The best way to recharge and soothe your senses is to come home to a space that cosy and comfortable. One home decor trend can easily turn your home into a cosy retreat.
The modern rustic style combines warm, homely elements inspired by countryside-style homes with trendy elements. It features subdued neutral hues and natural materials. Also, elements like enamelled metal canisters will fit right into any rustic interiors. The blending of trendy and traditional, modern rustic interiors create a soothing ambience. And the wonderful part is you don’t have to go over-the-top. Less is more: Too many rustic elements zap that modern rustic vibe.
Modern rustic interiors are not limited to big houses and in the countryside. You can easily bring that rustic charm into small-city apartments too. To inspire you, here are nine HDB flats and condominiums in Singapore, styled in the modern rustic look and transformed into cosy retreats.
You may not be able to tell from the photos, but this 40-year-old four-room resale flat in Bedok came with extensively slanted walls and floors. There was even water damage in the balcony. To turn this old unit into an inviting home, the homeowners sought the help of interior design firm W5A.
W5A levelled the slanted walls by using partition boards as well as shadow gaps on the false ceiling; these create the illusion of straight walls. Textures and patterns, such as the brick walls and hexagon floor tiles, take the attention away from the slanted walls while incorporating a rustic look.
The renovation, which cost $85,000, includes the revamp of the kitchen and bathrooms. This includes plumbing works and waterproofing.
The kitchen’s patterned tiles and contemporary style fittings, along with wooden furniture, give the home a rustic and modern look.
W5A opened up the kitchen so the homeowners have flexibility in how they used the space. The layout also allows a strong cross ventilation of the home.
Dark carpentry and a black accent wall gives the bedroom a sensuous and restful atmosphere.
Home to a young couple, this 1,200sqf five-room HDB BTO apartment in Ang Mo Kio combines a mix of rustic and industrial-inspired elements.
Designed by the team at Three-D Conceptwerke, a good part of the home is tiled with hexagonal grey flooring for a textural look and feel. To add a pop of colour, blue herringbone-laid tiles were chosen for the dining counter.
The homeowners requested for an open-concept kitchen, which makes the home feel very welcoming and spacious, with areas where family and friends can gather around.
Other common areas, such as the living room and a creative working space, were separated by glass doors, which allow visual connection while keeping spaces private and enclosed, where necessary.
The couple also collects various interesting furniture pieces and fixtures, such as an ornate chandelier and a vintage sewing machine, which has now been repurposed into a side table.
To keep the home from looking claustrophobic, the designers decided to keep tall cabinetry to non-obvious corners of the home. Of course, this helped to ensure the home remains free of clutter too, as there’s lots of storage space.
The renovation of this home costs the homeowners some $80,000.
The owners of this 769sqf two-bedroom condominium in Tampines approached interior designer Dan Wu of Dan’s Workshop to give their home an industrial-rustic look.
The couple had requested Dan to incorporate craftstone somewhere in their home, which he used to create this feature wall in the master bedroom.
The owners decided on industrial-style lighting to give the bedroom an urban edge.
This couple was inspired by the New York loft-look for their 1,200sqf five-room HDB flat in Punggol.
The custom-made dining table with built-in swing stools ties together the industrial look that is part edgy cafe and part New York-loft style.
The key elements of the home – raw and rustic wood and metal textures – extend to the design of the kitchen.
Also bitten by the vintage-rustic bug is this Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) HDB flat. The brick-finished walls of the decorative fireplace and walls give the home a cosy vibe.
The owners shifted the dining table to the spacious balcony so that meals can now be taken alfresco.
A barn-style distressed wood sliding door leads into the kitchen, while unique “top hat” pendant lamps illuminate the corridor. Check out how other homes incorporated sliding doors here!
The master bedroom has a customised bed and headboard design using pale wood tones for that washed-out look.
A common room was converted into a dedicated walk-in wardrobe. The vintage workshop lamps and light wood of the built-in cabinetry give it an old-school vibe.
Wanting a home with a bit more detail and creativity, the owners of this 979sqf two-bedroom condominium in the east called Dan Wu, founder of Dan’s Workshop, to do up their apartment. What he gave them was a cottage-inspired, Scandinavian makeover that the owners were very impressed by.
The kitchen island counter comes with a quartz top, while the lower portion is clad in the same greyish-white wood laminate as the panels near the entrance.
The row of long, vertical panels has built-in niches for a rustic feel.
They also hide storage space for shoes and books. Groove lines on the panels were specially hand-cut.
Darker wood accents take over the master bedroom. The bay windows feature a customised flip-up board for the cover.
The bathroom is the master bedroom was kept relatively untouched, except for the “floating” storage area beneath the vanity counter. Doesn’t it make the space feel bigger too?
The owners of this 1000sqf four-bedroom HDB flat in Punggol wanted an industrial rustic look for their home and had to look high and low for an interior designer who could interpret and execute the style they wanted. Luckily they met Tan Cheng Chuan of Exquisite Art Furniture Interior Decoration, who was willing to take on the challenge of building the customised designs they wanted.
The living room and master bathroom walls sport similar stone tiles from Hafary, that instantly add some decorative flair to the entire home.
The couple chose a dark wood laminate for the kitchen cabinets, to break away from the industrial look.
Mr Tan built the headboard, a side table, as well as frames that also work as mini shelves, in the master bedroom.
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As the missus could not find a wooden-framed mirror she liked in the shops, Mr Tan customised one for the master bathroom.
Home to a couple, this 1,485sqf three-bedroom condominium unit in Novena is adorned in a mixture of styles, from vintage to Scandinavian. Alex Kwan of Museum Homes expedited the renovation in a brief five weeks, costing $110,000 in renovations.
The living area sports an interesting mix of furniture, most of which was sourced in Indonesia.
A barn-inspired door frames the entrance of the narrow L-shaped kitchen.
Deep, warm wood tones give the kitchen mood, while fresh green hues pop from its muted canvas.
The platform in the master bedroom gives the space a loft-like feel, while incorporating storage space within.
White mosaic tiles with black grouting are used in the master bathroom to give it a modern graphic appeal.
In this unconventional three-room HDB resale apartment at Holland Avenue, designed by Three-D Conceptwerke, total exposure is the name of the game – and it makes for a gritty statement in the form of raw textures and a stark monochromatic colour palette set against a bold blue on the floor and walls.
This is a highly personalised home, where industrial edge, boho chic and easy living meet, complete with pet cats. The cement-screed floor helps bring the bold colour down to earth and achieve a natural, timeless look.
Check out the all-in-one space comprising kitchen, laundry and dining areas where units are laid out in close proximity. Stainless steel stove and hood abut sink and shelves, which in turn sit alongside a stacked washing machine and dryer. Workbenches on trolleys follow the home chefs around.
Text: Eliza H, Domenica Tan and Isabelle Tow/ Home & Decor
This article was published on September 27, 2019, and updated on September 15, 2020.
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