Photos by KC Wong & Yen Meng Jiin
When former architect Koon Wai Leong set to work on his first family home, he knew exactly how to change the layout of an existing apartment to suit his family of four. After all he had spent most of his career designing private apartments and knows practically every home configuration.
For example, he knew which walls were non-load-bearing and could be knocked down, says Mr Koon, who is now the general manager of property developer Hoi Hup Realty.
“There is nothing else like this for a family that you can find at anywhere near this price,” says homeowner Koon Wai Leong.
When they were still a family of three, Mr Koon, his wife Kelly and their daughter, used to live in a rented apartment. But when their second child came along, they realised that they needed a bigger space, and decided it was time to purchase their own home.
The couple had spent some time searching for the right apartment. “We looked at a lot of apartments in new developments but they were too small and too expensive,” says Mr Koon. In the end, they bought a 1,700 sq ft apartment in Pandan Valley, because it ticked all the right boxes. The freehold property is in a convenient location, with plenty of open spaces in the estate for the kids to run around, as well as other amenities, such as a convenience store and a restaurant.
The split levels separate the private and the common areas.
Not only is the apartment spacious, but it comes with split levels, which the couple like, as it means that the private and common areas could be clearly separated. At the entrance, there is a small foyer and a storeroom. Go up the stairs and it’s where the bedrooms and a study are. Then up another short flight of steps to the kitchen, living and dining areas.
Mr Koon stripped the apartment bare and completely reconfigured the space as he was not satisfied with the original layout. For example, the bedrooms were facing the main road which Mr Koon felt, made them too noisy to sleep in. There were also too many walls, which made the apartment feel smaller than it is.
After a three-month renovation, the new kitchen now occupies the length of the uppermost floor. The dry kitchen has a wine fridge, and an island counter overlooks the living room. The wet kitchen is pushed towards the windows so cooking fumes can escape without being trapped in the living area.
The former yard is now the dining area, and Mr Koon also managed to fit in a laundry room in the same space, which is hidden behind dark wood panels. What was once the study is now the stylish and yet cosy living room.
The study which has glass doors that allow natural light in.
The play area which connects the children’s bedrooms on both ends.
On the middle level where the bedrooms are, Mr Koon placed the study in the middle of this floor, with bedrooms flanking both sides. He enclosed the study in glass, so that natural light from the nearby window streams in. Having a glass-enclosed study also means that the family can observe this space from the living room. The study in the centre also provides openness, increasing the connection and ventilation between the two ends of the apartment.
To the left and right are the children’s bedrooms. Mrs Koon had wanted all the bedrooms to be on the same level. Just behind the study is a long play area, which also connects the two children’s bedrooms. “The play area is naturally lit, and the children have their own safe place to be in, and their toys are also contained,” says Mr Koon. “We can also keep an eye on them when they play, through the glass panels of the study.”
The cosy master bedroom.
The bathroom gets a stylish touch.
Meanwhile, in the couple’s bedroom, Mr Koon built a wardrobe to occupy the space next to a slanting wall, helping to create a more regularly shaped sleeping area.
While Mrs Koon left the design of the apartment to her husband, she helped with the choice of colours and furniture for the home. The couple picked a black and grey theme for the home, paired with brass accents, for a timeless look. Since this is the first family home which they can truly call their own, and as they both enjoy shopping for furniture, the couple took their time with their furniture selection, picking out pieces from Xtra, Space, Proof Living and the now defunct Dream.
While they did not deliberately seek out an apartment at Pandan Valley when they were house hunting, Mr Koon says it is an added bonus to be living in this landmark development which was the first condominium built in Singapore.
Pandan Valley was designed by veteran architect Tan Cheng Siong, whose other well-known project is Pearl Bank Apartments. The horseshoe-shaped building at Outram has been sold en bloc.
What if Pandan Valley undergoes the same fate? Mr Koon declined to wade into the debate on en bloc or conservation issues. “It’s too emotionally charged and complicated,” he says. “All I can say is that if this is gone, it’s gone forever. There is nothing else like this for a family that you can find at anywhere near this price.”
This was first published on The Business Times. Click here to read the original story.