PUBLISHED November 5th, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:42 pm
If there’s one place we can be comfortably imperfect, it’s home – a space that embraces us, warts and all. It’s no wonder, then, that wabi-sabi has stolen the spotlight in interior design in recent years. Rooted in the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection, this soothing aesthetic is styled around natural flaws and organic simplicity. For one working couple and their young daughter in Siglap, a condo home inspired by wabi-sabi offers a restful retreat at the end of a long day.
Designed by local boutique firm EightyTwo, the three-bedroom unit is set in Seaside Residences – a coastal condo overlooking the expanse of East Coast Park. Serene sea views are a given, but the 123-sqm interior is just as breezy and light-flooded. Keeping to a monochromatic palette, the designers swathed the space in muted whites and pale wood tones. Given the grounding of wabi-sabi in nature, organic materials and raw textures were favoured – wood, stone, concrete, and ceramics. The result is a sanctum that soothes the mind instantly with its timeless simplicity.
By design, the living room is the highlight of this home – not least for its curvilinear feature wall. Surging outward in an organic curve at both ends, the feature wall evokes a gentle wave that frames the TV and flows seamlessly into the pale wood console. It was designed, the EightyTwo team explains, to bring a sense of flow and energy to the living room; needless to say, it took a painstaking process to pinpoint the precise degree of curvature. As a finishing touch, the wall was hand-painted to create a raw, unrefined look.
An assortment of organic textures overlay the living room – a rattan armchair here, a table lamp crafted of cork there, a pair of delicate wooden vases. In a Japandi-style touch, chunky knitted cushions add some cosiness to the minimalist wooden sofa.
Curves are a design element that flows throughout the house, serving as a clever safety feature – sharp corners being far from child-friendly – while adding a sense of graceful fluidity. The sides of the kitchen counter have been rounded out, while the circular dining table has been custom-made with a sloping edge and a column base elegantly carved in vertical grooves.
Framing the dining area is a recessed wall niche in the shape of an archway, showcasing two shelves of striking ceramics. From the asymmetrical U-shaped vessel to the vase hand-painted with black dots, each knick-knack is a study in the beauty of imperfection. A basket-shaped rattan lampshade completes the placid picture.
The master bedroom echoes the fluid waves of the living room’s feature wall, with a pale wood headboard that undulates outward into a curved wall. Even the bedside lamps, mounted on the headboard, cut a striking figure – Sol Luminaire’s Kepler wall lamps, composed of a pair of overlapping discs inspired by the gentle gradations of an eclipse. From the arched mirror to the wall sconce shaded by rattan, each austere detail offers a restful feast for the eyes.
This condo home is located at Seaside Residences, 14 Siglap Link, Singapore 448869. Check out more of EightyTwo’s projects here.
All photos courtesy of EightyTwo