I'm back! Who would have thought. After 2 years on pause, soul searching, I find myself on the interior design path once again. This time though, I'm designing for myself and for my budding business.
When I was trying to figure out what do with all the furniture from the family home we once lived in, it was a choice between storing them in storage facility or giving them away / selling some. But the thought of my once beautiful home's curated pieces being tossed out or left to stay in the dark made me sad. Maybe sentimentality played a small part, but it also felt like a waste because I took so much time and effort to source or customize the furniture, I felt I needed to put it to good use until such time I could either use it again or feel the need to finally give it away. But nonetheless, I wanted to optimize its use in whatever way I could.
I found these units that were under-utilized and also needed some detailing and thankfully I was able to strike up an agreement that would work for both myself and the unit owner.
I ended up spending more than what I had expected, to come up with an MVP (minimum viable product). The goal was to "design on budget", and still deliver an eye-catching aesthetic that would welcome guests with warmth, homie-ness and functionality.
Above are the 'before' photos of the apartment.
This was the original form of the unit, a 35sqm 1-Bedroom Apartment.
From L-R: (1) The entrance to the narrow living, dining and kitchen area, (2) The bedroom, (3) The 'closet' and view of the T&B, (4) Interestingly, the "kitchen" that came with a kitchen sink and base cabinet.
Immediate problems upon initial inspection:
The less than 2m and narrow living, dining and kitchen area is narrow.
The kitchen was very "minimal" which meant having to add cabinets and plan the layout. The color of the cabinets didn't do anything for the unit.
The closet space was flimsy and painted in a hideous blue shade.
The place needed a lighting plan, as it felt drab and dim even with natural lighting during the day.
Positives:
The presence of natural light that could be tapped into.
The bedroom was spacious and already had a padded accent wall (c/o previous tenant)
The unit being bare-bones meant more creative freedom to design. (It's always easier to add on versus to demolish existing built-ins)
An abundance of outlets.
Above are the 'after' photos of the unit, renovation done. The unit is now ready for occupancy.
This unit is available for booking on Airbnb. View listing.