House tour: A white and gold 3-room HDB apartment in Macpherson

House tour: A white and gold 3-room HDB apartment in Macpherson

When homeowners Eugene Lee and Vernus Lou decided to take on the project of designing their three-room BTO flat, having a home with good feng shui was their priority.

"We were advised to use plenty of white and gold throughout the house," says Eugene, founder of Shijin Design Consultancy. The couple decided to do this by cladding the kitchen and part of the living room in white marble, while adding gold light fixtures and accessories for a touch of understated luxury in the home.

Against this backdrop, the couple's personality shines through in their choice of furniture and accessories.

The white palette provided the perfect foil for showcasing the couple's knick knacks, accumulated over years of travel. "We both make it a point to travel often," says Eugene.

Their most cherished souvenirs from Bangkok, Milan, and Paris are proudly displayed throughout the home, a reminder of the time they spent abroad.

Most of their furniture was also lovingly collected piece by piece, or made to order. Both the full-height cabinet in the entryway and TV console were custom-made with distinctive rattan doors by Second Charm, lending warmth and character to the space.

Full-length curtains, the white marble façade, and the ceiling cove lighting all work together to draw the eye upwards in the living room, visually enhancing the height of the space.

The overall aesthetic is softened by a high pile rug, indoor plants, and the custom-made rattan TV console, whose organic shapes round out the profile of the living room.

Panelling runs the length of the corridor on the right, concealing the bomb shelter and both bathrooms. This was done in part to adhere to feng shui principles, and also to create a sense of unbroken expansiveness.

The couple also paid painstaking attention to detail -- here, gold winks from the light fixtures and switches, standing out against the white of the walls.

To increase storage space, the original wall between the study and bedroom was demolished, and a full-height cabinet built in its stead.

This gave the couple additional space in both rooms -- to store stationery in the study, as well as their wardrobe on the other side. The desk, chosen by Eugene from Hock Siong, takes pride of place here.

The couple decided to extend the sink into where the service yard was, freeing up space for a cosy dining nook within the kitchen itself. This in turn created more space in the living area.

The white-and-gold theme continues here, with the drawers and recessed refrigerator nook clad in metallic gold laminate.

Photography by Fabian Ong.

This article was first published in Home & Decor. 

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