Family friendly open concept living
Design needs change over time – especially when there’s a baby in the picture. Open-concept living was working for interior designer Joyce Li and architect Mikolaj Scibisz before the arrival of their daughter Stella, who prompted a reorganisation of their 58sqm/624sqft home. “Initially, as a young couple, our open apartment served us fine. But the original layout wasn’t suitable for a young family like ours”, the co-founders of the Singapore-based Design Pair told Never Too Small. “Now, with our daughter we are dividing the space and adding storage”. The creative duo still inhabit what by many people’s standards would be considered an open-concept space; however, their subtle interventions and clever use of curtains have made it one that is highly convertible – offering privacy when needed and connection when desired.
Li and Scibisz first bought their home in 2018 and across the past six years they’ve gradually made changes to the apartment to better suit their lifestyle. Located in the happening but residential neighbourhood of Newton, Singapore, the original space had a rather generic condo feel that “lacked a sense of warmth”, Scibisz explained. There weren’t any dividing walls but there was a semi-open mezzanine, which ultimately the couple found just blocked a lot of natural light. They decided the best way forward would be to remove the mezzanine and instead to create a fully open space with custom joinery units that integrate all of their functional requirements as well as curtains to act as space dividers.
Custom joinery units for all their functional needs
The kitchen is the first joinery unit that you encounter when entering the space. With everything barring the fridge consolidated into a single wall, the kitchen has everything they need, with an oven, dishwasher, induction hob, large sink, wine chiller, and laundry machine. Beside the kitchen is another floor-to-ceiling storage unit made from plywood with a matte white laminate that they can project their movies or games onto. This joinery serves as storage for the bulk of their household items. Last but not least is a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling unit at the back of the living room. This one integrates a Murphy bed in the middle, a wardrobe to the side, and lots of space above for items that they seldom use.
One room, three ways
Flexible is the main word that comes to mind for describing the space between these joinery units. Instead of walls or any permanent solutions, Li and Scibisz chose to go with a more convertible solution: curtains. To the couple, curtains represented a low-cost, space-friendly, and aesthetic way of creating divisions while still maximising interaction. The first curtain encountered when entering the space is the one enveloping the nursery; however, the curtain that gave the design its name – 1/2/3 Room – is the one wrapping around the couple’s sleeping area. Suspended from a custom ceiling-mounted track, this curtain can be open, closed, or something in between for the times when one of them needs to stay up late and the other wants to rest: “The apartment could become a one room, two room, or three room apartment depending on how the curtains are used – adapting to our needs”.
Li and Scibisz are aware that with time their household needs are inevitably going to change. But they are confident that with innovative small space solutions they can figure it out as it comes: “As Stella grows, more adjustments will come, but we have time to figure out what suits us best”.
