Inside a Dark ‘Hotel Suite’ Punggol BTO with Bold Stone Finishes

That’s not all: peek in to discover a bespoke glass block island!

After a long day at work, wanting to wind down at a cosy home is nothing out of the norm for Singapore homeowners. But for the owners of this 4-room BTO flat in Punggol, comfort wasn’t all they had in mind.

“They wanted to try very bold stone finishes, to the extent that we had to advise against some choices to maintain a practical and visual balance,” laughs Keith from the Interior Maison, the firm behind the home’s renovation.

He shares with us about the renovation process, and how the firm worked with the owners to refine their vision of a ‘cave’-like home for a one-of-a-kind 4-room BTO.

About the homeowners and their home

Keith (K): When we met, the owners shared they wanted to have a dark palette for a more restful vibe.

They didn’t have a specific interior theme in mind and gave us a lot of freedom to come up with proposals, often joking that they just wanted the house to be ‘cave-like’.

Of course, we made sure to help them with deciding on a tasteful combination of colours, lighting and materials.

WATCH: Keith from The Interior Maison talks about giving the home a makeover

On doing up the living room

K: The owners have a pet dog whose barking can be quite loud, so one of their requirements was getting this soundproof glass door instead of a typical metal gate to block the noise.

Once you enter the home after a long day, you’ll feel relaxed thanks to the dark colours we used for the carpentry and walls, as well as the warm lighting from Sol Luminaire which is smart-home compatible.

K: In particular, there’s a 3-metre sofa the owners wanted which takes up the length of the living room and has more depth. Since it’s so big, the original space would have been quite tight and visually cramped.

To keep it spacious with enough walking room, we hacked the wall of the adjacent junior bedroom and replaced it with the TV feature wall.

There was a structural ceiling beam, to which we flushed the feature wall. This way, the junior bedroom space was reduced by less than a foot, and we could extend the living room to accommodate the sofa.

The owners love hanging out here because it’s very relaxing.

About the dry kitchen and unique peninsula island

K: The statement piece of this home is the bespoke peninsula island in the dry kitchen that features glass bricks. The glass bricks were something the owners requested, but had no idea how to incorporate into the design. As such, we proposed using it for the kitchen island and made it into a visual feature.

They wanted a fairly long island, which would be quite boxy. Since their young nephews and nieces come over sometimes to play, they were also concerned about safety.

This is a 4-room flat where space is quite limited, so we had to figure out a way to fit the island while also ensuring that it’s safe even if young children knock into it while running around.

K: The concept and design revisions alone took about one to two weeks since there were a lot of considerations.

We decided on constructing it in the dining area, where it’s best seen and appreciated.

K: The layout we settled on was to split the original kitchen space into wet and dry areas – the latter basically doubles as the dining area.

Then, we pushed the wet area back to get more space to accommodate the peninsula island and keep it roomy.

K: While glass blocks are safe to use in homes, we wanted to address the homeowners’ concerns and ensure maximum safety.

We did that by positioning the glass blocks within supporting pillars.

Due to the weight of the glass blocks, we had to lay them layer by layer to ensure the glue and sealant set properly before adding the next layer – this took about five trips in total.

This whole process – from the ideation to the design and the execution – was one of the most challenging parts of the renovation.

K: We made the island as functional as it gets: we used a durable sintered surface for the tabletop and installed power points on both sides.

The owners can use it for a variety of tasks, from food prep to dining and even working.

On renovating the wet kitchen

K: Given their busy schedules, the owners don’t cook often, so they wanted a minimal and easy-to-maintain kitchen.

The space is also pretty small, so we installed two-tier cabinets for extra storage space that they might need.

They use the upper tier, which has more depth, to store items and appliances that they rarely use.

K: For the countertops and backsplash, we used a dark and durable laminate from EDL Compact.

K: Another highlight in the kitchen is this downdraft hood we installed.

While it’s more pricey than a regular overhead hood, the owners liked the sleek look – it can be hidden away in the counter when not in use and makes maintenance easier.

On the closed-off corridor

K: The hallway to the master bedroom is closed off with a casement door that has a grid design like the connecting wall.

When it’s closed off, there’s this lounge vibe since the owners can chill out at the island with friends and family over a drink.

About the master bedroom

K: The master bedroom is bigger now because we combined the original with the junior bedroom next to it to make more wardrobe space.

Part of the wall dividing the two rooms happened to be a structural wall; though we couldn’t hack it away, it turned out to be a handy separator between the bedroom and walk-in wardrobe.

K: The partition is helpful since the couple go to work at different times, so they can get ready without disturbing each other.

K: One of the most striking features in the bedroom is the artificial stone wall cladding we used at the bedhead. It’s a trending design overseas that the owners saw on Instagram and Pinterest and really liked.

However, we explained to them that the design has so much visual impact because the homes overseas have a high ceiling. To get the same effect, we recommended that they get a low bed.

This way, we could use half the wall for the stone cladding. It’s made of a polyester material with a resin-like feel, which makes it safe to touch.

On making over the bathrooms

K: Both the master and common bathrooms are enclosed in the master bedroom area.

If you look into the common bathroom, you’ll find a his-and-hers vanity setup that the owners wanted. Unsurprisingly, they were set on stone sinks (laughs), so we got granite ones from Modeste.

In order to make the basins symmetric, we centred the large mirror panels to each of them.

K: The master bathroom, meanwhile, doesn’t have a basin because the owners wanted it to serve as a full-fledged shower space.

This allowed us to set up the shower at the centre with a wall-to-wall niche for a luxurious touch.

To sum up

K: This renovation project was quite memorable because we met the owners virtually during the pandemic for a casual chat about their ideas. Unfortunately, they encountered HDB delays for the TOP date, so we only started work in 2023.

It seems we left an impression on them, because they even referred us to a friend before their own renovation started. We kept in contact and experienced the highs and lows of the key collection with them. Their design ideas changed quite a lot over time too (laughs).

During the renovation itself, the owners were friendly and collaborative, and receptive to our suggestions and advice. While there were challenges, like with the design of the island, we managed to come up with functional and aesthetic solutions.

We’re glad to hear from the owners that the home turned out even better than they had imagined, and that they’re very happy and comfortable.

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