Compact, Functional, and Well-designed
Jackie, an illustrator, and Tobbie, a jiu-jitsu instructor bought their 47sqm/506sqft apartment brand new, with the typical layout of public housing in Singapore. The original floor plan was largely kept as it was, with a couple of small exceptions: the kitchen was made slightly larger to fit the laundry, the bathroom had a half-wall added for the shower, and the bedroom wall was replaced with a sliding glass door. With custom furniture, cool colour palettes, and a lot of personality, the space became their very own live-in pocket knife.
Bespoke Furnishings
Right upon entering the apartment, you encounter an example of what Jackie has dubbed their “side-hustle furniture” — pieces they’ve created that not only save space but also add a lot of personality to the home. Among the side-hustle furniture is a small shoe rack that doubles as a seat, a pull-out bench for the dining table where they hide their gym equipment, and a pull-out serving trolley where they can store laundry. Other bespoke pieces that aren’t counted among the side-hustle category can be found throughout the apartment as well: There is the entryway storage cabinet that holds shoes and disguises the door to the storage room, where bulkier items like bikes are kept; the custom blue shelf above the dining table with an integrated pull-up bar; and even a wall-to-wall multi-purpose bench for sitting at their extendable dining table.
Once you understand how the person lives, many design decisions are made for you. Their needs become the foundation of their home and everything that comes after — from material choices to colour palette — is a way to express who they are”.
Jade Cham, knock knock studio
These highly personalised touches continue into the bedroom, which can be found behind a sliding, half-glass door painted in the same green used for the entryway corridor and the bifolding kitchen door. They chose a door with glass windows to allow for the transmission of light and make the space feel more spacious and connected. Plus, this way they can see the gallery wall, their favourite element of the apartment, from the comfort of their bed. The bedroom itself was kept simple, with a wall-to-wall cabinet for discreet clothing storage and bespoke bedside tables made from recycled plastic and plywood to fit perfectly and minimise clutter.
In case you missed it: Watch our recent episode Three Balcony House, Madrid
Everything in its Place
The longer you spend exploring Jackie and Tobbie's home, the more apt the pocket knife analogy becomes. Of course the mirror in the hallway is actually a push-to-open cabinet with hidden storage; and, the switches in the kitchen are hidden behind a small panel, just like the dish rack is tucked into a cupboard over the sink. The hexagon-shaped shower in the bathroom maximises their footprint while also providing tucked-away storage for their bath products in two discreet niches. Taking every little lifestyle detail into account, this design illustrates how there is always room for playfulness and personal touches, as Jade Cham put it: “Once you understand how the person lives, many design decisions are made for you. Their needs become the foundation of their home and everything that comes after – from material choices to colour palette – is a way to express who they are”.
Images by Marcus Lim and Never Too Small
Visit the NTS Store to get a small space inspired print by Candy Ng.
