Styling Success:

The black-and-white brief

The mission? To recreate the inviting breeziness of a black-and-white house in a ground-floor apartment. Accepting the challenge? Arete Culture! The overall design brief was to maintain a feeling of luxury, calm and brightness in a space ideal for entertaining.

New homeowners MONILA and AMAR had previously rented a black-and-white for 12 years. One of the features they loved most about their rental was how breezy it was – one of the great hallmarks of Singapore’s colonial homes. They also love entertaining and they were worried that their new space would limit them in having guests over. So, they wanted to recreate the same airiness and welcoming feel in the new Swiss View ground floor apartment that they recently purchased.

The overall design brief was to maintain a feeling of luxury, calm and brightness in a space ideal for entertaining. It was a big job where Arete Culture didn’t just handle the interior styling but the interior design of the home. They created the concept and executed the couple’s vision. They reconfigured the floor plan, gutted the whole kitchen and bathroom, changed the flooring and created extra storage for the homeowners throughout the apartment.

Monila and Amar were particularly concerned about the dark spots in their new apartment, particularly in the hall and the kitchen. In order to carry over the bright vibe the couple previously enjoyed, the Arete team left the living walls white and used a pared-down colour palette of black and white, to retain the easy grandeur of the old home. They also added in some warmer colours and textures, and used gold accents to retain a warm, cosy feel.

Caroline from Arete Culture says, “During our initial first few meetings, our generous hosts offered us wine and told us how much they loved to entertain friends at their sprawling black-andwhite property. They were concerned their new home wouldn’t offer them the same kind of space to indulge in this.”

Arete Culture rose to the occasion. In view of this penchant for entertaining, it became apparent to the team that the kitchen should remain part of the open-plan living space. So, glass and metal sliding doors were fitted to open out onto the main dining and living area. Now, the space can become an extension of the dining area whenever there are guests over. The team also selected floor tiles, countertops and cabinetry that would lightly bounce around the natural light. The result? A spacious, bright and fluid area that any guest is going to feel comfortable in.

• 315 Outram Road#06-01 Tan Boon Liat Building

• 20 Depot Lane, #01-01/02

9640 3829 | areteculture.com