2-bedroom Sengkang condo filled with inexpensive, eye-catching details

Who: A couple in their late 30s
Home: Two plus one bedroom condominium unit in Sengkang
Size: 915sqf

When doing up his own home, Stan Tham saw it as an “experimental space”, for certain design concepts and ideas to materialise.

As an interior designer, he appreciates different styles and has varied tastes, so it isn’t surprising that the home he shares with his wife, Selene Wee, has an eclectic look: “Everything within is a bit different,” he says, yet it all comes together effortlessly.

The idea was simply to be surrounded by the things the couple like, from contemporary furniture and interesting textured materials to street art-style framed prints and statement decor pieces.

“The things in the house are not necessarily expensive – the key is to pick out things and mix and match them,” he says.

The renovation cost them around $30,000, with a clean design that is played up by the furnishings and accent features.

But the main thing Stan did was to creatively incorporate surfacing materials into the built-in carpentry, as well as existing structures.

Also, as the apartment features a high ceiling of 3.35m, he made the most of it by “building everything up, as high as possible”, to draw the eye upwards.

Here’s what he used:

Paint 

To achieve an industrial-inspired touch in the entrance foyer, Stan used a special effects paint from Porter’s Paint to create a rusted metal wall.

He applied a clear rust coating on a base coat of black iron paint.

This was a trial-and-error job, the designer explains, as he had no idea how the final result would look, and it would vary according to individual application.

The walls and ceiling of the second bedroom, now used as a reading room, was painted a bold, deep shade of blue.

For a small room, this seems counterintuitive, but the outcome is a cosy and intimate space.

Wallcoverings

In Stan’s home office and “man cave”, which has a mezzanine, white weathered brick wallpaper adds dimension and character.

The designer’s love for art is also seen here; hung up on the wall all the way to the ceiling are framed prints from the likes of German stencil artist Kunstrasen.

He also chose textured wallcoverings – an acoustic foam textured one from Arte for the living room TV feature wall, and a paintable one from Kelly Hoppen for the bedroom.

Patterned tiles

The kitchen was extended and has an open concept, with a cantilevered peninsula counter zoning the area.

Stan got tiles with a geometric optical illusion design installed, as a countertop, finished with clear glass.

Glossy surfaces The homeowner used mirror panels to clad certain walls – in the entrance foyer and in the living room – to visually enlarge space.

This treatment is especially effective when done on the entire vertical surface, to balance the high ceilings of the apartment.

He also mounted on each mirrored wall an attractive art print, for added interest. 

Where to go: KNQ Associates, TEL: 6222-0966

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