Solid cool colours, low-maintenance wood vinyl and Peranakan-inspired decorative tiles are paired with solid dark timber and brass. Antique and heirloom furniture exist harmoniously with modern iconic pieces and smart home elements.

Presiding over the dining area is a display wall finished in sage green laminate with brass trimming and LED strips.

The furniture is a mix of old and new. The heirloom bench in front of the window has a hidden drawer.

One of the bedrooms was hacked to create an open living room that flows seamlessly to the dining and kitchen areas.

“Many property agents told me not to hack any room because it’ll affect the resale value. But one of the perks of designing a retirement home is you don’t have to worry about that,” says Vince.

The cousin is an avid collector of many things: antique furniture, porcelain figurines, Limoges boxes, snuff bottles, jewellery and loose gemstones – all of them have stories.

Jess creates spaces to display these beautifully. Design and travel books line the solid cobalt blue shelves, creating a dramatic backdrop to the two iconic Herman Miller Eames lounge chairs in the living room.

The photo wall displaying framed pictures of Vince in his modelling heyday in the middle of this wall is actually a concealed door that reveals the passage to the flat’s only bedroom with a push.

It was inspired by the magical portrait gallery at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies.

The glass-encased wall on the other side houses a sizable collection of knick-knacks from the pair’s travels. “This keeps all my clutters organised,” says the cousin.

It also nicely frames the hidden gallery, which opens to the window with a view of the sea. “This spatial framing allows us to see all the things we love when we wake up in the morning,” says Vince.

The original flat had its only shower and toilet separated into snug rooms. Jess creatively combines these two rooms by creating a vanity area between them. The shower area is accessible from the bedroom, while the vanity is accessible from the kitchen.

She also created an archway that frames the toilet area and decorated it with antique prints, turning it into a thinking sanctuary.

Vince shares that the bathroom refurbishment was the trickiest part to solve in the renovation, and that Jess’ innovative idea was the deciding factor in their choosing her studio for the project.

The renovation was done in stages for nine months during the pandemic and cost around $90,000, with an additional $30,000 for special installations of the front door, the sliding and pivoting windows, and the electrical systems.

The window at the study area can be slid open and pivoted to maximise the view and facilitate safe cleaning.

Both dwellers and the designer took their time to make everything just right. And the effort is palpable in how the home manages to exude so much personality and contain so many storied items, all while being functional, easy to maintain, and incredibly stylish.

Photography Veronica Tay | Art Direction Nonie Chen

Text: Asih Jenie/Home & Decor

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