WORKS/ Jelapang Residence
In the quiet precinct of Jelapang Road, this late 1990s HDB flat is reworked with care and restraint. The renovation pares the space back to its essence, allowing light, material and structure to shape the rhythm of daily life.
At the heart of the home, two black painted columns stand quietly yet firmly. Pragmatic in their origin, they are now celebrated as defining elements of the space. Rather than being concealed, they remain exposed and subtly anchor the open plan, marking the shift between communal and private zones. Their quiet presence brings a sense of rhythm and balance, inviting the surrounding spaces to unfold naturally around them.
Walls that once divided the flat have been removed to open the layout, encouraging light and air to travel freely across the living, dining and study areas. Warm timber floors and soft neutral walls provide a calm backdrop. A long timber counter lines the windows, offering a space for pause whether for morning coffee, quiet work or casual conversation.
Furniture is kept simple and low, allowing the architecture to breathe. A generous sofa anchors the living space, while a timber dining table invites gatherings without unnecessary embellishment. The kitchen is compact and efficient, pairing stainless steel worktops with textured glass and vertical mosaic tiles. These surfaces offer subtle nods to the familiar textures of older Singapore homes, reinterpreted in a quiet and modern way.
Light plays gently through the home, filtered by dark framed windows and blinds. It creates shifting patterns across the floors and walls throughout the day. A quiet study nook with built-in shelving and a long timber desk offers a space for work and reflection, softly connected to the rest of the home.
Rather than reinventing, this project refines. By removing the unnecessary, it reveals a home that feels balanced, open and lived in. The two black columns, once hidden in plain sight, now stand as quiet anchors, unassuming yet essential to the everyday life of the home.
