This Hotel-Inspired Resale Flat is Both Luxurious and Child-Friendly

Trendy curves, a soothing dark palette and warm lighting are the cornerstones of this modern-luxe home.

While it might be an unusual choice for a couple with young children to style their home with moody tones, that’s exactly what the owners of this 5-room resale flat in Bukit Batok did.

When they approached Jeff, their interior designer from LA Design Studio, they asked for a dark, modern-luxe theme. Beyond the chic aesthetics, they found such a palette cosy and relaxing – particularly for the husband whose job involves hours doing on-site work in the sun.

Follow Jeff as he takes us through the home’s transformation, from 10-year-old resale flat to a classy ‘hotel’.

About the homeowners and their home

Jeff (J): From the get-go, the owners were clear about their design preferences and lifestyle needs. For one, they wanted a dark and modern-luxe theme for a comfy atmosphere.

The second was ensuring the home is kid-friendly; one way we did this was by integrating curves and waves into the design. This minimises sharp edges around the house, making spaces safer for their young children.

I’m sure a lot of homeowners will also agree that curves are aesthetically pleasing and soften sharp corners/lines, making spaces feel more inviting.

J: The owners also requested an open-concept kitchen since the original was squeezy, which would make it difficult to prepare meals.

One more aspect we focused on was lighting, to bring out the sense of grandeur and cosiness you get in hotels.

Based on these requirements, we came up with a 3D drawing. It was only the first draft but the owners were really impressed (laughs). After some revisions and confirming the final details with them, we got started with the renovation.

WATCH: Designer Jeff talks about giving the home a makeover

On making over the living/dining room

J: Right from the entrance, a strip of magnetic track lighting overhead guides you to the living room.

J: You’ll first walk past the household shelter; the shelter door and its adjacent walls are painted over with a grey stucco paint that resembles limewash because the owners wanted their foyer to stand out.

Rounding the corner, you’ll see one of my favourite features in this project: a shoe cabinet with a curved display niche to add visual interest.

You won’t usually see curved fluted panels in homes because it takes a lot of skill, but our in-house carpenters have years of experience under their belt and managed to pull off the look we had in mind.

J: For the living room proper, we did a single-layer TV feature. As you can see, it’s one long and smooth stretch without any protruding lines or a second layer.

This not only emphasises the living room space but also makes it feel longer.

J: As I mentioned, we also incorporated a variety of curves in the spaces. If you look closely, you’ll even spot one at the right edge of the feature wall, which curves to connect seamlessly with the pelmet.

Of course, carpentry alone doesn’t draw out the luxe hotel ambience; that’s why we made sure to consider lighting.

For example, we installed spotlights at the TV feature that cast warm light on it so that it looks more classy and grand.

About the kitchen

J: Pre-renovation, the kitchen was closed off so it was a narrow and cramped space.

J: During the renovation, we hacked the kitchen and service yard walls as the owners wanted to turn it into an open-concept space with easy access to the dining area.

Since they cook often, this helped to enlarge the space so that they have more room for prep and walking around.

Now, one side functions as the wet kitchen while the other is the dry side.

J: We used VULCAN sintered stone from Lian Hin for the countertop and backsplash for a seamless look.

It’s a durable and non-porous material, which is good because the owners, who cook often, don’t have to worry about damage or stains.

As for laminates, we proposed using matte laminates to reduce the visibility of dirt marks and scratches, which is a problem with the glossy types.

On elevating the space with a unique kitchen island

J: One of the most eye-catching spaces in the home is definitely the dining area, where we fabricated a curved island instead of the typical rectangular island. It comes with extra storage drawers facing the kitchen.

Another highlight is its fluted support leg which we felt would add to the modern-luxe vibes, rather than a plain vertical pole. Understandably, fabricating the wavy edges and the curving fluted panels took longer.

J: For continuity with the support leg’s fluted panels, we did up a fluted design for the feature wall behind the island by alternating tinted mirrors and panels.

J: Unlike the typical protruding panels, we actually did a groove line design because the flat surface makes it easier to maintain.

On renovating the master bedroom

J: It’s safe to say this layered headboard design is the first thing that catches your eye when you enter the bedroom.

I suggested this design to the owners since they mentioned they wanted a more outstanding feature than just a flat surface.

Since we needed space to install the LED strips, we set up the mirror and laminates on different layers, which creates an interesting visual depth.

The colour scheme is otherwise dark and cosy since the owners work in stressful environments and want to retreat to a relaxing space.

J: We had quite a tight space to work with in the bedroom, but the owners really needed a dressing table. The solution was to have this table built into the side of the wardrobe, which doubles as a bedside table and vanity.

Since the vanity drawer is quite shallow, we also built some vertical shelves for the wife to store and display her make-up items.

J: One thing we realised after hacking was that the height of the bedroom flooring was lower than the corridor after we overlaid it with tiles.

We shared potential solutions with the owners and settled on using cement screed to level out the difference.

About the bathrooms

J: Drawing inspiration from hotel bathrooms, we built two-tier vanity cabinets in both the master and common bathrooms, forgoing the standard kind with casement doors.

It’s a classy and modern choice that fits well with the overall theme of the home.

We used 600 by 600 tiles from Hafary for the walls – such big tiles look seamless because they have fewer joint lines, which also means there are less grout lines to clean.

On the other hand, we used smaller 300 by 600 tiles for the flooring. Unlike large tiles which cannot be bent, the smaller pieces of tiles can be adjusted piece by piece for a better water gradient.

J: As for the ensuite bathroom, the owners wanted wood-strip tiles in the shower area to recreate spa vibes.

For the areas with the grey tiles, we used a cement-like colour for the grouting since the dirt marks won’t show up easily.

To sum up

J: With resale flats, we usually find a number of unexpected things post-hacking. While this decade-old flat was in pretty good condition, we had to deal with finding hidden pipes in the kitchen/service yard and realising that the floor tiles at the entrance of the house were too high.

I appreciate that the owners were understanding and communicative, which helped us with deciding how to deal with the challenges.

J: It’s almost like we were teammates since I felt like we worked together to achieve the final result: a luxe yet inviting home with a striking design and lighting that really sets the mood.

I’ve visited the owners a few times since the renovation and I’m glad to hear from them that they find the home very comfortable. After all, that’s what a home should be.

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