Kim Tian Green - Minimalist

[etc 1]

Hi All,

I received the keys to my new 4 room HDB flat at Kim Tian Road in end-Jan 2012.

Floor Plan:

Likes:

1. Square rooms - No weird corners and wastage of space!

2. A combined living/dining room area makes the place looks big. Someone thought it was a 5-room flat.

3. Point block design provides a lot of privacy.

4. Concealed wiring and pipes.

5. Bomb shelter in the kitchen - no ugly door in the living room.

Dislikes:

1. Kitchen is not perpendicular to the living room so I can't knock down any walls to have an open kitchen concept to create an even larger space.

2. The only wall worth knocking down is the one between Bedroom 2 and 3, otherwise the rest of the other walls cannot be knocked down completely due to structural beams.

Edited June 24, 2012 by etc

[mango13 0]

Hi etc, welcome to Kim Tian Green & renotalk

Me from blk 127D how abt u

[etc 1]

Living Room:

With a view like that, I wanted to keep the design of the flat as simple, clean and pristine as possible to give the illusion of space and continuity. In other words, functional and minimalist.

Kitchen:

Love the pure white ceramic wall tiles, will totally fit into my white minimalist theme.

Not so crazy about the brick colored floor tiles but I can live with it.

Corridor:

Love the clean, straight, long lines of new HDB flats, also fits into the minimalist theme.

Bedroom:

Bedrooms also capture partial view of the nice landscape so the idea is also to keep it simple, clean and pristine.

Toilet:

Toilet walls are covered mostly in pure white ceramic tiles (which ties in with minimalist theme). Even the mosaic looks nice. Unfortunately the toilet bowl and sink is beige, but is not a deal breaker. It would have been if it was some strong colour like blue which I have seen in some HDB flats.

Verdict:

Overall I'm quite happy with the existing state and layout of the flat. I'm not going to knock down any walls or tear down any fixtures. In fact I can totally see a minimalist flat after laying pure white homogeneous tiles all over the house (minus the kitchen and bathroom).

[etc 1]

My inspiration for the new flat is this minimalist flat designed by architect and owner Desmond Ong.

http://www.habitusliving.com/live/projects/singapore-apartment

The moment I saw it I was amazed by how spacious and bright the whole place is. I also like the simple, clean, and straight lines look of the entire apartment. Notice there's no visible lights or wires anywhere in the entire flat!

I knew immediately I wanted to create the same look for my apartment. The question is, how?

[idude 0]

Nice!! Hope you can move in soon with minimalist decor!!

[mango13 0]

Hihi the view from ur living room it shd blk 126A ba

[idude 0]

Hihi the view from ur living room it shd blk 126A ba

It looks like high floor too.

[battle 0]

Hi etc,

welcome to rt and enjoy your reno.

I like your lay-out. doesn't seems to have any wastage space ; )

Share your pix okie :sport-smiley-004:

all the best

[Confidential 0]

Do share your pix once your house is complete!

[adidaem 6]

The moment I saw it I was amazed by how spacious and bright the whole place is. I also like the simple, clean, and straight lines look of the entire apartment. Notice there's no visible lights or wires anywhere in the entire flat!

I knew immediately I wanted to create the same look for my apartment. The question is, how?

Can be done, but need $, loads of discipline and some sacrifice.

For this particular apartment:

- Walls and switches: lots of partition walls to hide all wirings, switches, piping

- Cove lighting + some placement to make the beams less obvious

- Sacrificing one room to achieve the spacious/empty feel (refer to floor plan below - think the floor plan is something similar and the room nearest living room was sacrificed)

- Simple windows, 'Invisible grills'

- No feature wall, just use a partition wall to wall-hang TV and hide wirings

- Epoxy flooring (so it's one solid milky smooth surface)

- Simple but well designed/beautiful furnishings (the dining chairs alone cost a few thousands!)

- Disciplined use of muted/woody colors... white and wood

- All doors - simple wood/solid smooth surface

It's hard to achieve minimalism in HDB flats, usually due to space and cost. How many will be willing to give up an entire room just to give the sense of 'emptiness'? Or to replace all the doors (which costs a good 4 figs) so that patterns on the doors do not spoil the overall look? Small little details make or break the minimalist look IMO. Plus without enough 'empty' space, the true 'feel' of minimalism just doesn't come out. And it takes so much discipline just to maintain the look... think has to be a lifestyle change... or must have a really good housekeeper at home! Just my 2 cents.

[etc 1]

Hi adidaem,

I love the design of your flat as well, very close to what I want to achieve. Unfortunately I don't think your ID will take on such a small project like mine.

