Inside A Chef’s 5-Room Mid-Century Apartment With A Central Kitchen

In this week’s episode, we explore a 5-room flat in Hougang, measuring approximately 1,256 sqft. Designed with an emphasis on entertaining, the home features a layout that fosters openness, with the kitchen as the central hub. The couple, who hosts guests frequently, wanted each space to maintain visual connectivity with the kitchen, especially for their chef lifestyle.

The design concept blends mid-century modern elements with emerald green accents and stone textures. The original parquet timber flooring was preserved, complementing the home’s aesthetic and helping to define the different spaces. The entryway was redesigned to enhance privacy, creating a dedicated foyer that guides guests and shapes the flow of light into the living room.

The communal living room doubles as a space for guests and the homeowners to interact, with the couple opting for a darker colour palette to balance the heavy daylight entering the home. This area also features a study corner with a booth seat and foldable table, offering flexibility for work or relaxation without a dedicated study room.

A key design feature is the kitchen, expanded to allow greater interaction and space for cooking. The dry kitchen facilitates engagement with guests in the living room while prepping meals, and the wet kitchen, separated by a sliding pocket door, ensures practical access to kitchen utilities. The kitchen’s functional design includes commercial-grade stainless steel surfaces and dark green cabinetry for storage.

For dining, a common bedroom was converted into a large dining area, exposed to the kitchen to foster better interaction between guests and homeowners. The couple preserved the story of a secondhand dining table previously owned by a private chef, symbolising their focus on hosting. A brass mirror enhances the space, while coloured pendant lights and Muuto dots add vibrancy.

The common bathroom features textured graystone tiles and brown quartz, emphasising the vanity area with a circular stone sink.

In the master bedroom, the couple opted for a minimalist design, adding an integrated dresser table within the wardrobe for convenience.