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How often have you sat down in front of your television, watching reality tv shows featuring home makeovers and dreamt of transforming your own home too? Li Guang and Jean decided to make this dream a reality when they hired Ron from ID EMBOSS and went ahead with their little dream of transforming their newly purchased resale flat into their own home resort.
Entering the home, we were immediately drawn to the Earthly resort feel brought about by the wooden console panel, the dash of plants and the soothing sounds emanating from the water feature by the kitchen. Lighting in the house presented with a good mix of function and aesthetics with concealed light boxes providing aesthetic lighting that allows one to soak in the breeze and that permeates the house while basic lights are also present for reading and work.
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<< BEFORE
Narrow and cluttered with dim and uneven lighting.
AFTER >>
Spacious, open and clean feel with the compact television console and integrated display cabinets. Shoe cabinet integrated with the feature wall to give a greater illusion of space. Wires of the television are well hidden within the console. |
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<< BEFORE
A dimly lit small corner that fitted a small work area
AFTER >>
A warm and welcoming dinner table with warm ambient lighting through the windows and direct lighting through the hanging lamps. The repositioning of the table has reduced non-functional space, allowing a greater maximization of space in the house. |
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The tiles are laid precisely, all hallmarks of excellent workmanship |
The living room of the 4 room HDB flat presented with a problem of being too narrow in depth and hence space was created by skillfully integrating an eye-catching television console lined with display cabinets opposite an L-shaped couch which carves out the living room from the rest of the flat. The dining area is simple yet warm and inviting with three ornately designed stringed lights hanging above the table as natural light streams in through the adjacent window, dousing any prepared food with the elegance of fine dining.
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The kitchen was completely overhauled as the stove was shifted and its height was adjusted lower for convenience of the owners. Practical concerns take the centre stage as Ron emphasizes that a comfortable house not only needs to look aesthetically pleasing but also must be functional over the long term.
As far as we can discern, style has definitely not been sacrificed in the quest for function as Ron blended in wood into the lower cabinets, creating a sense of space and continuity of design with the rest of the flat through the elegant glass kitchen door. Piping that would break the design of the kitchen is skillfully hidden behind cabinets that double up as a broom and dustpan storing area. |
BEFORE
kitchen entrance with most of the already small kitchen area taken up by the dining table. The color scheme of the cabinet makes the kitchen look old and worn-out.
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AFTER
Open kitchen area with a glass door to screen out any smell from cooking without sealing off the kitchen from the rest of the house. Lighter, brighter, cleaner design with plenty of space for movement in the kitchen. |
Laminate flooring in the rooms give a boost to the Earthly resort feel. The master bedroom’s range of brown tones together with the diffuse lighting give a warm, soothing ambience to the room. A strip of frosted glass running across the wardrobe adds a modern touch to an otherwise staid wardrobe, echoing the design concept of the kitchen and living room.
An important aspect of revamping a flat is to accommodate the stringent budget requirements while catering to the need to look and feel new. This is accomplished best in the bathrooms where only the floor tiles are changed, retaining the older wall tiles. The colors of both the old and new were matched carefully to ensure that the old tiles do not appear to be out of the overall color scheme.
Beyond the design, it is the detail that catches the eye of the discerning owner. Spray paint is used as a finish for the feature wall instead of laminate to avoid edges that show unsightly lines. The tiles are laid precisely as designed with little gaps between, all hallmarks of excellent workmanship Ron demands from his contractors. Having only taken 6 weeks to complete the whole renovation, this is no mean feat indeed.
The beauty of renovation lies not only in the ability to carve out a design that suits the owner’s tastes and needs but also to be able to see the potential in a flat that may appear unassuming at first sight. In the case of Li Guang and Jean’s new home, aesthetics, design, functionality, durability and the X-factor that makes a flat a home were melded in, resulting in the truely spectacular transformation. |
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