This executive maisonette is home to F&B owner Jason Ong, 53, and his family. His wife, Claudia Lim, 50, is retired, while Jason himself is semi-retired. As such, the couple felt it was timely to cash out on their private property and move to an HDB.
Like their previous duplex penthouse, the maisonette also occupies two storeys. However, Jason points out that the latter actually has a larger usable floor area.
“When we were working or studying from home, we used to have to squeeze into various corners,” he recalls.
Now, there is enough room for everyone, including their three boys aged 25, 22 and 20, to each have their own proper work area.
He knew that he wanted to start from a clean slate, so he passed on a few newer units that had been renovated as it would be a waste to hack and redo everything.
This maisonette, over three decades old and in its original condition, was just what he was looking for.
Having lived in various condominiums over the years, he wanted the interior design to retain a similar look and feel that the boys have grown up with.
While their previous home had a modern oriental style, Jason now prefers something more minimalist and subtle, with a touch of modern luxe but not to the extent of being “bling”.
All these were conveyed to the interior design firm, Dyel, which he engaged for the $250,000 renovation project.
The entire apartment was completely gutted out, along with some hacking of walls to allow for reconfiguration around the entrance and kitchen areas and the three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.
There used to be a small entrance foyer between the external grille gate and the main entrance, which felt like a dead space. To make matters worse, there was a store room directly beside the main door.
By shifting the main entrance outwards and hacking the storeroom and kitchen walls, the apartment now has a welcoming arrival sequence that leads directly into the open kitchen.
Although he is in the F&B business, Jason admits that he and Claudia seldom cook. However, he wanted an island because it is a nice addition to the kitchen. “We installed a hob and retractable hood on the island and kept the design clean and sleek,” he says.
While breakfasts are usually eaten at the island, dinners revolve around the custom-made rectangular marble table in the adjacent dining room.
“I have always wanted a long dining table that is proportionate to the dining space. Ideally, I would have liked a 2.4m-long table, but due to space constraints, I settled for a 2.3m one,” he explains.
Like all maisonettes, the balcony on the first storey used to be a double volume, semi-outdoor space.
Post-renovation, it has become part of an enlarged living room with the void above enclosed in glass. Its elongated layout is the perfect fit for a 3.8m-long, U-shaped sofa from Castlery.
Like the dining table, Jason has always preferred a long sofa and finally has the space for it. He took on the design of the feature wall-cum-television console in the living room himself.
It stretches from the triangulated nook underneath the staircase all the way to the window where the balcony used to be. Inspired by Italian designs, he wanted the feature wall, cabinets and open shelves to read as one cohesive system.
What used to be the smallest bedroom is now the master bedroom.
The use of glass around and within the stair core enhances the engagement between this key vertical circulation and the rest of the interior.
By reconfiguring the two bathroom layouts and hacking and shifting existing walls, the master bedroom now has its own walk-in wardrobe and an en suite.
An existing column that could not be moved was converted into a part of a television wall.
The three sons share two bedrooms located on either side of the stairwell. Both rooms have fixed glass panels facing the stairwell. This visually opens up the rooms and allows natural light from the bedroom windows to filter into the otherwise dark stairwell.
Jason considers himself a white-black-grey person, which explains the colour scheme in the home. Although this may seem a tad conservative, the restrained colour palette creates an understated elegance and imbues the home with a sense of serenity.
The renovations were supposed to take three to four months but took about five months due to delays caused by the pandemic.
The family had to stay in a hotel for about a month before finally moving into their new home in June 2021.
It was worth the wait as they now have a beautiful and spacious new home where they can hang out as a family.