Life in Greyscale

Designer Joey Khu has taken a light and shiny approach to this Singapore apartment, with cement and steel backgrounding statement pieces and splashes of colour

Interior designer Joey Khu had already designed an apartment for this homeowner, the first project realised in all black with colourful furniture such as an indigo Wendelbo sofa and orange Magis armchair. When the client decided to move to a larger Housing Development Board (HDB) apartment, he engaged Khu once again, and this time, he asked for a lighter, brighter palette that would make a cosy home for work, entertainment and relaxation. 

Khu opened up the space by changing the narrow common area’s plan into a more commodious, square-shaped arrangement. He also removed a wall to incorporate one bedroom into the main living space, which is now further illuminated by the bedroom’s window. ‘The original layout had two bedrooms and a utility room. It also had many built-in, full-height cabinets, making the entire home look and feel narrow and dark,’ Khu says. 

Around the house, walls are finished in subdued cement-coloured Travertino Romano. In the open dining and living space, a wall of storage-cum-wardrobe space with metal doors reflects light and hides clutter. Khu specified a movable television that allows for easy reconfiguration of the furniture set up, and he designed a two-and-a-half-metre dining table that doubles as a work desk and meeting table. ‘The asymmetrical form was designed to be a statement piece,’ he says of the table. ‘The unusual configuration of the tabletop and leg placements allows dynamic, flexible use of the table, and it caters for more seats. The rounded profile of the table legs softens the look of the table without sacrificing stability.’ Timber veneer joints enhance the different directions of the wood grain, as well as the table’s asymmetrical form. Khu paired it with custom stainless-steel chairs in cobalt and black, their minimal lines adhering to the streamlined theme.  

Sliding glass doors in the kitchen, utility and shower areas let light in while saving space, and in the shower area, a tinted fluted glass door slides over the shower fixtures neatly when the shower is not in use. The kitchen joinery is made of contrasting textures, with metal, wood laminate and stone creating a layered effect. Metallic laminate enhances the kitchen passageway and reflects the cobalt blue colour of the customised stainless-steel bedhead in the bedroom. Against this backdrop, Khu’s selection of abstract artwork and custom sconces catch the eye, and the final result is a melange of details that come together in an impactful home. 

Text / Luo Jingmei
Images / Studio Periphery