H

ighuponthe46th

floor ofoneofTiong

Bahru’s mostprominent

HDB blocks isthisdainty

two-bedroomapartment,an

aesthete’shaven. Aworld away

from thechaosofcommunity

living,itisallmutedtonesand

sleek lines,alesson inrestraint

rightintheheartofthis

colourfulpartofthecity.

Atadiminutive850sqft,

theapartmentmay beonthe

smallside,butwhat itlacksin

square footage itmore than

makes upfor instyle. The

owner isateacherwho isclearly

somethingofatastemaker,

andwho quitesimplywanted

thepropertytofeel like a

luxuryhotel.“Sophisticated

andstylish –thatwas what I

was really after,” heexplains

asherecalls theoriginsofhis

apartment’stransformation.

It took several monthstofind

therightinteriorarchitectto

fulfilthislofty ambition,but

when heeventuallycameacross

Joey KhuofJoey KhuInterior

Design,thehomeownerwas

immediatelydrawn tohislow-

key, high-performanceapproach

–especiallywhen itcameto

bathroomdesign.“Bathrooms

are sooftenoverlooked,but

for methey really are themain

event,” hesays withalaugh,

namingahandfuloffive-star

hotelshehasstayed at,where

ablutionswere thehighlights.

The decorthatJoey

ultimatelyputtogether

takes intoconsiderationall

theavailablespaceinthe

apartmentandmaximisesit.

This hasresulted inahome

ofsurprisinglygrandiose

proportions.Joey andhisteam

usedevery trickofthetrade

to amplify the apartment’s

liveability, using features

such as concealed storage,

open shelving, custom-made

furniture and seamless door

frames. It now comfortably

houses three members of the

family, with room even for the

odd visiting niece or nephew.

“When I first saw the

apartment, I knew that

space would be the primary

challenge,” explains Joey, who

has worked on similar projects

before. “That and getting all

our materials up 46 flights of

stairs! But I decided to play on

the compact cosiness of the

home by creating clearly defined

pockets that would allow all the

occupants of the flat to have

their own privacy.”

Joey began by selecting

a gentle colour scheme in a

masculine burnt ash, and then

Right
The designer
paid extra
attention to
minute details
such as the
placement
of the mirror
and sofa in
the living area,
as well as the
proportions of
the furniture,
to ensure
that the room
would have a
harmonious
look.