The dividers are the real stars in this five-room flat

March 10, 2007

Walls of fame

The dividers are the real stars in this five-room flat

By Tay Suan Chiang, DESIGN CORRESPONDENT


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STRIPE TEASE: The living room's feature divider has cut-outs that provide sneak peeks into the area from the entrance. Its stripe-like design also helps to create an elongated feel in the area. -- DOMINIC WONG


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WIDE APPEAL: The wall opposite the feature piece in the living room mirrors the latter's design, as a cantilevered TV console runs along it to create an illusion of width.


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BLOCK PARTY: The partition between the kitchen (above) and the bedroom was removed to rearrange the space allocation. A hollow block was then put up as the new divider, forming the new back for the kitchen cabinets and the bedroom's feature wall.


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BLOCK PARTY: The partition between the kitchen and the bedroom (above) was removed to rearrange the space allocation. A hollow block was then put up as the new divider, forming the new back for the kitchen cabinets and the bedroom's feature wall.


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MOST flat-owners can't wait to get rid of walls to create the illusion of more space. But Mervyn Phan and Amanda Ang added one more, rebuilt another and turned the others into the highlight of their flat.

Visitors to the five-room apartment in Bishan will be instantly greeted by a false wall that is built to resemble both a divider and installation artwork.

The piece, made by gluing together more than 100 timber strips, was the brainchild of designers Alan Choo and Joey Khu of Project File.

But assembling it was not an easy task. Mr Khu had to first draw the design on paper, and add interest and depth using timber strips in different lengths and shades of brown. Cut-outs were included for 'ventilation and to give the wall a lighter feel'.

Another wall, this time in the bedroom, was also given the special treatment.

The original one between the bedroom and kitchen was removed to rearrange the spaces, and a hollow block - commonly used to create false walls - was put up.

But instead of finishing it with plaster, the designers left the new wall in its raw state to make a feature of its texture, covering it only with a coat of white paint.

'The resulting brick-patterned effect gives the room a loft-like feel,' says MsAng, 25, a senior account executive in an advertising firm.

The white-and-brown colour theme is carried through the flat, such as in the bookshelves in the living room, the breakfast table in the kitchen as well as the kitchen cabinets. The brown also keeps the otherwise white colour scheme from looking too clinical.

The home owners believe in keeping the look of the home simple. Ms Ang says: 'It's easier to change themes should we want to do so in the future.'

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