Playful Balance

This compact yet playful 700 sq ft BTO HDB flat near Lavender does a great job bringing together its owners’ past while expressing their hopes and dreams for the future. ASIH JENIE takes a tour.

- Asih Jenie

Husband and wife Leonard Lam and Peishan Tham were very strategic with their BTO application. Mindful of the strong demand for the four- and five-room BTO flats, they balloted for a three-room flat instead and successfully secured their new home in the strategic location near the Lavender area. “We were very lucky since this area is hotly contested,” says Peishan.

Moving in together to a new home is both a challenging and exciting milestone. Having previously lived with their respective parents, Leonard and Peishan moved in together to their home in June 2019. He is a graphic designer with a penchant for collecting toys and secondhand furniture while she is a teacher who favors simplicity and practicality in her daily life. Tasked with designing their new home was interior designer Keith Low of Wood Works studio.

Keith was recommended to the couple by their friend, whose house in Tiong Bahru was also designed by Wood Works. “We loved Keith’s collaborative design approach. He tries to understand what we wanted instead of imposing his own vision as a designer,” says Peishan. The resulting design is a visually arresting home that captures both Leonard and Peishan’s personalities and lovingly showcases their shared history, quite literally.