A Grungy Chic Flat Meets Fitness Goals
fuseconcept May 02, 2018Houzz Tour: Clever use of simple materials – laminate, concrete and paint – form the striking features in this home
“A cool, modern industrial-style home with distressed-looking surfaces” is how the design team from Fuse Concept describes the concept behind this four-room resale HDB apartment. “The owners wanted the grungy-chic look of an industrial warehouse-turned-loft apartment,” the team says. The owner who is a fitness enthusiast also made one more specific request – a room to house a small gym, a study, and his guitar.
“The homeowners and us had the same insights, so we built good rapport and trust from the beginning,” says the team. It meant the discussion on the bold industrial look and the colour scheme went without a hitch.
“A cool, modern industrial-style home with distressed-looking surfaces” is how the design team from Fuse Concept describes the concept behind this four-room resale HDB apartment. “The owners wanted the grungy-chic look of an industrial warehouse-turned-loft apartment,” the team says. The owner who is a fitness enthusiast also made one more specific request – a room to house a small gym, a study, and his guitar.
“The homeowners and us had the same insights, so we built good rapport and trust from the beginning,” says the team. It meant the discussion on the bold industrial look and the colour scheme went without a hitch.
Who lives here: A young couple in their 30s
Location: Bendemeer Road
Size: 89 square metres (960 square feet)
Project duration: 8 weeks
“This focal point, which looks like concrete slabs, is simply concrete screed with vertical and horizontal groove lines and holes. Instead of disguising the protruding structural walls and beams, we painted them an arresting deep blue that made them part of the feature,” says the design team.
Adding a jolt of colour to the entertaining space are select furniture pieces – the mustard yellow armchair in the living area, and the dining table made of colour-stained solid timber. Most of the furniture pieces were from the owners’ previous home, and their streamlined and tapered profiles fit right into the loft-inspired aesthetic.
Another aspect of an HDB home that often needs disguising is the bomb shelter door, but the team managed to turn the eyesore – at a prominent location along the corridor – into a striking feature. The existing door was retained, but it was acid-washed to create a textured and aged appearance.
Across the bomb shelter is the hobby room, where much of the space is occupied by the owner’s gym/weight rack and workout bench. The upper portion of the wall was taken down and replaced with metal-framed glass partitions, to allow plenty of natural light to stream through, and create an overall sense of airiness.
To create a roomier master bedroom, two rooms were merged. “We restructured the wall between the master bedroom and the guest room to allow for a walk-in wardrobe,” the design team says. Glass panels were installed to separate the two areas.
Aside from laying over with vinyl flooring, they also created a bay window seat to enhance the laid-back look.
The bedroom is decidedly minimalist, but is made uniquely cosy through textures, such as the concrete-look pendant lamps and side tables, and a showing of colours through the abstract artwork hanging above the bed.
TELL US
What is your favourite feature in this home? Let us know in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
