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Photo: Studio Periphery
For Tyco Tat and Kaleb Loh, who share this walk-up apartment, plants are more than decoration. They are a preoccupation in all corners and are composed like artful installations. There is even a tree, whose lithe branches and feathery leaves arch over the sofa in place of the iconic Arco floor lamp with a curved stand that can be found in many a designer home.
After removing the initial layer of paint, the owners decided to keep the original green paint beneath as a highlight. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Not surprisingly, the brief for Mikael Teh of design studio Monocot Studio was to inject ample natural light into the originally dim home to enable these green babies to flourish. The brief’s keywords were “bright”, “warm”, “lush”, “life-filled”, and “welcoming”. This was achieved with a melange of deft architectural manoeuvres, including opening two skylights in the roof.
A multifunctional space
The tree in the living area is nourished by natural light from a skylight created on the roof. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Located on a quiet road off the main Little India stretch, the owners first encountered a compartmentalised layout with three rooms upfront and a kitchen. Dark brown doors and utilitarian tiles made it feel dated and forgotten. But industrial designers Tat and Loh, who work in advertising and branding, saw potential.
“We live in an old, vibrant, and colourful part of Singapore. We wanted our home to feel like a sanctuary amidst the chaotic energy just steps away in one of the most bustling parts of the city,” says Loh.
The 606 Universal Shelving System from Vitsoe in the living area was brought over from their previous home. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Up the flight of steps from the first storey is a transformed environment. Alabaster walls form a clean-cut backdrop for all the shades of green from the plants, as well as the owners’ chic and colourful collection of design objects and furniture, many of which were sourced from the internet by Tat, who is a self-proclaimed vintage junkie.
The rooms facing the street were opened up, creating an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area. Removing the false ceilings stretched the living portion’s proportions upward into a double volume. The bedroom and a study nook overlooking this space have a pleasant view of greenery from above.
The homeowners wanted a large kitchen, as they cook and entertain often. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
In contrast, the kitchen and dining area, demarcated with terracotta tiles underfoot, is cosier — ideal for gathering friends and family around the capacious island counter.
“We needed a generous kitchen that could allow us to cook and do prep work without missing a beat in the lively conversation with guests. For this, it was important that we keep (the common areas) connected spatially yet still visually and functionally distinct,” says Tat.
The many earthy materials in the house harmonise with the ample plants. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The home was also to be conducive to the owners’ artistic pursuits. They run a ceramics studio called Stillwares. Plans are to create a studio and gallery in the former kitchen, which opens to a rear terrace that is a great spot for rooftop barbecues.
Going back to basics
“I enjoy playing music and ‘making noise’ with the violin, piano, and saxophone,” says Tat. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The abundance of tactility within the reworked shell brings calm and comfort. In the living area, Teh exposed the timber rafters and clay tiles of the pitched roof, as well as the brick party walls.
Beyond the common spaces is a room for the future ceramics workshop and a door that opens to the back terrace. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
“We wanted our home to feel honest, natural, and grounded, embodied by the materials we chose to build it and the life with which we fill it,” says Tat on the textured palette that eschews gloss for grain. The approach also suited the owners’ desire for practicality.
He adds, “We didn’t want surfaces or finishes that we had to be precious or careful about using. We looked for opportunities to keep materials bare, unfinished, or in their original state, like the old bricks. We find beauty in living with the house’s history and want to contribute our own story, overlaying our marks on the walls and in the spaces over time.”
The exposed brick of the party wall and glass breezeblocks give the master bedroom a 70s vibe. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The bountiful plants add a sense of life and nature to the mix. Agrees Teh, “They play a big part in helping the space feel like a home. Right by the front of the living room, we demarcated an area using pebble wash on the floor so the owners could put big planters.
The lack of risers in the staircase leading to the mezzanine allows light from a skylight above to fall all the way down to the entrance staircase. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Aside from the two skylights, the aforementioned need for natural illumination was met using glass bricks and a glass floor on the mezzanine level. A light well made from a glass floor on the mezzanine, mirrored by one of the skylights above, washes daylight all the way down to the entrance staircase.
“Every room sees the sun,” remarks Teh. This substantial daylight is uplifting and has enabled Tat to realise one of his plantsman goals. He muses, “One of my dreams was to have a tree in the house, and we made it happen!”
