At Home with Julian and Dawn
You can often tell a couple’s personality by the way their home looks. And for Julian and Dawn, their tastefully-decorated space speaks volumes about their chic and minimalist style.
Soothing grey tones dominate the 4-room Costa Ris flat, accentuated by pops of colours from their accessories. The home is cosy, comfortable, and functional – just as the couple had envisioned it to be.
Cool grey tones that soothe and relax
A Home Takes Shape
After hours of poring through Pinterest and online resources, Julian and Dawn found themselves gravitating towards a Scandinavian decor style for their home. With some ideas in mind, they engaged an interior designer whom they credited for bringing their concept to life.
Julian and Dawn stressed on the importance of chemistry when choosing an interior designer to partner as that may just be the key to making a potentially stressful experience, enjoyable. They said their designer was invaluable throughout the whole process – from crystallising their vision through mood boards, to picking out paint swatches and navigating the extensive tile warehouse with them.
It was about four months before the couple moved into their home, but not before having to clean up the onslaught of dust that inevitably comes with renovations.
“We rounded up some friends to help us clean up, and hosted a pizza party on the newly-cleaned floors to thank them afterwards”, they said. “But the dust was everywhere, and it took many rounds of cleaning over several weekends before it finally went away.”
Pretty details for a cohesive look
Scandinavian with a Twist
Although Julian and Dawn’s home was predominantly inspired by the clean Scandinavian style, they avoided it looking clinical by incorporating different patterns and textures. A look around the flat revealed hexagonal toilet floor tiles, cement screed walls in the kitchen and toilets, and retro-patterned flooring in the rooms.
They consciously infused their living space with personal touches like favourite artworks, books, photographs, and memorabilia. Indoor plants, the couple’s new hobby, also dot the flat for added colour to rooms and counter tops.
To ensure a cohesive look for their home, Julian and Dawn were very disciplined when it came to selecting furniture. Anything that did not match the overall theme was a no-go, even if it looked great.
The use of wood and patterned tiles lend warmth to the study
New home, new hobby – indoor plants!
Since moving in in April 2015, the dining nook remains the couple’s favourite part of the home. With its hanging lights, photo frames, and light wood table set against black-framed kitchen doors, they have had friends and family remark that the area looks like part of a hipster café. They also let on that they have invested in a coffee machine, with the aroma of a freshly brewed cup adding to the café-like setting. Good food, good coffee, and good company – what is there not to love?
Hipster café right at home
Home Sweet Home
Julian and Dawn said that the journey from bare flat to home sweet home had been a challenging but fulfilling one. Besides sticking to a clear décor theme and choosing the right interior designer, they said a sense of humour is essential to keep the stress of home-building at bay.
Know of other well-designed HDB homes that we can feature? Let us know mynicehome@mailbox.hdb.gov.sg or on our Facebook page!We will love to hear from you!
(All photos courtesy of Julian and Dawn)
