Curtain Apartment
The apartment in downtown Singapore, which belongs to a young couple, is very small in area. To maximize space, the public arena which consists of the Kitchen, Dining and Living, is in one open continuous space. This space leads further to an outdoor balcony. The private spaces of a bedroom, a utility room and a bathroom are tucked away.
The clients have an additional request for the Living to be speedily converted into a guest room when their relatives stay over on some days of the month.
We decided to use fabric as a demarcation device and take the opportunity to play up on the various ways curtain fabric in residential interiors can be utilized other than to filter natural sunlight from the exterior.
At the Living, when the curtains are drawn back, they parked neatly by the 2 sides of the lounge sofa-bed. When the need arises for the space to be converted into a sleeping area, the curtains can be readily closed from the 2 sides to form an enclosed zone within the Living. A room within a room is created. One can still access the outdoor balcony without entering into the newly converted room.
The pelmets on the ceiling that hide the curtain track, are designed and detailed to negotiate 2 different ceiling heights of the Living.
The pelmets are also intended to be the design interests of the ceiling, and over the dining table, it becomes light pelmet to hides track lights within them.
The clients asked for as much storage as possible in the tiny Bedroom.
In response to that, we designed the sleeping area on a low timber platform and detailed a full height open storage area for wardrobe and other storage uses. In place of typical wardrobe doors, we designed fabrics which can be drawn to cover up the storage area. The same fabric is also used as curtain for the windows opposite storage area. When closed, the full height fabrics soften the look of the bedroom as they hide the windows and the storage shelves. During daytime, the bedroom feels lofty as natural daylight filters in gently. At night, the bedroom exudes a chic and intimate ambiance, which the clients appreciate.
Frames & Zones
The clients are a middle aged couple with 2 teenagers children.
The design brief is simple enough: a look that is clean and cosy.
We decide to interpret the spaces in a more architectural way: to create an interior space within a space.
For the Foyer, Dining and Living area, we created a painted border to 'frame' up the views beyond.
From the Foyer, the Living will be 'framed' up, and vice versa.
The 2 zones are painted in different hues of creams.
In order to make the spaces flow from one to another and not to make the space segregated, one zone is painted in a cream hue that is just slightly different from the other zone.
The result is a very layered look that adds visual depth to this Public zone.
For the teenagers' bedrooms, we want to add more controlled drama and to heighten the senses a notch up.
The study area is created entirely in one colour; the paint on the walls, ceiling, and the laminates on the cabinets and tables, in either luminous blues or sparkling whites
The bed and wardrobe area is 'zoned' in Creams to contrast with the blues and whites.
The resulting look actually makes the rooms look bigger than it is, and way more exciting.
Note that cabinetry in the bedrooms is designed in an elegant manner that emphasizes the texture of the fabric-grained laminate patterned
with neat interval lines. This is a similar language that is consistent with the cabinetry in other areas of the apartment.
What is ARKHILITE C ?
Arkhilite C stands for Arkhilite Commune, which discovers slow places, people and object in the community.
What is 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C?
Every week, we sit down with a guest of friends, someone who makes positive differences in our built environment. We are interested in how brands and people are shifting up the industry and would like to share their stories with the community through 7/10 min with Arkhilite C.
7/10 MIN with
SOL LUMINAIRE x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
30 Apr 2020 | Podcast Episode 1
Joseph Ho is the co-founder of Sol Luminaire, a bespoke Lighting consultancy and retailer. He shares with strong conviction what good lighting can do for interiors as well as what Sol Luminaire is doing to make it easier for projects to benefit from great lighting.
Joseph also dwells on Lab2.1, a new retail concept that is the brainchild of him and his brother, and how Lab2.1 can combine technology and craft to further give character to interior spaces.
EDL x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
07 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 2
Daphne Lim, the charismatic Director of EDL talks about her company's design centric brand story and illustrates the dynamic range of laminates that no carpentry works can do without.
Vincent also persuades Daphne to share the secret sauce: the incredible synergy of her parents and her siblings who are the 2nd generation of family business owners.
