Sixth Avenue Condo is an ‘Art Gallery’ Post-Reno, Has a ‘UFO’ Light

We aren't exaggerating when we say this home is a work of art in itself!

When it came to renovating their matrimonial home – a 3-bedder condo in Sixth Avenue – homeowners Richmond and Aveline had a rather unusual concept in mind.

Averse Yau, founder of A Blue Cube Design (ABCD) and one of the interior designers who worked on the couple’s home, says that when they approached the firm, “they wanted the house to look like an art gallery.”

“I really like the idea of guests coming in and exploring our home [to discover all the features],” adds Aveline.

We spoke to Richmond, Aveline and the team from ABCD (Averse and Joey), to understand how the renovation took shape – and to find out more about its quirkier features, like an eye-catching ‘UFO’ light.

About the homeowners and their home

Aveline (A): My husband and I like to visit museums and art galleries, which inspired the overarching concept for our home. The play with lighting was especially important for me because I realised how such places use light really well to draw your attention.

We don’t like to stick to the rules, so our theme is sort of a mix of modern-minimalist and contemporary styles.

A: Most importantly, we wanted our home to function according to our lifestyles. Personally, I can’t stand having too much clutter and wanted our home to be easy to maintain.

We’re both bankers and get very busy with work. Since we don’t have a standard routine, there isn’t a lot of time to clean.

Richmond (R): Because of the pandemic, we started working from home, so we also wanted to make it a space where we can work and host guests comfortably.

On renovating the living room

Joey (J): You’ll see the home is filled with sleek, clean lines that Aveline likes. We also paid close attention to lighting so that the owners can play with it to change the ambience as they like.

A: We got most of our lights from Sol Luminaire since the recessed downlights don’t have a protruding rim; like everything around the home, I wanted the lights to be easy to maintain, unlike chandeliers and other low-hanging lights.

The colour temperature was just what we needed as well, and the lights are tunable to become smart lights, which lets us easily control them from anywhere.

Averse (Avs): In line with the clean look, the owners initially wanted the console without any visible supports, but this was not feasible because of how long it is.

Joey suggested having a subtle metal support on the inner end, and a wood-tone support that looks like a traditional bench on the other end. This gives it a layered look while adding warmth to the cooler, minimalist look.

For the lighting underneath the console, we used COB lights for a streamlined look. These are continuous LED lights, which means you won’t see any messy bulbs or wiring reflecting on the glossy marble flooring.

R: If you look down the corridor, there’s a painting at the end with a spotlight like you’d see in galleries.

To achieve this effect, we had the original wooden doors painted white to draw your eyes to the painting.

About the kitchen and dining area

R: Originally, the wet kitchen was an enclosed space, so it was dark and dingy because the main source of natural light was the living room windows.

A: That’s why we wanted to have an open-concept space, with enough room for our friends to hang around because we love having them over. In fact, we host almost weekly.

Avs: After discussing the owners’ lifestyle needs, we agreed that an open-concept space was the more practical choice for them since they don’t cook heavily and need more room to host.

With this design, we could cater for an island that serves as both a spacious dining and prep space.

A: Though the communal area’s design is centered around the island, when everyone comes in, the barrisol lighting really steals the attention.

Some friends have said it looks like a UFO (laughs).

Avs: In fact, because of the rounded shape of the barrisol, we started to add curves around the home, like the edges of the wall and for the false ceiling.

Avs: Right before we put up the barrisol, we realised there was a ceiling leak due to waterproofing issues in the unit above. It’s fortunate we found out in time and settled the issue, but it did delay the renovation.

A: If the leaking wasn’t discovered earlier, dealing with stains on the travertine marble counter and the rectification works required would have been a nightmare, so we’re thankful to ABCD and their in-house carpentry team.

J: Another highlight in this space is the hidden bar cabinet next to the fridge.

