Houzz Tour: Replicating the Heritage Charm of a Tiong Bahru Walk-up
Whether it's in Tiong Bahru or Tanjong Rhu, this resale apartment merges the best of the colonial style with an updated industrial touch
We all love walk-up apartments for their enduring pre-war charm, and so do Alvin Chia and Elaine Hee. So much so that they wanted a slice of the Tiong Bahru colonial style in their Tanjong Rhu apartment. Designer Vincent Neo from Versaform stepped in to realise their design vision, and along the way he added industrial accents for a truly eclectic style mash-up.
Neo also took down the boundary wall between the common bedroom and communal areas. “We had quite a few discussions on whether to keep this room open or to enclose it with other alternatives,” he says. In the end, the study room was sealed up with a half-wall with sliding windows and topped by ventilation blocks and Peranakan-style tiles – common sights in the Tiong Bahru pre-war estate.
In the new open-concept kitchen, natural light and air flood the communal zones and highlight the distinct design elements. A kitchen island unit clad in four-by-four inch white tiles stands in a neat, symmetrical order. Subway tiles, which front the magnetic black chalkboard wall complete the clean-lined landscape. Offering contrast is the overhead bar rack made with a mild steel frame sporting vintage window grille details.
Neo’s choice to use different patterned tiles but in complementary monochromatic hues in the kitchen sets a cohesive yet chic design note.
While monochromatic colours define the cookspace, the dining area is helmed by a characterful dining set from the now-defunct vintage furniture store LikeThatOne, as well as a fun display of light bulbs and Edison lamps.
Of this industrial-style light installation, Neo got creative and practical with the colour scheme. He reveals: "I utilised two colours because black alone would make the wiring look messy."
A blend of new and old elements imbues the light-filled living zone. The homeowners reupholstered their existing couch and the new navy blue covering pops well against the red Craftstone brick wall.
The existing marble flooring was replaced by homogeneous white tiles, simply because it didn’t match the colonial-industrial theme.
A calming shade of Santorini blue paint on the wall brings a restful ambience to the master bedroom. It is contrasted by the solid plywood strips, finished with a clear lacquer, which front the wardrobe and flank its mirrors.
Solid plywood strips were applied to the master bathroom’s vanity counter as well. It doesn’t just unify the design scheme for the attached bathroom and bedroom; it pairs well with the dark mosaic tile backsplash.
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See more of this project
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What do you like most about this home? Let us know in the Comments section below.
Who lives here: Alvin Chia and Elaine Hee, a married couple in their early 30s
Location: Resale apartment in Tanjong Rhu
Size: 75 square metres (807 square feet); 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms
Project duration: 7 weeks
The design brief was simple: Turn this contemporary apartment into one of those walk-up apartments in historic Tiong Bahru. Though Neo could have gone full throttle on the colonial look, he worked in trending industrial design accents for a more visually interesting take. The resale apartment itself needed some extensive renovation work to restore it to pristine conditions; a boundary wall between the living area and kitchen was taken down, introducing a copious amount of daylight.