Instead, a long island counter takes centre stage in the communal area. This serves as a dining and working area for both the parents and children. Midway, it rises to form a bar counter, which the family can use as extra space for serving and preparing food.

Another concern that Lawrence and Ash sought to address in their design was that of maximising the available space. To expand the communal living and dining area, they replaced the wall of the study with a bookcase, creating display space that also doubles up as a semi-transparent screen. This element creates a sense of porosity, visually connecting the spaces while still maintaining some privacy.

Since the family doesn’t watch much television, they did away with the conventional TV set and opted for a portable projector instead, so any blank wall can be turned into a backdrop if needed. “This [choice lends itself well] to the ambiguity and flexibility of the new living dynamic,” says Lawrence. The family has the option of moving the projector to even the balcony, where low reclining chairs from Muji create an informal and relaxed semi-outdoor setting.

This sense of calm permeates the apartment, reinforced by the palette of dark and neutral hues that the design team chose in close consultation with the homeowners. It helped that the owners were willing to be adventurous when it came to colours and materials. As the apartment has an open concept, the resulting palette of black, grey and wood tones helped to balance things out by creating a cosier setting.