{"id":69519,"date":"2025-10-10T07:53:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/69519\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T07:53:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:53:16","slug":"the-chic-home-interior-designers-japan-inspired-hdb-flat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/69519\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chic Home: Interior designers\u2019 Japan-inspired HDB flat"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE \u2013 This five-room HDB flat in Northshore Drive is a home of many firsts for interior designers Andy and Noora. <\/p>\n

The husband and wife \u2013 Andy is in his 40s and Noora in her 30s, and they did not give their last names \u2013 work together at home-grown design firm The 80\u2019s Studio, where Andy is director and Noora handles coordination and finance. <\/p>\n

Here in their matrimonial home, where they have lived since 2021, they became parents nearly two years ago with the birth of their daughter. They had a second child, a boy, in July.<\/p>\n

Their top-floor unit serves as a home, office and show flat all at once. As the couple visit Japan often, the 1,250 sq ft unit\u2019s design is inspired by the country\u2019s architecture and style.<\/p>\n

Andy says: \u201cIt is a laboratory for my creativity and allows me to refine my skills and push the boundaries of my design. Potential clients can see first-hand how I handle space, colour, texture and light.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Clean lines, natural materials and warm lighting in the foyer.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

The walls, floors and ceilings feature a smorgasbord of materials, textures and panelling, which serve as samples that visiting clients can view and touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Upon setting foot in the home, visitors are immersed in contemporary Zen, with clean lines, natural materials and warm lighting establishing a serene, sophisticated tone for the residence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The television wall is clad with textured stone for an organic touch.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

Japanese shoji screens span the living and dining areas, letting soft light into the space and giving it an ethereal quality. A feature wall is clad with textured stone that provides a solid, organic contrast with the rest of the wood elements and sleek finishes.<\/p>\n

A dark wood table is the centrepiece of the dining area, with a statement chandelier above. Its glass discs add a touch of modern artistry to the zone, making it the perfect setting for meals with family or friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A dark wood table is the centrepiece of the dining area.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

In the kitchen, wooden cabinetry, light stone, stainless-steel appliances and a white subway-tile backsplash combine to reinforce the modern Japanese theme. There is also a pantry nook, where the couple can prepare coffee, tea and other beverages.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Coffee, tea and other beverages are prepared at the pantry nook.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

Deeper inside the home, the master bedroom feels like a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) with its platform bed, backlit shoji screen and wood panelling. The blank walls and recessed ceiling lights heighten the peaceful, meditative atmosphere. Meanwhile, the adjacent walk-in wardrobe has a stylish, sophisticated dark palette.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With its platform bed and shoji screen, the master bedroom feels like a traditional Japanese inn.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

The master bathroom has a spa-like ambience that instils calm in its users. Here, bold materials are combined with elegant details, such as with the cylindrical white pedestal basin and warm wood-framed mirror, set against a dark matt backdrop. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The master bathroom has a spa-like ambience.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

The common bathroom, decked out in a Japanese-Scandinavian style, stands in stark contrast to this with its white wall tiles and simple decor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The common bathroom is decorated in a Japanese-Scandinavian style.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

Inside the home office is a work space on a timber platform, with a bespoke live-edge desk and floating shelves. Recessed lighting brings a soft glow to the carpentry. In another corner of this room is a reading nook where the owners can relax.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The owners’ work space sits on a timber platform with a bespoke live-edge desk.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

The project took about six months to complete on a budget of $200,000, including furniture. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wood, light stone and a subway-tile kitchen backsplash combine to reinforce the modern Japanese theme.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA<\/p>\n

On designing his own home, Andy says: \u201cYou have complete control, whereas for a client\u2019s home, you are guiding his or her vision and need to prioritise his or her needs and preferences. <\/p>\n

\u201cWorking on a client\u2019s home is a professional service with contractual obligations. Working on my home is more of a personal creative outlet and a more relaxed and flexible endeavour.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to <\/p>\n

homeanddecor.com.sg<\/p>\n

<\/a> for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.<\/p>\n

Design and LivingDesignThe Chic HomeHome & Garden<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINGAPORE \u2013 This five-room HDB flat in Northshore Drive is a home of many firsts for interior designers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69520,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-69519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}