SG.ID Seen is a regular column on Home & Decor, where we pick out some of the most interesting home interior projects completed by designers in Singapore and point out what we like about it.
Chungking Express. In the mood for Love. Lust, Caution. 881. If any of these movies happen to be one of your favourite films of all time, then you’ll probably share the same love for the vintage life as this homeowner.
Having purchased this apartment situated in Tanjong Pagar, one of Singapore’s iconic neighbourhoods filled with post-war colonial architecture, the bachelor homeowner decided the best way to style the interiors would be to let it complement the history of the location. With that in mind, he engaged the team at Free Space Intent to give the rooms a complete revival.
The care and dedication the homeowner and design team put into the restoration theme/redesign makes this our SG.ID Seen of the day.
Clad in a delightfully powdery teal blue, the front door opens onto an entrance foyer laid with geometric tiles reminiscent of the vintage tiles seen in many Peranakan homes. The geometric grill used to frame one side of the bar counter near the entrance adds to the 60s feel.
Directly opposite the front door is a small table made with legs that have been rescued from an antique sewing machine. The dominant grey accents in the entrance foyer gradually gives way to earthy wooden notes in the living area.
From the entrance foyer, one can see the simply styled vintage-inspired living room as well as the retro bar counter, complete with a terrazzo counter top.
Classic high chairs grace the bar counter, with two low-hanging pendant lamps to add atmosphere to the space in the evenings. To the left of the bar is a pair of saloon doors, finished in the same shade of baby-blue teal as the main door, leading into the bathroom area.
From behind the bar, the living room looks like a film set out of a 60s movie. The homeowner took great pains to search for the right furniture to match the old-time look of the theme.
From the entrance foyer, you can also see that the design team split the large living area into two smaller spaces for dining and chilling out, partitioned with a book shelf designed to visually connect the two spaces seamlessly.
While the square compartments of the book shelf adds a retro feel to its design, the curved front elevates the look with a hint of art-deco essence.
The dining area may look spartan, but the small details such as the poster wall and the partially-painted wall border, make us fall head over heels for the charming throwback atmosphere.
On the other side of the book shelf is a quaint living space, complete with a flatscreen television to give it a high-tech update. Using the book shelf as a partition for the space is cost- and space-efficient, keep this idea in mind if you are trying to think of a way to separate two parts of a large room without using a solid wall to break up the visual flow of the space.
Ventilation blocks over the wall at the far end of the room adds a vintage feel, while offering a glimpse of the bedroom behind. We love the use of the dark green rug with geometric pattern, but wished that it had been larger in size to cover the front of the chairs.
The master bedroom behind the ventilation blocks is kept as simple and neat as the rest of the home.
A sliding glass panel helps to cut out the view to the bedroom when required, while we see the reappearance of the vintage tiles in the front of the bedroom floor.
Vintage posters abound throughout this home, helping to bring the whole look together.
It must have taken the homeowner quite a while to source for those vintage stacking chairs, but it’s well worth the effort because the look is totally on-point and absolutely charming.
The wardrobe doors are made with the same type of wood finish as the rest of the home, while the simple knobs add a rustic feel to the design.
Opposite the wardrobe area is a bench where the homeowner can get ready in the mornings or hang out before bedtime. A folding-door with green-tinted panels open into the bathroom.
We like how the design team created this private nook for the homeowner. Even though there is only one bathroom in the home, the creation of this private space makes the bathroom area feel even larger.
In the bathroom, we see the use of the teal-coloured tiles to tie in the look of the space with the living area.
The look may be vintage, but this home is equipped with all the facilities of a modern home.
Here we see how the bathroom area can be accessed from the living area as well through the saloon doors.