THE DESIGN VAULT x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
13 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 3
Li Zi Qi, Founder of The Design Vault, shares how he hopes to bring value to design projects through carefully curated range of materials, and we dig in further to understand the story of how his mission began.
METIS ART EDUCATION x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
15 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 4
Christina Chua, founder of Metis Art Education, shares with us the brand story of her company and how it all started.
We dig in further to explore Christina’s thoughts on the art ecosystem and how it is changing with COVID.
CUBO COLLECTIVE x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
20 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 5
Andrea Reicherl, Co-founder of Cubo Collective which specialises in kitchen, wardrobe spaces as well as architectural products, shares the strong ethos behind his brand.
As an advocate of “Made in Italy” products, Andrea discusses the deep passion that fuels Italian designs
STACKED HOMES x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
21 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 6
Adam Wham, Co-founder of Stack Homes, a highly regarded real estate platform, discusses how their inital blog supplemented their core business so well it grew to be an integral part of Stack Homes. This later propels the company to emerge strongly in the local real estate consultancy industry.
We also dwelled at length about how design play an important role in Stack Homes’ branding. Adam shares how good design, together with well researched content that property buyers and sellers crave, makes a winning combination.
MOKKOMOKKO x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
27 May 2020 | Podcast Episode 7
Terence Chua, Co-founder of uniquely crafted furniture retailer MOKKOMOKKO, shares his brand story and highlights of his products.
We also explore Terence’s background in architecture and how his personal journey and interes paved the way for the birth of MOKKOMOKKO.
SOJAO x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
13 June 2020 | Podcast Episode 8
Jan Tan, Co-founder of organic luxury bed and bath products SOJAO, shares her amazing vision and brand story.
We also dive deep into Jan’s beliefs in what she does for SOJAO as well as the many interesting narratives of her journey.
Scent by SIX x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
18 June 2020 | Podcast Episode 9
Jason Lee, Founder of Six, an artisanal fragrance label, shares his brand story which has strong conceptual underpinnings.
We explore Six’s scent collections, which are representations of Jason’s strong beliefs in responsible sourcing and being the finest when crafting the scents.
GELLYVIEVE x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
25 June 2020 | Podcast Episode 10
Genevieve Ang, Founder of GELLYVIEVE, crafts beautiful ceramics that are highly sought after and in her own words, ceramics which are toys for the jaded soul and art in the mundane.
We dive deep in what Genevieve mean by that, and how and in what ways her training in architecture serves as a foundation for the passion she always had since very young in age.
SCENE SHANG x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
02 July 2020 | Podcast Episode 11
Jessica Wong is Co-Founder of SCENE SHANG, a wildly impactful homeware and furniture brand.
SCENE SHANG believes strongly in reviving forgotten Asian crafts and creating new designs that pay homage to the heritage and roots.
We go deep into the mechanics of SCENE SHANG. And hear Jessica share her story of her love for design, how it all started with her partner Pamela Ting as well as their grinds and discoveries in Shanghai where the brand was born.
BATHWORLD x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
09 July 2020 | Podcast Episode 12
Robin Su, is Co-Founder of BATHWORLD, a luxury sanitary fitting and bathroom products powerhouse.
We investigate the brand story of BATHWORLD as well as the workings of the company, and learn how Robin and his team navigates the B to B environment while constantly curating and bringing in charming products from around the world.
CERAMICUS x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
30 July 2020 | Podcast Episode 13
Dr Wee Hong Ling is a highly celebrated ceramic artist and the creator of Ceramicus based in New York City.
We probe deeper into what Hong Ling meant by her work “focuses on looking homeward to find extraordinariness in the ordinary.”
Amongst Hong Ling’s long list of accolades is an award of Outstanding Achievement and Contribution to Community Empowerment from the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York City. And her works are in permanent collections of major galleries in Singapore, Japan and China.
THE PRESS ROOM x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
06 August 2020 | Podcast Episode 14
Kelley Cheng is founder of publishing and design consultancy The Press Room.
