edges of the study desk since it’s right next to the bed.

We also fit a display shelf at the foot of the bed because the son wanted a place to display his collectibles.

J: In the daughter’s bedroom, we built the desk over the bay window, and the storage cabinets go all the way up to the ceiling on either side of the desk to take full advantage of the vertical area.

This gave us room to fit a bedside table along with the queen size bed.

J: To create a highlight, we added the bronze finish around the edge of the headboard and proposed pendant lights that work as bedside lamps in each room.

About the master bedroom and walk-in wardrobe

J: The master bedroom is next to the former study, which we converted to a walk-in wardrobe that the couple wanted.

J: We sealed off the original entrance to the study and opened up a partial section so the owners can access the walk-in wardrobe easily.

J: Within the bedroom itself, installing cove lighting at the head of the bed gives the owners the freedom to change the look to create a different ambience as they like.

To create a sense of grandeur, we did a floor-to-ceiling feature for the headboard, with mirror panels that have a groove line design.

J: For the walk-in wardrobe, we built the vanity over the existing bay window and redid the wardrobe so that the owners can reconfigure the inside depending on their needs, like removing drawers or creating more space for hanging clothes.

On updating the ensuite bathroom

J: We dismantled the original his-and-hers vanity in the bathroom and did a new one with quartz countertops, but kept the original flooring and wall finishes intact.

This posed a challenge since we had to source for fittings from the same brand, but found that some models have already been discontinued. Ultimately, we managed to find alternatives that are cohesive with the rest of the space.

As for the sunken bathtub in the shower area, we left it untouched since it was in good condition.

To sum up

J: Besides matching new fittings/fixtures with existing ones, another big challenge was figuring out how to design the living room without compromising the position of the services like the air conditioning vents.

Ultimately, I appreciate that the owners were open to my suggestions and designs. We worked hand-in-hand and they also had great taste in picking furniture like the dining set and sofa.

The owners love to spend time in the living room and so far, they haven’t informed me of any issues with the heat (laughs). I believe the home turned out timeless, elegant and comfortable as they envisioned.

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