Before shortlisting two homes that met their feng shui criteria, couple Eugene and Joslyn looked at 41 for-sale residential units. The couple finally purchased a 3+1 bedroom condominium unit in District 28, which is 200 sq ft larger than their previous BTO HDB flat.
“My feng shui requirements were very strict, you see,” Eugene shares. As a construction company owner, he also accounted for the property’s depreciation and value. Joslyn, who works in marketing, initially wanted a maisonette, but they decided against it as the renovation cost could reach $200,000.
Many of Eugene’s old home surfaces were white with marble veins. He wanted all dark finishes in his new home. Rei Ye, a senior designer at interior design firm Arkhilite, helped make his vision a reality. In their design brief, the couple requested an altar area, a walk-in wardrobe, and cat-friendly features for their three Siberian tomcats, Luka, Loki, and Benny.
AT A GLANCE
Who lives here: A couple in their 30s and three Siberian cats
Home: A two-bedroom condo in District 28
Size: 1,270 sq ft
ID: Arkhilite
To fulfil this wishlist, Rei and Eugene cleverly reworked the floor plan with the input of the feng shui master. In the original layout, the foyer opened directly onto the yard. Rei closed that opening to make space for a solemn altar.
While a former study and the en-suite toilet are now a storeroom housing, among other things, Eugene’s extensive toy collection, the kitchen entrance has been repositioned to comply with the feng shui flow.
The entrance to the master bedroom was shifted forward, subsuming a common bedroom into the master suite.
This common bedroom was converted into the walk-in-wardrobe for the master suite while the original wardrobe area was integrated into the master bathroom.
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This enlarged master bathroom did away with the overhead cabinets in favour of fitting his-and-hers sinks.
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The original unit’s outdated surface finishes were replaced with a sleek and decidedly more contemporary material palette, featuring dark woodgrain laminate, aluminium, fritted glass, and large format stone-look tiles.
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Other material selections had to be attractive, easy to maintain and cat-proof. The headboard’s fabric and the dark woodgrain laminate from Admira, for example, had to pass scratch tests. “We are cat slaves,” laughs Eugene.
The balcony is cat-proof. Its lower half has railings and smoked glass panels, and the upper half, steel cables with 5cm gaps.
“I wanted to board the bottom half, but Joslyn said it had to be glass so the cats could see the movement in the landscape” shares Eugene. “They love that.”
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Switches from Buster & Punch add a cool industrial vibe.
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The living room sofa from King Living, the dining table from P5, and the custom-made dining chairs were all brand new.
Their selection was also based on looks, low maintainability, and cat compatibility, with one more criterion: availability.
The renovation started right after circuit breaker, which resulted in many furniture brands required extra shipping time.
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Tying together the design elements is the artificial lighting. Dark surfaces make spaces feel smaller and more intimate.
The sheen of aluminium and indirect lighting temper the effect in this home, making it feel cosy but not cramped.
Sol Luminaire’s Line light series casts a soft glow behind the curved false ceiling and recesses on the walls, illuminating the textures of the finishes beautifully.
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The Onn pendant lights from LAB2.1 by Spanish Brand A by Arturo Alvarez inject an organic touch into the dining room, balancing the sleekness of the aluminium details and the curved laminated walls.
Line lights are also embedded in the wall niche across the dining area, showcasing Eugene’s KAWS Companion collection.
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The renovation took three months and cost $120,000, and the couple couldn’t be happier. Having a soothing sanctuary to come back to at the end of a long day where you can sit back and cuddle with your cats is definitely priceless.
Photography by Veronica Tay, art direction by Nonie Chen
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