Mid-century Beauty

Cosy wood elements and an assortment of interesting textures add a touch of the contemporary to this quiet family home

- Germaine Cheah

Space – that was what sold this family of four on this executive maisonette in Dakota Crescent. However, as a resale unit, there was plenty of work that needed to be done in order to create a space where the new occupants could feel at home. That was when design director Wein Goh from Notion of W entered the picture, taking on the major overhaul required from this approximately 1,500-square-foot apartment.

Before anything could happen, the designer had to find out just what kind of design concept the family wanted for their new abode. “It’s best described as a mid-century modern style,” says Wein. Given that one of the distinguishing features of this particular style is an uncluttered appearance with both organic and geometric forms, the living area is clean, spacious and airy with the absence of any boxy built-in fixtures.

Behind the sofa, a striking cast stone feature wall comes into view. Although feature walls are typically used to frame the television, for this home, the decision was made to frame the seating arrangement instead. The designer explains, “As the occupants use the living space more for familial bonding instead of watching television, putting the feature wall behind the sofa puts focus on the people in the space instead of the home appliance.”

However, that is not to say that the television wall doesn’t have any interesting elements, for there are a series of wooden square mouldings lining the perimeter of the wall. In addition to being a subtle way to amp up the tactile interest in the living space, the textural design also helps to distract the eye from the bulky beam that’s running across the ceiling.