House tour: A three-bedroom EC apartment in Yishun with an understated and luxurious design

The homeowners of this three-bedroom executive condominium in Yishun wanted a cosy, homely Scandi-style home, says Terence Neo, the design director of interior design firm Eightytwo.

As with many first-time homeowners, they also requested for lots of storage for their growing collection of items.

The solution is a full-height cabinet that runs the full length of the wall, from foyer to balcony.

It serves as a shoe cabinet, a place to keep the TV & AV equipment concealed, as well as a display case. The open-shelving in dark umber breaks the linearity of the cabinet, while allowing colours from the decoration and accessories to come through.

The seamless cabinetry was clad in white laminate with black linear detailing.

"This was inspired by white tiles on walls, creating visual impact and texture. And while the couple came to us with a wood-and-grey palette in mind, we instead suggested a more luxurious look comprising white, dark wood, dark umber, and touches of gold," says Terence.

With storage concerns out of the way, the young couple can focus on accessorising with chic and contemporary-style pieces. The blue rug, for instance, anchors the light and bright home.

The renovation set the couple back $50,000. They spent another $30,000 on furnishings.

Terence used the same few hues in the master bedroom, though the darker shades are more dominant in this restful space.

Here, there is a concealed storage in the form of a low settee (it wraps the side of the bed) and the headboard was cladded in fabric. The latter also concealed an existing awkwardly placed window.

This article was first published in Home and Decor.