I emailed Desmond Ong and he agreed to give me some ideas on how to design my flat!

Some of his ideas so far are concrete flooring (instead of epoxy which needs to be re-painted every two years), and he doesn't think knocking down the wall of the room besides the living room is ideal due to the structural beam which cannot be knocked down. This is even though I was willing to sacrifice a room to create a more spacious look.

I'll update more as it progresses.

Edited February 29, 2012 by etc

[adidaem 6]

Hi adidaem,

I love the design of your flat as well, very close to what I want to achieve. Unfortunately I don't think your ID will take on such a small project like mine.

I emailed Desmond Ong and he agreed to give me some ideas on how to design my flat!

Some of his ideas so far are concrete flooring (instead of epoxy which needs to be re-painted every two years), and he doesn't think knocking down the wall of the room besides the living room is ideal due to the structural beam which cannot be knocked down. This is even though I was willing to sacrifice a room to create a more spacious look.

I'll update more as it progresses.

Thanks for liking my house. We had it easier with a larger space and mostly hackable walls. Personally I am less willing to sacrifice practical living for 'beauty'. E.g. I would never have agreed to the off-centre TV/sofa in the Singapore apartment. Think if my IDs had their way, the place might be even more minimalist. Not sure if they will reject a small project, but you just have to be prepared that 'minimalist' design doesn't mean minimal budget. All the false walls, hidden lights and concealed wirings don't come cheap. Even perfectly working doors may have to go cos they are not 'minimalist enough (all my doors were changed cos of that).

Agree that it's hard to hack your walls cos of the layout. For the floors, can I suggest tiles instead of concrete flooring? Unless you don't mind hairline cracks that'll appear over time... personally, I can't stand cracks. Plus for concrete it's hard to get the right color. And by using grey instead of white, the entire apartment look/feel will also be radically different. Here's one example for reference: http://www.homeanddecor.com.sg/homes/raw-beauty

Also minimalist, but the use of grey and concrete gives a very different feel. I realize that generally white makes the place brighter and more spacious, and colors 'pop'/furniture better. Have you seen the projects by Ong&Ong - so inspirational...

55 Blair Rd: http://www.archdaily.com/32573/55-blair-road-ong-ong/

31 Blair Rd: http://www.archdaily.com/29550/31-blair-road-residence-ong-ong/

Hope you have fun with your reno!

[etc 1]

As you can see from the pictures of my flat, all the wires and pipes are already hidden. This is a standard feature of new flats - HDB has come a long way!

I also have pure white wall tiles in my kitchen and almost all white tiles in my bathrooms. Even the doors provided by HDB is a nice natural wood colour. Initially I was thinking I don't even need an ID - I just need a contractor to help me lay white tiles, construct white kitchen cabinets and built-in wadrobes and I'm done. Furniture I can choose myself, surely it can't be that hard?

But pictures of The Singapore Apartment blew my mind away and I can't help but want the same look.

Initially I was a little shocked when Desmond suggested concrete flooring but I am willing to consider other possibilities. After all, anyone can do an all white apartment and call it minimalist, but not all can do the same with concrete.

Take a look at the following apartment with concrete flooring, it's different don't you think?

http://nicholas-burns.com/_cavenagh/images.html#

[adidaem 6]

As you can see from the pictures of my flat, all the wires and pipes are already hidden. This is a standard feature of new flats - HDB has come a long way!

Yes! Sigh, and yet they still retained the rules on wirings and pipes for older HDB flats.

I also have pure white wall tiles in my kitchen and almost all white tiles in my bathrooms. Even the doors provided by HDB is a nice natural wood colour. Initially I was thinking I don't even need an ID - I just need a contractor to help me lay white tiles, construct white kitchen cabinets and built-in wadrobes and I'm done. Furniture I can choose myself, surely it can't be that hard?

But pictures of The Singapore Apartment blew my mind away and I can't help but want the same look.

Initially I was a little shocked when Desmond suggested concrete flooring but I am willing to consider other possibilities. After all, anyone can do an all white apartment and call it minimalist, but not all can do the same with concrete.

Take a look at the following apartment with concrete flooring, it's different don't you think?

http://nicholas-burns.com/_cavenagh/images.html#

Can't tell the doors from the pics you posted, but good that HDB has moved away from the doors with moldings/patterns. Look forward to seeing your end product. Enjoy the furniture shopping (and bargain hunting?)! Probably the part that my hubby and I miss the most.

Yeah, I was quite taken by the SG apartment too. Even sent the pics to my contractor to ask some technical questions.

[etc 1]

3D Sketch - Minimalist Living Room

Edited March 5, 2012 by etc