00:03the idea was to have an apartment that's open and flexible initially as a young
00:09couple our open apartment served us fine but the original layout wasn't suitable
00:15for young family like ours now with our daughter we are dividing the space and
00:21adding storage our home is located in Newton Singapore it's right next to the
00:32most happening area in Singapore yet maintains a calming residential vibe my
00:39name is Joyce I'm an interior designer my name is Mikolai I'm an architect and we
00:45live here with our daughter Stella we lived here since 2018 and over the past
01:01six years we made changes to the apartment to better suit our lifestyle we
01:07also drew inspiration from the use of curtains as a space dividers not only do
01:13they impart a soft and flowy aesthetics they also take up minimal space when
01:18pushed to the side the apartment could become a one room two rooms or three
01:25rooms apartment depending on how the curtains are used adapting to our needs
01:32the original apartment was dark and lacks sense of warmth the apartment featured a
01:38semi-open mezzanine level it blocked a lot of natural light there was an open living
01:44and kitchen area and a bathroom the first thing we did was to remove the mezzanine
01:50level to create an open space we then added a custom joinery unit which also
01:55integrates a fold-out bed the new large floor-to-ceiling storage unit was custom
02:01built beside the kitchen the storage space was converted into a nursery and we
02:07used an awkward nook in the living area for the new study lastly curtains were
02:13added to the nursery and bedroom so these spaces can be closed off and open when
02:19needed when entering the apartment you're welcome by an open space filled
02:27with vibrant colors that pop up here and there we decided to keep the original
02:33floor these are the large format marble floor tiles that cover the entire apartment
02:39originally there was a small office space by the entrance but we repurposed it
02:45into a nursery for our daughter while it may appear compact it can accommodate a crib a
02:54combined wardrobe and diaper changing station and even a versatile feeding lunch
02:59chair that doubles up as the bed for those challenging nights we utilize the
03:05curtain as a space divided between the nursery and the kitchen and dining area it
03:11doesn't only save space for the door opening but also allows us to maximize
03:16interaction by almost fully opening up to the nursery
03:22the kitchen has everything we need there is an oven dishwasher induction hop a large sink and
03:29a one chiller there's also a washing machine hidden behind the door on the other side of
03:37the kitchen there is concealed fridge with small storage above it blends into the wall perfectly
03:45it's handy to be able to write messages shopping lists and recipes straight on the wall since we are
03:54combining the kitchen and circulation space for the dining area we were cautious about selecting
03:58lightweight looking furniture so we place an organic shape dining table by Swedish architects mark
04:13our living room and bedroom share a single multifunctional space serving as a dynamic living area by day and
04:22transforming into a bedroom and study at night after removing the mezzanine we now have access to the
04:29bench by the window we can sit on the bench to read or enjoy a drink in the evening we
04:38often sit on the sofa and play games or watch movies on our projector when it's time to sleep we
04:47lower the
04:47queen-size bed from the main storage unit it's controlled electronically using a remote so it's less of a chore
04:53to
04:53open and close after transforming the old study into Stella's nursery we still needed to have a space to
05:01work from home so we find a space in the awkward nook to place a new study there the main
05:09piece is the
05:10wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling unit at the back of the living room it integrates a murphy bed in
05:16the middle a wardrobe on the side and lots of space above for items that we seldom use just beside
05:23the kitchen we added a full height storage unit made from plywood with a matte white laminate
05:30it stores all of our household items heavy and bulky items such as pram are stored in the lower
05:36section the upper section has our clothes Stella's toys and a feeding station for her bottles
05:45the furniture pieces here are loose and movable it creates an expensive play area for our daughter
05:52to freely move around and interact with us during the day the curtain divides the main living area
06:02by closing it at night it transforms the space into a cozy bedroom the curtains are double layer so they
06:10also help a little bit with the sound this setup ensures that if one of us needs to work at
06:16night the
06:16other person in the bedroom remains undisturbed the same curtain that divides living and sleeping area
06:23also creates a small entrance to the bathroom we did it by customizing the curtain track and making it
06:31curved we decided to sandwich the frosted glass box with mirror from two sides it provides full privacy now
06:39additionally it surprises how much natural light it reflects from the outside
06:47inside the bathroom we kept all the fixtures from the original unit
06:52except for the freestanding vanity
06:55the bottom is wrapped with mirrors so it appears to flow in the space and it doesn't look as bulky
07:04as stella grows more adjustments will come but we have time to figure out what suits us best
07:12we believe a well-designed small space doesn't feel small by using bright colors reflective surfaces
07:19finding creative storage solutions and keeping the space flexible
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