Amongst Kelley’s works include Youth Olympics Games, i Light Marina Bay Light Art Festival and more. The Press Room also won the President’s Design Award 2015 for the National Gallery Singapore brand design. Late last year, Kelley celebrated her 20 year career with a solo exhibition at National Design Centre. And she is not stopping.
We persuade Kelley to share with us how she juggles multi-disciplinary work that spans widely from designing and publishing books, brands, graphics, documentaries to spaces, stages and film sets.
VERMILLION CAFE x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
13 August 2020 | Podcast Episode 15
Shigeo Kimura is founder of the Vermillion brand of chic cafes in Kyoto, Japan.
We dived deep with Shigeo san to understand what Vermillion’s brand message “Coffee, Culture & Communication” means to him and his team.
The 2 Vermillion - cafe.s are both situated in Fushimiinari, just by the famed Fushimiinari shrine, an important place of worship for locals and a favoured destination for travellers. We check with Shigeo san why he chose the locale and what it meant to him.
For fans of Kyoto and coffee, this casual chat is not to be missed.
KAYLEIGH GOH x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
20 August 2020 | Podcast Episode 16
KayLeigh is an artist and in some ways, a philosopher.
We explore deep and wide with KayLeigh to understand her most recent focus on self-reflection and on objectifying thoughts.
KayLeigh’s works are highly sought after and are exhibited in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and others.
She is with Gajah Gallery, had recently done her residency in Kyoto and we are chatting with her from Melbourne where she is currently doing her Masters.
JOHN SEWELL x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
27 August 2020 | Podcast Episode 17
John Sewell is an artist, illustrator and educationist who has inspired countless on art and creativity through his sharing and teaching.
We go deep with John, to understand how and why teaching around the globe is his best testimony on art and creativity being a driving force for him. John has taught in many parts of the world, including Singapore, England and Poland where he was last based, before moving to Korea just recently.
For those who want to know first hand how community and students in different countries respond to and interact with art, this chat is not to be missed.
NICOLE SORIANO x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
24 September 2020 | Podcast Episode 18
Nicole Soriano is an incredibly talented art writer and curator. She currently writes for Gajah Gallery, CNN Philippines and others.
We go deep with Nicole, to understand what inspired her in her writings, how her interest in art began and how did the 2 passions overlap with one another.
Nicole is currently based in Manila and is curator for Gajah Gallery's latest show (Re)Imagining The Image: Contemporary Artists in Asia Converse with Photography.
KOMPACPLUS x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
15 October 2020 | Podcast Episode 19
Edwin and Damien Tan are founders of hugely successful KompacPlus which delivers innovative surfacing solutions.
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We go deep with the duo to appreciate what inspired them in their entrepreneurship within the realms of design, how their interest in surfacing solutions started and the challenges they faced and overcome through the years.
GRAYE x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
05 November 2020 | Podcast Episode 20
Xie Qian Qian is founder of greatly impactful fashion label GRAYE, a brand that advocates calm and relaxed tailoring. The look is often minimalist and blends eastern & western sensibilities.
We bounce with Qian, to find out more about how her passion for fashion started, how she saw a gap and translate that into entrepreneurship and ultimately a brand that, amongst other intents, aims to get local men better dressed.
SENKOUBOU x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
09 December 2020 | Podcast Episode 21
Chin Shiying is founder of bespoke leather goods label senkoubou 錢工房. The clean look of the design often vividly reveals the deep thoughts behind the construction of the products.
We bounce with Shiying, to find out more about how her passion for making leather goods started. And her thoughts and strategies behind making “slowly”:
Quality and sustainability over quantity.
Shiying had served an apprenticeship under master craftsman, Yamochi Masumi, in Kyoto, Japan prior to setting up Senkoubou and is currently also teaching as an adjunct lecturer in NAFA.
CRAFT VARIES x 7/10 MIN with ARKHILITE C
17 December 2020 | Podcast Episode 22
Clarence Wee is founder of Craft Varies, a studio which specializes in the crafting of words in the form of calligraphy and lettering.
We bounce with Clarence, to find out more about how his passion in letter forms started, how he viewed entrepreneurship and what are some of the ways he is making crafting letters his superpower.