The versatility of pastel colours makes it one of the few interior design trends to have withstood the trials of time. Muted greens and dusty pinks are softer on the eyes than the harsh tones of metallic beams and all-white walls, and those were the colours that guided Hui Ying and her husband when conceptualising the design of their 4-room resale flat.
The couple already had green and pink as their favourite colours. And when an interior designer suggested the idea of a pastel-themed home, they immediately fell in love with the idea and got to work scouring the depths of Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. But beyond the hazy hues, their house, designed by Xyden of Urban Home Design, holds plenty of other nifty interior design tricks that were a pleasant surprise.
Pastel walls & giant pegboards in the kitchen
Visitors to Hui Ying and her husband’s home will be greeted by an open kitchen in their favourite colours: green and pink. The celadon green cabinetry by the main cooking space complements the pale pink cabinets on the stately island counter.
It’s a stark difference from the original kitchen’s layout which included a storeroom at the corner.
The original kitchen with a storeroom.
Image credit: @houseyoulikethat
A sturdy dining table from Castlery sits in place of the storeroom today, which in turn is flanked by 3 huge pegboards that were one of Hui Ying’s must-haves. “I’ve always liked the idea of pegboards ever since I saw retail shops using it to display their items,” she told us about where this idea came about.
Rather than spend upwards of $1,000 on procuring the pegboards locally, she turned to the ever-trusty Taobao and found them at a third of what it would have cost if she had purchased them in Singapore.
Hui Ying also found these arched pendant lamps from Taobao to round out the space that was otherwise dominated by angular shapes and lines.
A rotating TV console & lazy hammock in the living room
The interior designers included stylish cut-outs at the top for ventilation and no claustrophobia.
In order to watch TV in both their living and dining rooms without buying another appliance, Hui Ying proposed the idea of a rotating TV console. This was achieved by building a fake wall separating the dining space from the living room, and all they have to do is to turn the section with the television to wherever they’re seated.
The wall also doubles up as storage space, so wires and TV-related consoles can be hidden out of sight and out of mind.
Hui Ying and her husband also eschewed the sofa for 2 armchairs and a hammock instead. She told us that this decision was made largely in part thanks to Carl and Ellie’s living room design in the movie, Up.
Another one of Hui Ying’s must-haves is her own hammock corner. It has always been a dream of hers after being inspired on a trip to Vietnam a couple of years ago. In fact, she even bought the hammock before the house, and briefed her interior designer to incorporate it into the design of the living space.
A hidden walk-in wardrobe & platform bed in the bedroom
Walk-in wardrobes are a dime a dozen these days, especially for homeowners who can afford the space and want to show off their apparel. But it’s not often that they’re hidden in plain sight. A series of mauve-coloured wardrobe doors occupied a stretch of the wall in the master bedroom with the middle 2 opening up into a hidden walk-in wardrobe a la Narnia.
The excess of storage space here also meant that Hui Ying could sacrifice the store room in peace since all her bigger-sized barang like luggage can be stowed away in the wardrobe.
The midnight blue walls of the master bedroom were a stark contrast to the pastel walls in the rest of the house. This was deliberately done to make the room darker and more conducive for sleeping.
Dual screens, ergonomic chairs, and a daybed in the study room
The last room was turned into the study, and this is where Hui Ying’s husband spends most of his time, especially at his computer desk.
Table from IKEA, chair from Herman Miller.
To make the space less empty, the couple also added a daybed with storage drawers to compensate for the lack of sofa lounging options in the house.
Pastel home in Singapore
Pastel colours don’t have to exist solely on Pinterest boards and in Wes Anderson films. For Hui Ying and her husband, their new pastel home in Singapore smartly uses pale shades to demarcate various sections of the house. Aesthetic and practical features like pegboards for decor and a rotating TV console also find themselves at home in this cosy 4-room resale flat.
Find Hui Ying at @houseyoulikethat to follow along on her home & living journey.
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Photography by Brad Lee.
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