Sometimes, achieving your ideal aesthetic requires making tough decisions, but the outcome for this two-bedroom condo apartment was worth it.
A home reveals a lot about its owner’s personality, especially if you’re as meticulous and exacting as Clive Choo is.
The 37-year-old entrepreneur ensured that every single detail in his two-bedroom apartment near East Coast was designed to his specifications, leaving no stone unturned.
Home 2-bedroom condominium in Siglap
Size 764 sq ft (70.9 sqm)
Who Lives Here Clive Choo, 37-year-old entrepreneur with his two dogs, Miwa and Yoshi
Interior Design Happe Design Atelier
Clive, who lives with his two dogs Miwa and Yoshi (9 and 3 years old respectively), selected Happe Design Atelier to work with after much consideration. The work of designer Ean Chu in particular caught his eye.
“I had very specific ideas of my own, including suppliers and finishings that I wanted to work with,” says Clive. “The challenge was for Happe Design Atelier to build upon these ideas by marrying their design language with mine to ensure it remains cohesive.”
Renovation Cost: $90,000
The overall process took about five months due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, and cost $90k excluding furnishings.
Renovation took 5 months
However, for Clive the conceptualisation had begun as early as during the development of the condominium itself.
Tried writing in to condo developer
He had in fact written in to the developer to request that they leave out the built-in L-shaped wardrobe, since he had had other plans for the area.
Bedroom is his favourite room
Although the request was turned down, Clive ultimately managed to turn the area into a mini walk-in wardrobe complete with desk space for him to do his work, and the bedroom is now in fact his favourite room in the house.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the wardrobe as it not only doubled my storage space, but also served a practical purpose in segregating the sleeping area from the vanity area,” he says, pointing out how the wardrobe effectively blocks light from entering the sleeping quarters.
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_studyroom_01-1024x848-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_studyroom_01-1024x848-1.jpg)
Extra Storage Space
Maximising the available space was one of his biggest priorities, so he also asked Happe Design Atelier to install extra storage space under the platform bed, even installing drawers in the steps leading up to the platform.
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_bedroom_01-922x1024-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_bedroom_01-922x1024-1.jpg)
Monochrome Interior Design
Since Clive wanted a monochromatic palette for a cosy ambience, Ean and the team had to make some drastic changes to the original design of the unit – including overlaying the marble floor with vinyl flooring throughout the house.
“Some would consider it a waste or crazy to lay over a premium material like marble, but I placed more emphasis on achieving the desired overall look and feel,” he says.
It was also a practical choice, since vinyl provided a better grip for his two dogs to walk on.
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hdadark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_02-1024x652-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hdadark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_02-1024x652-1.jpg)
Dark Wallpaper Instead of Paint
Going dark also proved to be a challenge as the dark grey paint had obvious streaks and uneven patches.
Clive made the call to replace the painted walls with fabric wallpaper instead, which lends a softer overall texture to the space. For the bedrooms, he chose to use vinyl tiles from Timeless Furnishings on the walls and ceilings.
“I wanted to segregate the kitchen and living room space from the bedrooms such that I could physically experience the transformation moving from one space into another,” he explains.
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hdadark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_01-1024x825-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hdadark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_01-1024x825-1.jpg)
Smart Home Controlled by Phone
Another decision Clive made was to include smart home features from local company Ganen, which specialises in home automation.
All his lights and curtains are controlled via a mobile app, so he can switch them on or off remotely, or even automatically turn on pre-set light scenes at particular times.
If he happens to be out all day, he can turn on the lights for his dogs at home so they would not be left in darkness in the evenings.
What he really loves, though, is Ganen’s kinetic switches which allows him the flexibility of placing them anywhere without having to plan in advance – including on cupboard surfaces, which would have been impossible without obvious wiring.
For someone who’s particular about every detail, this was a winning factor in his decision to go with a smart home.
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_kitchen_01-1024x708-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_kitchen_01-1024x708-1.jpg)
Lights from Sol Luminaire
He chose to pair this smart home system with light fixtures from Sol Luminaire, since he liked their designs. Other items in the house, like the furniture, are mostly purchased online from Taobao.
“Of course there are risks involved, but the same goes for any online purchase,” shares Clive.
“If you do your due diligence, you’ll still be able to find good quality and well-designed furniture.”
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_03-822x1024-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_living_03-822x1024-1.jpg)
Careful Considerations
You’ll be hard-pressed to find any aspect of this home that hasn’t been carefully considered, from the TV placement to the choice of a dark palette.
“With this place, it was never my intention to masquerade the place to make it appear bigger than it is,” he says. “It’s just about having it well-designed.”
This story first appeared on Sona Decor in 2022. Art Direction: Kristy Quah. Photography: Veronica Tay
![home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_closedup_01-770x1024-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/home_decor-house-tour-clive-choo-hda-dark-contemporary-bachelor-pad_closedup_01-770x1024-1.jpg)