A cantilevered centrepiece that is both a TV console and a stove? You bet
THE FIGURES
Size: 1,080 sq ft
Renovation budget: Under $60,000
TWO IN ONE: An island counter with an attached dining table (above) shares the spotlight with a stove built into the hanging centrepiece in the dining area. -- ST PHOTOS: ASHLEIGH SIM
HOME owner Vivi Law's three-bedroom apartment near Bukit Timah is done up exactly how she wanted it. After all, the design manager from interior firm Spacious Planners is also the apartment's interior designer.
She bought the six-year-old, 1,080 sq ft apartment for $530,000 and spent about $58,000 on renovations and $20,000 on furnishings. The 33-year-old, who lives alone, moved in last month.
The main addition to the apartment is the installation of a cantilevered structure that separates the living room and the kitchen. Costing about $8,000, it is made from a metal frame that is cladded with wooden panels.
It serves two purposes: On the side that faces the living room, it is a hanging TV console with storage space. On the side of the kitchen, it is where the stove is placed.
Ms Law, who designed the structure, says there is enough allowance to ensure that neither the TV nor the stove will affect each other. A gas pipe and electrical wires are all hidden in it. Her clients have yet to adopt this idea but 'this will serve as a real-life example for them'.
The bachelorette also wanted to create a 'fireplace' in her home.
By having the structure cantilevered, this allows her to create a floor feature using pebbles. Lighting installed under the structure lights up the pebbles, giving them a glow and creating an illusion of a fireplace.
FIRE UP ON STYLE: In the living room (above), the cantilevered showpiece-cum-TV console has lights underneath that create a glow to simulate a 'fireplace' effect.
Installing the showpiece, however, would have been impossible without removing some walls to reconfigure the living space, such as switching the original dining area with the living room and vice versa.
The new space allocation also allowed her to put in an island kitchen with an extended L-shaped black granite-top six-seat dining table as well as a Blum drawer system that costs about $1,000.
The old kitchen is now a pantry and a shoe cabinet with a row of new built-in cabinets.
Money was also spent replacing the original granite flooring in the living and dining areas with homogenous tiles. Ms Law says she wanted to keep the original flooring but changed her mind later as she did not like the feel of it.
DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS: The tear-drop hanging lamp (left) from Lumiere is Ms Law's favourite and lights up a corner of her bedroom. In the foreground is a Murano glass figurine that she bought in Italy.But she kept the parquet flooring in the bedrooms. But it was stained a lighter shade to 'give it a more modern and airy feel'.
Other changes include replacing her wardrobe's original wooden casement-type doors with mirrored sliding ones to give the bedroom a larger feel, as well as fitting a TV on a rotating panel so that she can watch it from either her bed or her bathtub.
WATCH FROM ALL ANGLES: The TV in the master bedroom rests on a swivel panel (above) Ms Law can watch TV either in bed or from the bathtub (below). A rainshower and homogenous tiles in the bathroom add to the luxurious feel.
Her advice for home owners? Be prepared to spend to get their ideal home.
'It makes more economical sense to do the whole home at once rather than do small renovations,' she says.
Tips from the home owner
1 Stick to professional help
As a design manager, Ms Law has seen many home owners who buy items for the home only to realise they don't fit with the theme.
'Keeping in mind your budget, we will recommend items that will fit in with the look of your home,' she says.
2 Don't leave shopping to the last minute
While the renovation is being done, go shopping with your interior designer for furniture. This comes in handy especially for appliances that have to be built in, such as ovens and dishwashers. There is still enough time to make measurement changes at this stage.
3 Invest in core pieces
Your budget may be tight but it pays to spend on certain items. 'The sofa and bed are most important. I believe in getting better quality ones as you will be spending more time on them,' says Ms Law.
4 Change the details
Instead of changing the doors in her home, Ms Law changed just the knobs and handles. 'The doors are still in good condition so they can be kept. But I changed the handles so they fit in with the overall look,' she says.
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