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Photo: Studio Periphery
On the surface, Napier Residence is a simply designed, elegant apartment. Conceptualised by JOW Architects and completed earlier this year, it is harmonious in its use of tones and materials. The effect is soothing and seems to set the stage for the Scandinavian concept of hygge to unfold.
It is only when looking through the before pictures of the 2,000 sqft unit in Holland that JOW Architects’ effort becomes evident. By the time its clients bought the apartment, the condominium development, 8 Napier, was already more than 10 years old.
To say it needed a makeover is putting it mildly. The only parts that were untouched were the two bedrooms and powder room. Everything else was overhauled, including the master bedroom, albeit in an understated manner.
“We modelled it to support the lifestyle of the owners,” explains Joseph Wong, who runs JOW Architects with his wife Lai Zhenwei. “Then, we thought of creative ways to put in more function, but hid them such that they are more discreet.”
The living room is one of the areas that were made over in the apartment. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Optimised living
Napier Residence is lived in by a young family of four and their helper. Entertaining is a priority, as is a nook for working from home. Most importantly, Wong shares that they wanted “the home to be well-organised and fitted out with sufficient storage space”.
Lucky for the owners, the apartment has good bones, including enough floor area and quality travertine on the walls and floor that did not need replacing. With this as a foundation, Wong and Lai turned their attention to reconfiguring the communal areas to more optimally accommodate the brief.
Firstly, they demolished the wet and dry kitchens, including a breakfast bar counter. These were all positioned parallel to the length of the deep-set balcony that characterises 8 Napier’s units. A row of storage cabinets set at right angles were removed as well.
Occupying what was formerly the dry kitchen is now a dining area, concealed fridge and pantry. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
In their place, a dining corner was created that comfortably fits a round table, three chairs and a J-shaped banquette inserted before a mirrored wall. “This curved solution is a space-saving approach,” Wong points out. “The use of mirrors help to give the illusion of spaciousness.”
On the opposite side, a fridge is integrated into the carpentry, as is a pantry. Right angles to it is a fluted glass pocket door that can be kept open or closed depending on the occasion. It conceals the back of house but also serves as a conduit for cross-ventilation.
The kitchen is now galley-style and Wong even managed to carve out space in the yard for laundry, including mounting an ironing board on the wall and installing a small sink beside it for convenience.
Old and new
Storage space starts from the entrance foyer, concealed behind figured ash natural veneer doors. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Other changes to the public areas are the replacement of a swing door with a pocket door just after the entrance foyer. Exit from the private lift and the wall immediately to the right is now largely concealed by storage space, marked by figured ash natural veneer doors.
A travertine table top is inserted into the storage structure, where the owner can sit at to work. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The original travertine is visible at the start and end of the wall, deliberately designed this way to retain a connection to those good bones. Exposed shelves are inserted into the carpentry, where everything from tchotchkes to small sculptures and occasional trays can be kept. The side by the balcony also has a travertine table top where the owner can sit at to work.
A sofa from Minotti counterbalances all the hard edges with its soft curve and underfoot lies a 3m-by-4m carpet from Finn Avenue. Both are in shades of grey. Facing the sofa is custom-designed display shelf in a patinated bronze that contrasts well against the ash wood.
Dressing up, dressing down
The master bedroom is the other area that saw significant changes. Specifically, JOW reconfigured the walk-in wardrobe and bathroom. The partition separating the bedroom from the dressing room was redesigned from a pair of glass sliding doors to become a wall and sliding door clad in oak natural veneer.
“We changed the material as we wanted it to be a quartersawn with more straight lines and less of the crown. This makes it quieter visually, and more suitable for a restful bedroom,” says Wong.
In the master bedroom, oak natural veneer is used to clad the walls, including the one that separates the bedroom from the cabin-like walk-in wardrobe. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
On the bedroom side, a daybed has been installed and on the other side of the wall is an L-shaped wardrobe. “We intentionally chose high-gloss, white-lacquered panels to bring in light,” he adds.
The cabin-like area has a dressing table and a lot more storage space for everything from bedlinen to even a louvred-door cupboard for clothes that will be reworn. In the bathroom, the tub was removed and the countertop extended to afford space for his-and-her washbasins.
With the removal of the bathtub in the master bathroom, the countertop was extended to fit his-and-her washbasins. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Back in the bedroom, shelves were fitted into the wall above the daybed to line with books. The walls behind and before the bed are clad in a quiet, light taupe-toned wallpaper that gives them texture.
The master bedroom also accommodates a daybed placed before shelves that can be lined with books. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The walls of the master bedroom are clad in a light-taupe-toned wallpaper for a quiet, calming effect. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Because of its location on the second floor, the apartment looks out to the canopy of trees that grow on 8 Napier’s grounds. When the light is right, given the calming way the interior has been designed, the occupants could easily imagine they are living somewhere in Scandinavia.
Indeed, sometimes simple is best.
