Plants and Patina

Monocot Studio transforms a nondescript walk-up apartment into a dwelling filled with light and life.

- LUO JINGMEI

For Tyco Tat and Kaleb Loh, who share this walk-up apartment, plants are more than decoration. They are a preoccupation in all corners and are composed like artful installations. There is even a tree, whose lithe branches and feathery leaves arch over the sofa in place of the iconic Arco floor lamp with a curved stand that can be found in many a designer home.

Tat even has an Instagram account dedicated to his botanical fixation.

Not surprisingly, the brief for Mikael Teh of design studio Monocot Studio was to inject ample natural light into the originally dim home to enable these green babies to flourish. The brief’s keywords were “bright”, “warm”, “lush”, “life-filled”, and “welcoming”. This was achieved with a melange of deft architectural manoeuvres, including opening two skylights in the roof.

A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE

Located on a quiet road off the main Little India stretch, the owners first encountered a compartmentalized layout with three rooms upfront and a kitchen. Dark brown doors and utilitarian tiles made it feel dated and forgotten. But industrial designers Tat and Loh, who work in advertising and branding, saw potential.

“We live in an old, vibrant, and colourful part of Singapore. We wanted our home to feel like a sanctuary amidst the chaotic energy just steps away in one of the most bustling parts of the city,” says Loh.