This week, on our Host Spotlight, we introduce Kate and James Lai, the proud owners of this stylish 4 BR HDB apartment located in the Northern part of Singapore!
ABOUT THE OWNERS
Kate works as a jewellery designer for a bespoke jewellery brand, while James works as an IT analyst. The couple enjoy outdoor activities such as visiting nature parks and hiking. They also enjoy cafe hopping and attending art exhibitions. During Kate’s polytechnic days, she studied Industrial Design. Her passion can be seen from her meticulously crafted space – leaving touches of her playful personality in every corner of the house.
ABOUT THE SPACE
Located on the 10th floor in a quiet neighbourhood that is away from the hustle and bustle of the city and only a few minutes walk from the nearest bus stop, A Pretty Hole in the wall is a perfect example of a relaxing abode. The colour palette is the classic black and white tones, with occasional bright bursts of complimentary colours that bring life to the apartment.
Growing up in a traditional family, painting her feature wall black would be a daring and unconventional move. But Kate was confident that black would not go wrong if done correctly. True enough, every visitor was delightfully surprised.
When you enter the house, the first area that will catch your attention is the dining area, a space of modernity where you can wine and dine while mulling over the wall portraits.
Tucked away behind the dining area is a lovely collection of books, plushies and lego sets, along with other miscellaneous. Here, we can see a bit of the couple’s personalities and sentiments. If you need personal display items in your scene, this will save you the hassle of bringing the heavy props to and fro the set!
Further down the corner of the room lies the entertainment space. The warm track lights provide an ambience of coziness, and its accent lighting highlights the artworks as well as the general architecture of the house. If you are worried about natural lighting, you don’t need to as there is plenty of sunlight and ventilation from the large windows beside the TV and sofa.
This is also the couple’s favourite spot as its relaxing ambience reminds them of a cafe. Instead of heading out, they are now able to create the fun Friday nights in a more exclusive environment.
Within the vicinity, a quilted sofa with flamboyant coloured cushions lies against a room which resembles a glass box. Their inspiration? The beautiful glasshouse cafes in Seminyak. The Nordic-designed furniture and home decor helps them relieve their wonderful travel experience in the Scandinavian country daily.
This area of the house is definitely the star of the show: The couple wanted to break the conventional layout of a typical HDB, thereby choosing to convert a bedroom into a new study by installing glass windows – each glass panel was cut to perfection. This gives the visual appeal of a larger, more expansive space.
There is also a short walkway connecting the 3 rooms (and a toilet) together. The track lighting combined with the short space makes it look like a mini runway for a simple photoshoot. If you are unsure where to book for your next shoot because you are tired of places with typical layouts, look no further!
The study consists of a sleek co-working space for Kate and James, a couch, and creatively placed wall shelfs. This co-working space concept is very popular and ideal among young working millennial couples.
On the opposite side of the wall portraits sits a decorated party booth. Kate tells me a funny story of how she had gotten the rose gold confetti from overseas with no concrete ideas yet. She then decides to place them randomly on the wall and somehow it emerged as an abstract rose gold confetti decoration. Since then, it has become one of their favourite places at home for a photoshoot. This can be your next fun shot scene!
Kate and James’s motto is chic but simple. A house is not a home if it does not have a personal touch. Their home is constructed from their memories of the places they’ve travelled to and the time spent with the people that they adore. They’ve somehow managed to assemble every cherished piece together and present it as a masterpiece.
How about a modern and sleek look for your next film? A Pretty Hole in the Wall (except the master bedroom) is available for rent at SGD 80/hr. Book this fascinating home here!
