“We don’t like clutter, which has been a challenge because we have two very active, independent daughters,” she quips.

The four-room flat they successfully balloted was an HDB SBF (Sale of Balance Flat) in Bedok, in the same neighbourhood with Hilmi’s mother and sister’s respective houses. Their unit had been built – but remained unsold – for five years and was a totally blank canvas.

Pascale wanted an open living and dining area where the daughters – and their many cousins when they’re safely allowed to visit – can roam free, and the adults can supervise easily from the kitchen.

Helping them translate their wishlist into a built environment was interior design firm Distinct Identity. “They have a great portfolio, and they said yes to working with our ideas, where others flat out rejected them or gave us a super high quote,” shares Pascale.

Why? The couple’s vision for the family home focused on the kitchen and bathroom areas and required a total refurbishment of the plumbing system.

Pascale is big on cooking, so she wanted a spacious kitchen and yard to house her ideal appliances combo, which comprises a huge fridge, two ovens, stovetops, a dishwasher, and a washer and dryer.

The couple used various commercially available tools to envision their ideal home kitchen, like Ikea’s apps and online software.

There were no less than 20 iterations before they settled on the final design, Pascale admits. On the other hand, their daughters requested a bathtub and their own respective sink, so they don’t have to take turns using the same sink.

The result of the three-month, $60,000 renovation is an open home with a clean aesthetic. The entrance opens up to the dining room.

All these clean lines were tempered with subtle motifs and textures, like the marble-look tile backsplash from Hafary and the timber-feel floor tiles from Italy. The finishes are chosen for their durability. The colour palette is mostly white and navy blue to cool off Singapore’s hot and humid tropical climate.

The breakfast counter near the dining area houses the cabinets storing tableware and open shelves displaying teacups. The cabinets are all opaque and installed flush with each other, creating a clean, minimalist look.

“Open shelves that display beautiful crockeries and appliances are nice, but my kids would have stuck their stuff into every gap and hole they could find, and we just don’t want to deal with that. We opted for solid cabinets, so everything stays neat,” says Pascale.

The floating open shelves with LED strips installed above the counter are a few that double as display, placed safely out of the children’s reach.

White-on-white wall trimming that evokes classic French design is paired with geometric wall and pendant lights from Shiok Lighting that lend a contemporary touch, creating a fresh look.

A TV console and L-shaped King Living sofa occupy a former bedroom hacked to create a larger communal space. Behind the couch are a piano and a multifunctional space.

“We were planning for a reading nook there, but when the pandemic happened, leaving it empty is actually very useful, for learning, dancing, for a space to build a tent for the girls, or to just simply be a breathing room,” shares Pascale.

The two existing bathrooms have been merged into one large bathroom with two areas: a dry area comprising sinks and closets and a wet area that houses a generous bathroom and a shower area where the children can soak and splash around to their hearts’ content.

The bedrooms, in the meantime, are minimally furnished, featuring only a bed and a wardrobe.

“They’re purely functional. In fact, there is nothing in this house that doesn’t have a purpose, and we chose the finishes hoping that they’ll stay in shape for a long time,” says Pascale.

So far, so good – it is a calming home that would make Marie Kondo proud.

Text: Asih Jenie/Home & Decor

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