When closed off with pocket doors, the outside looks like the rest of the white cabinets, but when you open it up, you’ll see that it’s dark-themed.

Though Richmond had an idea to build this in the study, we advised against it since it’s not functional – when he wants to clean up or do any additional prep, he’d have to come all the way to the kitchen.

Avs: To make the feature really pop, we installed lighting behind the stone – but one thing you might miss out with such a feature is considering whether you can service it during a malfunction.

To ensure ease of access to the light, we designed it as a pull-out type.

On changing up the study room

A: Though the hallway is all white, the minute you open the door to the study, you realise it’s a man cave (laughs).

R: Unlike Aveline who likes the bright and white look, I just prefer a darker theme. Even the walls are all black, but we can easily change it up in the future if we want.

There’s also a built-in Murphy bed behind the desk that we can convert into a guest room whenever we need.

J: Since Aveline and Richmond have opposing tastes but they both like the play with light, we made it such that the lights can be dimmed to any intensity they prefer. This way, they can make it as bright or dark as they want.

R: There are also shelves to put up the trophies I’ve got from work. I didn’t know where to put them back when I was staying at my parents’ house, so I asked Averse about setting up a display for them.

Avs: Since Richmond also has a lot of Zoom meetings, we thought it’d be nice for him to have a natural background with all his achievements on display, rather than a virtual one.

This arrangement of the desk also provides privacy for him, since he deals with some sensitive work.

About the common bedroom

A: Considering future proofing, we decided to keep the common bedroom simple with minimal built-ins.

We did, however, build over the bay window and create storage cabinets since I needed a lot of space to keep our things. There’s upper storage too.

The extension makes it just right for a single mattress, so we can convert it into a bedroom if we have children in the future.

R: In general, I feel that the team put a lot of thought into the storage so that we can easily hide away clutter and keep the home looking as great as it did when we moved in.

On renovating the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom

Avs: Though we discussed keeping the bedroom design simple, we realised how much the owners liked the natural stone materials we used in the common area, like travertine for the island and onyx for the hidden bar.

That’s why we have two travertine pieces for the side tables for a subtle connection throughout the home.

Avs: In the ensuite bathroom, there was originally a bathtub that the owners didn’t need.

By removing it, we could afford to reduce some bathroom space to extend the wardrobe and turn it into a mini walk-in area.

Avs: There were only two wardrobe units on either side of the galley layout before, so this made room for another wardrobe unit.

R: Averse and the team also helped us to add LED lighting along the top and bottom of the wardrobes, which gives it an interesting suspended feel.

A: In fact, the lighting continues across the ceiling. When I was sitting downstairs at the pool one day, the curtains were drawn open and I happened to see the lights from there. I was impressed at how it continues all the way to the wardrobe.

With all the layering of lights and features, it’s like I’m always discovering something new at home.

The team did such a good job with the lighting that every time my friends come over, they love to take selfies. They say it’s like studio lighting because there’s no shadow under their eyes and their double chins aren’t visible (laughs).

To sum up

Avs: Our core approach is to incorporate the homeowners’ lifestyle into the design, taking into consideration aspects like budget, functionality and aesthetics.

We also find lighting is key to creating different moods for different tasks like work and destressing.

To simplify the science behind it, different lighting conditions affect how we feel and affect our internal body clock.

R: It really makes a big difference for me. When I’m working, I use higher-intensity lights which I can switch off/dim after work to create a chill ambience and wind down.

R: Working with Averse and Joey was like working with friends because it felt like a collaboration. Since my wife and I also deal with handling client accounts, we could tell how well they managed our working relationship and appreciate how empathetic they were.

A: We felt they were really trustworthy and made the process smoother for us.

R: They also explained the more complex aspects of the renovation to us and I learned a lot from them about how using lighting and different textures can bring out the charm of different spaces.

It’s been a year since we moved in and we love it here. It’s also fun to have friends over – they always have positive comments about how much they like the space.

Like what you see?

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