Celebrate Island Living With Beach-inspired Elements

This family home celebrates island living with beach-inspired elements, striking textures and a warm, woody palette

- Germaine Cheah

Walking into this five-room apartment located in Pasir Ris, one can’t help but notice its laidback and low-key ambiance. “This is attributed to the family requesting for a nautical decor theme, which was inspired by the male homeowner who is from the maritime industry,” explains Max Lee, the design director of Icon Interior and designer-in-charge of this renovation project.

To achieve the desired look, the design team first overlaid the floor with vinyl and utilized copious amounts of white and wood tones to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Then, navy blue hues were employed to further enhance the nautical concept. Colour scheme aside, structural changes were also made to improve the apartment’s flow and functionality.

One of the biggest modifications made was the removal of the balcony’s original entrance to create an expanded living area that would better accommodate guests. Despite being a free-flowing space however, there is still a degree of separation between the two zones, in that the flooring styles are different. Although still the same vinyl material, the finishes are in different colors and the woodgrains are also arranged in opposing directions. Then, both ends of the balcony were fitted with cushion-topped benches and backed by feature walls created out of tiles that look like wooden planks, which pays homage to the design styles of modern beach houses.