You can live large in a small space as long as you’ve planned the design properly, as Carmen Tang of interior design studio Wolf Woof did for this three-bedroom condominium apartment in Upper Serangoon. Home to a couple in their thirties Tommy and Evelyn, their three-year-old daughter Chloe and Japanese spitz Miko. They had reached out to Carmen after seeing her work on Instagram and falling in love with the character of her designs.
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Space was at a premium in this home, so Carmen had to consider the layout carefully and work out where to include ample storage, a key requirement in the design brief. It also had to be unobtrusive; the couple wanted a space with a Scandinavian look and natural textures.
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One side of the living area is dedicated to cabinetry. Two full-height cupboards line the walls, and next to them Carmen carved out a nook for a banquette sofa. Pull-out drawers underneath serve as storage while the bookcase turns the area into a cosy reading corner.
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To break up the linearity and prevent the apartment from looking boxy, Carmen used plenty of geometric shapes to create interesting patterns, like the chevron lines on the full-height cupboards and wall lights in the shape of semi-circles. Carmen also added bright pops of colour and whimsical details.
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In the cupboards in the living room, for instance, the handles are actually tiny wooden birds nestling in greenery.
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At the opposite end, sitting in pride of place is a retro-style TV console inspired by The Jetsons. Complete with antennae and tulip leg, the setup’s tongue-in-cheek TV-in-TV concept is a talking point every time guests come to the house. “The whole setup is installed securely on the wall, so it’s not just supported by the leg,” shares Carmen.
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Typographic installations also lend the house a quirky feel. Upon entry, visitors are greeted by a decal with the saying ‘happiness, health, etc.’ As a twist, the ‘etc’ is also an acronym of the family members’ first names. “It helped to personalise the home so much more,” says Carmen.
There’s also a concrete installation of the word ‘eat’ and wooden decor in the shape of cutlery on the wall of the dining area. These touches create a carefree, relaxed ambience reminiscent that of a cafe.
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The typographic installations and geometric theme continue in the rooms. In the walk-in wardrobe is jazzed up with decals that serve not only as a delineation of the “his and hers” wardrobes, but also lend a playful touch with the icons of skirts, tops, and jeans.
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The master bedroom has a more relaxed ambience, though the theme remains in keeping with the rest of the house. Another concrete typographic installation sits over the bed while a geometric headboard lends visual interest.
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“We kept the rest of the furniture simple and streamlined to avoid cramming too much into the space,” says Carmen. They chose furniture with slim legs, which kept the overall look minimalist – a must for smaller apartments. Their streamlined profiles ensure that the eye is drawn to the rest of the home’s features.
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