Indochine in North Bridge Road
The design started by taking down most of the interior walls and replan the entire home as one large space for living and entertaining. While often structural elements like beams and columns interfere with the designs, in this old apartment they were embraced as part of the design fabric.
Mitigating the low hanging beams, mirror lined transoms were added to create a sense of openness, jet injecting much needed architectural detail. The space was divided in different zones, demarking them with the arches, the ceiling details as well as emphasising each zone by inserting a contrast border in the floor tile.
By purchasing the recess area, the front door was able to push out and create a foyer space that serves as a transition to enter the home. Darker hues and bold patterns make a strong statement in this space – underlining the design philosophy that dramatic design choices are best made in small spaces. Instead of relying on carpentry, we worked with loose furniture pieces to add personality and a certain patina.
The inspiration for the living space was a tea pavilion, anchored by a colourful Chinoiserie area rug. We mixed antique Chinese furniture with Mid Century pieces to lighten the design and add some modernity to the space. A typical Indochine arched wall panel was lined with wallpaper, reminiscent of a Peranakan pattern.
To accommodate more guests for dinners, as well as to provide additional storage, a long banquet seating was added under the window. A statement chandelier, a contemporary rendition of a lotus chandelier, dominates the space. The choice of furniture is clean lined and Mid Century inspired, keeping the area bright and airy.
In contrast, the dry kitchen was kept much darker. Custom turned legs with an oversized design were added to the island and the use of natural stone on the island and countertop adds visual interest. To reduce the heaviness of carpentry, one storage wall was lined with wallpaper and the kitchen backsplash and upper cabinets were lined with antique mirror. This opens up this space and bounces light back into the room.
The kitchen was expanded, so ample countertop space was created and the two-toned carpentry has a lot of detail and Asian touches. The original common bathroom was split up to create a laundry room and a separate powder room. The doors into the laundry room seamlessly integrate with the carpentry, creating the illusion of more space and clean lines.
Working with a bold wallpaper in the powder room, this small space really packs a designer punch. Instead of fabricating carpentry, an antique Chinese cabinet was used as vanity – creating a stunning vignette for the space.
The media room is tucked in the far corner, but the TV display wall mirrors the Indochine arch in the living room. Again, loose pieces of furniture create the statement needed for the space. As this rooms leads into the bedroom, a hidden jib door was added to not break up the symmetry in the room and keep the emphasis on the wallpaper feature wall.
By combining two rooms, a large principal suite was created. In the cosy bedroom, old Chinese doors with coloured glass serve as a headboard wall. Behind the glass the wall was lined with mirror to make the glass come alive and reflect light. Two antique doors were combined to create a sliding door into the dressing room. Opting for loose furniture pieces and mixing artwork and storage for a wonderfully personised space.
Finally, by extending the principal bathroom, more vanity space was created as well as ample storage. For the vanity cabinet, an antique Chinese piece was used to add more character to the space. In the bathroom, different tiles were mixed and some of the walls were lines with fibreglass for a cleaner look and draw the attention to the statement pieces in the room.
Completed in January 2024, the North Bridge Road project is an example of synergy between the designer and home owner to create a bespoke home that explodes with details and personality. The 5-room HDB Point Block, a resale project, was designed by Arjan Nijen Twilhaar, Principal Interior Designer at Aiden T Pte Ltd.