Tiong Bahru apartment gets warm Scandinavian makeover with open layout
An 89-sq-m apartment in a 1930s Tiong Bahru block has been transformed into a light-filled home with an open floor plan, natural materials and curated Scandinavian furniture. The young couple, who moved from a condominium, engaged designer Mikael Teh of Monocot to remove all internal walls and creat
A 89-sq-m apartment in one of Singapore's oldest housing estates has been transformed into a light-filled home with an open layout, natural materials and carefully chosen design classics. The second-storey unit in a street-facing block in Tiong Bahru was bought by a young couple who work in finance and wanted a place where they could easily walk their dog.
The elderly former occupant had a condition affecting her legs and moved to a ground-floor unit in another block. 'That's why she decided to sell the property. We saw a lot of potential,' said the wife. The couple liked the neighbourhood for its cafes, parks and Tiong Bahru Market, as well as easy access to the MRT station and a three-bus-stop commute to Raffles Place.
The couple engaged Mikael Teh, architecturally trained designer and founder of Monocot, after watching an online video of another home he had designed nearby. Teh has worked on around eight such projects in Tiong Bahru. 'The interesting thing is that although they all have the same layout, we were able to come up with different plans to suit every client,' he said.
This particular block was built in the 1930s, but no original features remained. Teh took down all internal walls, leaving only the toilet stack in place, to give the couple more flexibility to rearrange furniture in future. The couple wanted only one bedroom so they could devote more space to common areas. Teh also reconfigured the bathroom area to create a small powder room accessed from the kitchen and a spacious master bathroom accessed from the master bedroom.
Light-coloured timber veneers on the kitchen joinery bring a warm, relaxed ambience. 'We like natural materials and warm spaces. We don't like dark colours, especially black,' said the wife. The kitchen takes up roughly half the apartment, with two hobs — one induction and the other gas — and a generous kitchen island for quick breakfasts. The couple enjoy cooking Italian, Chinese, Greek and Korean cuisines at home.
The couple's penchant for Scandinavian design is evident throughout. Dining chairs designed by Kai Kristiansen in the 1950s were chosen because 'that's around when this home was built', said the husband. Other pieces include Safari chairs by Kaare Klint, a Maralunga leather sofa from Cassina, a Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, and an Enigma pendant by Shoichi Uchiyama for Louis Poulsen. Artworks purchased during travels to Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Italy complete the home.
Between the living and dining areas, a structural column could not be removed, so the couple installed a modular 606 Universal Shelving System by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe above a vintage console, creating a coffee station and a workstation. Automated blinds over the windows have a blackout function that allows the couple to project movies onto them and are timed to raise simultaneously as a wake-up call.
