PUBLISHED February 4th, 2022 05:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:42 pm
In an age where whites and neutrals are all the rage, it takes some daring to deck your house in shades of black. Do it wrong and you end up with what looks like a villain’s Gothic lair, if not a gloomy, claustrophobic cave. But do it right and the result is a dark beauty of a house, as arche°‘s latest interior project in Choa Chu Kang proves.
For their new three-bedroom condo in iNz Residence, the young homeowners – a 30-something couple in the finance industry – dreamt of a space with dark good looks. Fondly dubbed Dark Academia, this walk on the dark side called for a complete reimagining of the predominantly whitewashed flat.
The first challenge, for the arche° team, was avoiding the claustrophobic feel typical to dark-toned spaces – a crucial challenge in a 116-sqm flat. “Homes heavy on dark tones generally appear more confined,” explains Principal Designer Edward Seet. “We chose different shades of dark tones to help create depth in such a small apartment.”
The team started off by selecting a matte black laminate as the primary hue for the carpentry built-ins throughout the house. For variance in tone, they sifted through several shades of grey paint, finally zeroing in on dinosaur grey paint for the walls. As for the flooring, the existing light-colored tiles were overlaid with dark grey, water-resistant vinyl flooring in all the rooms – a pet-friendly option for the couple’s cat. Finally, the ceiling was left white to balance out the visually heavy appearance of the dark theme.
The exception to this is the living room, where the addition of overhead cladding from wall to ceiling transforms the space into a cosy sanctuary. The dark grey walls here have been given an edgy flair with raw cement-textured paint, with a similar finish on the ceiling cladding. Illuminating the space are sleek LEGO downlights subtly recessed in the ceiling, coupled with a light trough running from floor to ceiling. What would otherwise be an austere grey cube, however, is softened by clever details: a lighter grey two-seater couch, a plush white rug underfoot.
Framed by this darkly monochrome setting, the vibrant greenery visible from the balcony is almost a shock to the eyes. Glass sliding doors lead the way to the balcony, hung with grey blackout curtains and translucent white drapes – the latter once again adding a lighter touch to the space. Outdoor decking of dark wood grain and black-framed railings complete the picture.
The heart of the open-plan kitchen is a statement kitchen island, designed for the couple’s frequent entertaining as well as for daily meals. This imposing KompacPlus countertop boasts a textured concrete look and a waterfall edge, starkly lit by a minimalist black bar of a pendant lamp.
In the kitchen proper, cabinetry of ashy brown wood adds another harmonious tone to the colour palette, set off with theatre-style lights. It may be a monotone house, but who says it has to be monotonous?
Dark Academia is a three-bedroom condominium located at iNz Residence, Choa Chu Kang, Singapore. Check out more of arche°’s works here.
All photos courtesy of Iceberg 7