Come Into Its Own
A COUPLE TRANSFORMS A NEW HOUSE INTO THEIR OWN UNIQUE VERSION OF HOME
After years of renting a place, the couple who were dating at that time, decided it was about time to move on to the next step: to get married and get a place of their own and make it offically theirs. “It was difficult to make the house we previously rented a home when we had absolutely no idea if it was acceptable to hammer nails into the walls or even the extent in which we were allowed to make any changes and decorate,” one of them shares. “We’re happy to finally have a space where we have full rein over.” But such freedom comes with its own set of predicaments. First of all, it took the pair a pretty good while to sift through the many ideas they had in mind and to figure out how they really wanted to style the blank canvas that is their duplex apartment. They have learned that mapping the rather airy yet undefined f loor plan into designated areas helps to expedite the entire process. “Our first step was to carve the space into sections by assigning different functions to different corners. Having a rough idea where the living room ends and the dining room starts, gave us a head start in the home interior game.” To take the game to another level, the couple teamed up with an interior designer, mainly to bounce some supportive ideas off him. “Using pictures as references, we informed the designer of our preferences. He did a few drawings, which we fine-tuned to how we would like them to be.” While the couple agrees that interior designers are instrumental in creating beautiful living spaces, they also believe in listening to their hearts. “After all, we are the ones who will be spending the time here. It was therefore necessary to constantly ask ourselves: is this (proposal from the designer) what we want to see in the days to come?” The expert they engaged, of course, put forward several constructive suggestions for their premises. In fact, one of them is the owners’ favourite part of the house: the feature wall facing the living room. An eton blue wall clock stands out against the white brick background surrounded by rusting tin signs that command equal attention with their humorous quotes and retro designs. A minimalist console table in a complementary bright red colour completes the corner. “It is a section I will never get tired looking at,” says the wife. It most probably makes a good conversation starter whenever they have visitors hanging out at their crisp and contemporary living room. Other than the aforementioned accent colours, the area sports the owners’ preferred palette: a controlled range of neutrals from pale to dark brown in addition to black and white, while clean-lined furniture was also chosen to further enhance the overall
understated modern theme of the space. To add warmth and character, the welltravelled couple who has recently returned from a trip to Canada fills up the f loorto-ceiling shelves in the living room with a personal collection of mementos from their various globe-trotting adventures. Sometimes, they go on excursions with the sole purpose of seeking out the missing pieces in the huge jigsaw puzzle which they both call home. One of the pieces, which they found in an inconspicuous antique shop in Malacca, is a gramophone. “Ever since young, I’ve always wanted to own a gramophone. It became one of my goals to achieve when we were renovating this place,” the wife tells us. Pointing at the vintage record player that is apparently still operative despite its weathered appearance, she happily continues: “We were so lucky to have chanced upon this.” However, it must be said that they too had their fair share of unlucky moments during the furniture-scouring stage. “We went around the city, popping in nearly every store. Still, to find the right product with the right style at the right price was tough. We ended up with a few things custom-made.” The customised pieces include a coffee table for the living area and a fully stocked shelf for the home bar – both of which were made out of recycled steel pipes for a modern industrial vibe. The use of similar materials indirectly ties the two different
“Our first step was to carve the space into sections by assigning different functions to different corners. Having a rough idea where the living room ends and the dining room starts, gave us a head start in the home interior game”
entertaining areas together. According to the lady of the house, some of her inspirations were admittedly extracted from Pinterest – a popular photosharing website she highly recommends to those who are brainstorming interior design concepts. “I learn so much from the site!” she enthuses over the accessibility of cool ideas before explaining how her favourite pin came to life in the area she refers to as her “gift wrapping station-cum-library”: “I bought ribbons of different patterns and looped them around the curtain rod.” Simple and unconventional, the ‘window dressing’ keeps things interesting with the additional burst of fun and festive energy to the already colourful space without burning through the owners’ pocket. “And it is appropriate since we wanted this particular section to look more artistic and playful.” When asked to describe the style of their home, the wife is slightly hesitant with her choice of words. “Quirky, perhaps?” she tentatively offers. “There really isn’t a word that fully encompasses all the different themes across the different sections.” But the one thing she is sure of is that the remodelling has certainly taught both of them more than just weaving ribbon curtains. From how to best communicate with the designer to picking the right shade of paint, they have personally involved themselves every step of the way in making the space their own. Never one to keep her knowledge to herself, she instantly proffers another useful pointer on giving any new space a quick personal twist: “A spritz of your favourite home scent will make a difference. I’m currently in love with Asian Potion’s Sakura.”
Some of her inspirations were admittedly extracted from Pinterest – a popular photo-sharing website she highly recommends to those who are brainstorming interior design concepts