After major renovations, this apartment at Pinnacle@Duxton is transformed into a highly configurable and spacious home.
Project Type 4-room HDBFloor area 1,054 sqft
Text: Redzman RahmatPhotos: Edward HendricksArt Direction: Betty Wong
One of the hardest things to do as a designer is to design for yourself," admits Dennis Cheok from design firm Upstairs. The interior designer tasked himself with the renovations and design of this apartment unit at Pinnacle@Duxton, a challenge he never foresaw coming. "It's hard to find something that can encompass all your interests, and it's just too close to your heart!"
That didn't stop the young designer from completely reconfiguring the small apartment unit, and transforming it into an airy and open home for him, his wife and their nine-month-old.
After weeks of "hair-pulling", Dennis finally decided to keep the look simple and neutral. "I wanted to achieve a 'gallery' concept with open spaces that look very toned down and quiet." Dennis broke down almost every wall in the apartment, hacked the floors and even reworked the layout. Because of the limited space in this home, Dennis created an entire wall shelf that stretches across the entire space.
The shelves serve a lot of functions, and keeps things tidy without looking too orderly. Dennis readily admits that he continually moves things around the many cubby holes. "It really is like an exhibition gallery," he offers, "nothing really belongs in any one shelf. The driving force is its flexibility; I can display different things at different places to completely change the look of the home."
This easiness is a factor that features strongly throughout the apartment. None of the furniture or fixtures are permanently mounted: huge posters casually lean against the wall, the coffee table is actually a loose door placed on top of a wooden pellet and the TV console is made of stacks of magazines propping the entertainment system. Even the interior walls are configurable; foldable doors give Dennis and his wife the freedom to leave the living room open, or cordon off a space.
The open concept kitchen continues the ephemeral nature of the interior. "The main intention," Dennis says, "is to feel that no matter where you are in the house, you will still feel connected." He and his wife love to cook and entertain guests, so a fully functional kitchen was a necessity. A corridor raised on a timber parquet platform leads the way to the sleeping quarters. "I wanted to confine the bedroom away from the rest of the house." This also explains the folding doors that separate the bed from the wardrobe.
"It took a really long time to figure out the space, and a lot of thought went into every single detail. Even now, two years after we've moved in, we're still moving things around and touching up stuff." Dennis doesn't think that he'll ever be completely finished with the design and that, strangely, is the appeal of this gallery home.
<DESIGN NOTES 1> The walls of the spare bedroom have been knocked down, and replaced with foldable panels that can cordon off the room if the homeowners need more privacy.
<DESIGN NOTES 2> White walls, grey concrete and black accents come together to create a home that is clean and uncluttered.
<DESIGN NOTES>In the bedroom, the designer made sure that the sleeping area is distinctly separated from the wardrobe, giving each space its own identity within its small confines.
"The main intention is to feel that no matter where you are in the house, you will still feel connected."
A wall of shelves stretches across the entire home and accomodates the air-conditioning unit, a baby cot as well as a custom-built bay window seat.
Nothing in this house is bolted down. The walls are foldable, the coffee table is a door on a pellet, and the console shelf is made from a stack of magazines.
With no walls to contain the space, this home feels lighter, brighter and more ethereal. You can look into every corner of the living space no matter where you're standing in the room
The open concept kitchen is fully functional, to meet the needs of the homeowners. With no walls to confine the room, it feels larger than it actually is.
The corridor that leads to the bedroom and bathroom rests on a raised timbre platform. This allows the private quarters to feel like a completely different space from the rest of the home. Credit: Cushions and throw from Francfranc.
Visit for more inspiring home designs.
For more District Guides, you can head over to iProperty.com Singapore.
Project Type 4-room HDBFloor area 1,054 sqft
Text: Redzman RahmatPhotos: Edward HendricksArt Direction: Betty Wong
One of the hardest things to do as a designer is to design for yourself," admits Dennis Cheok from design firm Upstairs. The interior designer tasked himself with the renovations and design of this apartment unit at Pinnacle@Duxton, a challenge he never foresaw coming. "It's hard to find something that can encompass all your interests, and it's just too close to your heart!"
That didn't stop the young designer from completely reconfiguring the small apartment unit, and transforming it into an airy and open home for him, his wife and their nine-month-old.
After weeks of "hair-pulling", Dennis finally decided to keep the look simple and neutral. "I wanted to achieve a 'gallery' concept with open spaces that look very toned down and quiet." Dennis broke down almost every wall in the apartment, hacked the floors and even reworked the layout. Because of the limited space in this home, Dennis created an entire wall shelf that stretches across the entire space.
The shelves serve a lot of functions, and keeps things tidy without looking too orderly. Dennis readily admits that he continually moves things around the many cubby holes. "It really is like an exhibition gallery," he offers, "nothing really belongs in any one shelf. The driving force is its flexibility; I can display different things at different places to completely change the look of the home."
This easiness is a factor that features strongly throughout the apartment. None of the furniture or fixtures are permanently mounted: huge posters casually lean against the wall, the coffee table is actually a loose door placed on top of a wooden pellet and the TV console is made of stacks of magazines propping the entertainment system. Even the interior walls are configurable; foldable doors give Dennis and his wife the freedom to leave the living room open, or cordon off a space.
The open concept kitchen continues the ephemeral nature of the interior. "The main intention," Dennis says, "is to feel that no matter where you are in the house, you will still feel connected." He and his wife love to cook and entertain guests, so a fully functional kitchen was a necessity. A corridor raised on a timber parquet platform leads the way to the sleeping quarters. "I wanted to confine the bedroom away from the rest of the house." This also explains the folding doors that separate the bed from the wardrobe.
"It took a really long time to figure out the space, and a lot of thought went into every single detail. Even now, two years after we've moved in, we're still moving things around and touching up stuff." Dennis doesn't think that he'll ever be completely finished with the design and that, strangely, is the appeal of this gallery home.
<DESIGN NOTES 1> The walls of the spare bedroom have been knocked down, and replaced with foldable panels that can cordon off the room if the homeowners need more privacy.
<DESIGN NOTES 2> White walls, grey concrete and black accents come together to create a home that is clean and uncluttered.
<DESIGN NOTES>In the bedroom, the designer made sure that the sleeping area is distinctly separated from the wardrobe, giving each space its own identity within its small confines.
"The main intention is to feel that no matter where you are in the house, you will still feel connected."
A wall of shelves stretches across the entire home and accomodates the air-conditioning unit, a baby cot as well as a custom-built bay window seat.
Nothing in this house is bolted down. The walls are foldable, the coffee table is a door on a pellet, and the console shelf is made from a stack of magazines.
With no walls to contain the space, this home feels lighter, brighter and more ethereal. You can look into every corner of the living space no matter where you're standing in the room
The open concept kitchen is fully functional, to meet the needs of the homeowners. With no walls to confine the room, it feels larger than it actually is.
The corridor that leads to the bedroom and bathroom rests on a raised timbre platform. This allows the private quarters to feel like a completely different space from the rest of the home. Credit: Cushions and throw from Francfranc.
Visit for more inspiring home designs.
For more District Guides, you can head over to iProperty.com Singapore.