Striking motifs, shades of grey adds edgy twist to couple's 4-room home

Who: A young couple and their baby

Home: Four-room HDB flat in Woodlands

Size: 990sqf

Featuring masculine shades and structured design features, this flat looks as if it belongs to a bachelor, rather than a young couple who have just had a baby.

Homeowners Alif Rashid and Ida Wahab were very particular about the colours for their new home.

"Our favourite colour is grey, and we wanted a monochrome scheme," says Ida, who is a graphic designer.

Their interior designer, Haikel Washi of M3 Studio, used white and various shades of grey to create a sense of depth to the surfaces of the understated space.

He also imbued the home with a quirky and fun vibe, through the use of eye-catching details.

"A monochrome scheme could look boring, so I added design features in different materials," he explains.

Upon entering the home, one stand-out feature immediately demands attention. A lightning bolt-shaped panel zigzags its way from behind the TV set, across the ceiling, and right up to the opposite corner of the room where the main door is. The plaster gypsum panel is painted in two shades of grey for a more 3-D effect.

Faux bricks from Craftstone on one wall, which are painted white, add another textural dimension to the room.

Geometric shapes and patterns can also be seen in the other spaces of the flat, "to ensure the theme is consistent across the different rooms," says Haikel. In the kitchen, monochrome patterned tiles from Hafary are used as the backsplash, complementing the mid-grey tone of the cabinetry.

In the master bedroom, a simple yet striking design of hexagons was painted on the wall behind the bed. Ida also had Sufi calligraphy prints framed and displayed on a wall in the main living space.

Pops of red in the artworks, contrasting with black and white, enhance the graphic appeal of the pieces. The couple spent about $30,000 on the renovation, excluding furnishings.

Where to go: M3 Studio, Tel: 6443-7001

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