Located in Singapore’s Tiong Bahru, one of the oldest residential estates in the city, this apartment was designed by local firm Pupil Office for a young couple. Drawn to townhouses from Australia and New Zealand, they sought a light-filled and cosy home that could accommodate potential additions to their family down the line. ‘The clients were quite detailed in their initial brief but gave us a lot of freedom in the development of it,’ says Pupil director Amy Lim. ‘One of them had travertine dreams while the other needed timber flooring. They also wanted to include certain environmentally friendly materials, which came in the form of the limewash walls.’

The home fits three rooms (a master bedroom, guestroom and study) and two bathrooms in its 120 square metres. Throughout, simple, clean lines are matched with naturally patterned materials like a travertine kitchen island, marble bathroom sinks and timber floors, cabinets and stools. ‘Certain materials were decided on from the get-go, so all the other materials came to revolve around them, complementing and not competing,’ Lim explains. ‘It was about what I could do with those materials to make them visually interesting, add some tactility to the space and suit the clients’ lifestyle.’

Two kitchen spaces — a small coffee counter and kitchen island and a separate full kitchen — suit the couple’s love for cooking and entertaining. The two bathrooms feature timber cabinetry and elegant marble basins, adding a subtle touch of luxury to the space. ‘We really wanted to do something special for the bathrooms, so we found this Cipollino marble slab, which we used for the basins and the bedside niches in the bedrooms,’ Lim the says. ‘I think it was love at first sight for all of us.’

Overall, the interiors come together in a light and uncomplicated space for easy living, and one where, over the years, there will be plenty of room to grow.