Undoubtedly, designing your new HDB or condo apartment is an exciting endeavour. But after visiting countless websites and flipping through the many pages of interior design magazines, you may find yourself feeling more confused and indecisive. Who should you listen to? What is right for you?
Fret not! Instead of getting yourself carried away by the tides of interior design choices, let’s go back to the starting point and look at basic things that can make a difference in the overall look and feel of your home.
To simplify things, we’ve put together 5 handy design tips for your condo or HDB flat.
1. Pick the Right Colours
One of the first design decisions you need to make is wall colours. It’s important because it sets the mood for the rest of the interior design. Consider these questions: is it a room for sleeping, playing, or working? Is it a communal or private space? Do you want it to be welcoming or reflective? Questions like these can help you arrive at the right choice.
Consider giving each of your rooms a distinct look. Start with the one colour you want to use in the room, and then play with the colour palette to match it with other colours. If you have a dark colour on a wall, make sure the other walls are treated with a lighter hue to avoid overloading the room.
Quick tip #1: If you have selected mostly neutral tones, throw in a multi-coloured item such as a painting, rug or throw blanket to brighten up the area.
Mixing and matching the palette may bring pleasant surprises to your design.
2. Let There Be Light
Make the best use of the natural sunlight to improve the lighting in your rooms. Before placing any furniture, observe how much natural light enters the room, and at what time and where. This will help us decide where to put the sofa or TV to optimise reading or relaxation.
When planning the artificial lighting, you should take into account the room’s function. For instance, general lighting is for everyday use, while task lighting is more suitable for working or specific activities. On the other hand, ambient lighting such as table and floor lamps gives a softer mood.
Quick tip #2: To extend the use of natural sunlight, place mirrors strategically to reflect light. They also give an illusion of a bigger space.
Having suitable lighting sets the right mood for the right purpose.
3. Divide Your Space with Furniture
Many new apartments in Singapore adopt an open-concept layout. This means that the kitchen and possibly other areas (if you have a studio apartment) are no longer separated by walls.
Depending on your preference, this may be good or bad news to you. Regardless, you can still create different “zones” by using your furniture to designate each space. For example, a kitchen island can offer not just more counter space but separate the kitchen from the living room. You can also use the back of your sofa as a visual divider between the living and dining space.
Quick tip #3: Screens and room dividers are fun design embellishments that can visually demarcate an area while upping your design ante. These classic decors can easily be moved around to reshape the space according to your needs.
A kitchen island can also be used to visually demarcate the kitchen from the living room.
4. Make Use of Carpentry
Some of us may be stuck with rooms with curved or awkward corners that refuse to accommodate any store-bought furniture neatly. Here’s where custom carpentry comes in. Custom built-ins fit into any given space, leaving no exposed corners or recesses while optimising your square footage.
Besides framing your house seamlessly, it also creates the bespoke look and fulfils the design theme that you are going for. In Singapore’s space-starved apartments, a well-planned carpentry work can save you plenty of space by squeezing out stealthy storage areas you never know to exist!
Quick tip #4: Make use of carpentry to build multi-functional furniture that doubles as storage. For example, you can install shelf compartments under the kitchen island or pull-out drawers under the bed to store infrequently used items.
Love the look of wood? Carpentry can help you achieve your desired theme.
5. Don’t Forget the Decor
A home will look complete with decorative items. Think about including artworks such as paintings or prints that match the colours and feel of the space. Nature is always a good thing to have in a space, so be generous with house plants, flora and even mirrors that reflect sunlight. Don’t forget details like cushions and candles because they can do wonders in making your home feel warm and welcoming.
Quick tip #5: When embellishing your home, remember not to get too carried away. A few decorative items are lovely, but squeezing 5 paintings in a small room will make it look cluttered and overwhelming.
Adding a handful of decorative items can make a huge difference to a room.
Can’t wait to roll up your sleeve and start designing your home? Call us at (65) 6778 6866 for a chat or email us at enquiry@starryhomestead.com.
