02/09/2026
Took too long a break from posting! Here’s a last post for this cute little apartment for a most lovely couple.
On our third meeting with Nitin & Mabelyn, they invited us to their rented apartment, shared with us their routines, demonstrated how they moved around when using each space and what they envisioned for their new place. It was going to be much smaller and would therefore need to be more mindfully designed. We spent 6-7 hours communicating with each other during that particular meeting - tiring but definitely fruitful!
We knew the kitchen would be a heavily utilised space for the couple as they love preparing their meals at home, making their matcha in the mornings, doing their laundry every other day, and even having a casual conversation in there. Adding in a low cabinet with some slim overhead open shelves on the opposite side of the main kitchen counter was how we attempted to optimise the layout in the kitchen to gain maximum storage for all their appliances while making sure there was still room to breathe.
When we were selecting the colours for the kitchen, they chose to retain the existing kitchen tiles for the backsplash. Mabelyn told us she wanted their new kitchen to have a feel of sunshine. We gave them an array of laminates in different hues of yellows and oranges to choose from, and we finally zero-ed in on Amber Sunset from EDL. Choosing the quartz countertop was filled with excitement for Nitin as it was love at first sight for him. The quartz reminded him of his hometown kitchen where he spent his younger days and he even excitedly showed his mom the sample piece during a video call. The warm wood laminate paired with the amber laminate exudes the soft glow of sunshine throughout the day, bringing more joy to the time spent in the kitchen.
It had been more than a year since they moved in (oh dear, this shows our backlog with our posts) and they recently told us they are still very happy in their little apartment, which in turn make us very happy too!
Studio Oasis Architects, 2025
Residential, West of Singapore