Second-time homeowners Aaron Thio and Mabel Wee purchased this two-bedroom condominium apartment just as countries worldwide were beginning to detect their first Covid-19 cases. As it had tenants at the time, they had to wait a few months before starting renovations.
By then, Covid-19 had become a full-blown pandemic and working from home, virtual meetings and food delivery were the new daily norms for most people, including Aaron and Mabel who work in finance.
Joey Khu, director of Joey Khu Interior Design, worked on their marital home. Even after five years, the interior was still in excellent condition, and they were able to sell the property quickly. They attributed this to his design philosophy, professionalism, and the quality of his team’s work.
AT A GLANCE
Home: Two-bedroom condo apartment at Holland Hill
Size: 990 sq ft
Who lives here: A couple in their 30s
ID: Joey Khu Interior Design
Of course, they engaged him again. “We enjoyed working with Joey for our first home, and he knows our tastes. We gave him carte blanche for our second home,” says Aaron. This reflects the level of trust and confidence between designer and homeowners.
To clearly define the threshold between the entrance and the rest of the home, Joey added a sliding timber door. The latticework gives it the appearance of a movable wall feature while a small flap in the door allows access to the wall-mounted intercom system behind it when it is opened.
The private lift lobby leads directly to the dining area, where Mabel spends most of her time at her laptop on a typical work from home day. “I love how everything is within easy reach, especially my coffee nook,” she shares. It sits in one corner of the bay window in the dining area. The drawers below provide ample storage for cups and glassware.
Removing one door creates a more seamless flow to the back door at one end of the kitchen. The galley style kitchen layout maximises the efficiency of the long and narrow configuration. The hood, hob, oven and sink are arranged on one side with a view over the counter, while the refrigerator and washing machine line the opposite wall.
Flipping the position of the sofa frees up the wall that runs along the length of the living room for a series of built-in cabinets, a flat-screen TV and a console. “Besides improving the spatial flow within the home, this also addresses some of the couple’s storage needs,” explains Joey.
The living area extends out onto a large balcony. Together with the high ceiling, it gives the modestly-sized apartment a spacious and lofty feel. The extra ceiling height comes from replacing the old, ducted air-conditioning system with wall units as part of the $120,000 renovation.
One of the bedrooms lies directly behind the sofa. Joey hacked part of the existing L-shaped bedroom wall to make way for fixed and sliding glass panels. Originally intended as a nursery for when the couple starts a family, Joey tweaked the design to accommodate their working from home requirements for now.
As Aaron works at a desktop, he uses the room most of the time while Mabel is in the dining area. This arrangement has served the couple well since December last year, after a two-and-a- half-month renovation.
And although they each have a work area close to one another, they still enjoy the privacy required for concentration, virtual meetings and calls.
By relocating the master bedroom door and reconfiguring its layout, what used to be a dead space at the end of a corridor is now a walk-in wardrobe that includes a workspace with a desk and overhead shelves within the master bedroom. “If this area is used as a bedroom rather than a study later, it will have space for baby furniture. We can simply install blinds behind the glass panels for privacy,” Joey points out.
One of the bedrooms in the couple’s previous three-bedroom home was converted into a walk-in wardrobe. Without the third one in their new home, two rows of full-height, built-in his and hers wardrobes and an additional full-height cabinet leading to the master bathroom help to meet their storage needs.
The position of the bed follows feng shui considerations. This new layout screens it from the full view at the entrance to the master bedroom. Instead of the usual headboard or feature wall behind it, Joey has kept the wall plain, diverting attention towards the bay window and the view beyond by enveloping it with a timber portal frame. The shared and master bathrooms are elegant. Each is defined by its materials, finishes, lighting features and fittings.
One of Joey’s fortes lies in articulating a sense of depth within a home by layering different colours and materials. He says it is all about “creating a space with a soul”. For Aaron and Mabel, every space is exactly how they want it to be.
Art Direction: Kristy Quah
Photography: Tan Wei Te
Text: Lynn Tan/Home & Decor