Small Home: Nos. 249

First question: those shelves. Discuss.

The need for extensive storage was clear from the start, as the homeowners are avid readers with a significant collection. The concept for the shelving was inspired by mid-century elements, where furniture is often suspended to create a sense of weightlessness. We wanted to achieve a linear visual impact that felt architectural rather than bulky. Logistically, the setup was surprisingly straightforward, by anchoring the supports directly into the structural beams, we ensured a firm hold.

Why the mounted shelves over more traditional shelves, a partition or a screen?

Originally, we considered a low shoe cabinet for this area. However, once the skeleton of the renovation was complete, the homeowners felt the space would flow better if the shoe storage was moved to the right. This shift opened up an opportunity to use the shelving as a breathable partition. By mounting them from the ceiling, we demarcated the transition between the common living area and the workspace without closing off the room or sacrificing natural light.

Next, that slanted glass-block wall… Why? How?

This was another nod to mid-century design, specifically inspired by a kitchen scene in the Netflix series The Brothers Sun. I was immediately captivated by the geometry and wanted to translate that into this home. Bringing it to life required a close collaboration with our tiler as we had to design an enhanced internal structure to support the weight of the blocks at that specific angle. It was a technical experiment, but seeing it work so seamlessly was incredibly rewarding.

The aluminium venetian blinds against the other glass-block wall are genius. Strong retro vibes. Can you walk us through this design decision?

The decision was heavily influenced by Japanese mid-century interiors, where blinds and curtains are frequently paired with glass, cabinets and rooms to create layers of texture. They serve a dual purpose, providing an adjustable layer of privacy for the bedroom while adding a sharp, horizontal contrast to the soft diffusion of the glass blocks. It allows the homeowners to modulate light and 'mood' with a simple turn of the blinds.

You had a lot of angles to work with in the floor plan. Is this shape unusual for an HDB apartment?

While most HDB layouts follow a more standard rectangular grid, unusual angles like these though rare, can still be found in certain older housing estates in Singapore. The original floor plan featured several odd corners that offered a departure from the cookie-cutter norm. Rather than trying to square everything off, we chose to embrace these geometries as part of the home's unique character.

And was this a major challenge?

It was a challenge, but not a deterrent. The homeowners were actually drawn to the odd-shaped footprint from the very beginning. Our task wasn't to fix the angles, but to embrace them. The real work lay in ensuring that these unconventional geometries were translated into a layout that felt practical and intuitive for their daily routines.

You clearly had a lot of fun with lighting in the design. Can you tell us about the lighting in the apartment and who drove these design decisions?

Lighting is a fundamental pillar of our design language at No Sense Studio. We believe it dictates how a home is perceived. Growing up in Singapore, many of us are accustomed to stark, functional white light. We wanted to use our projects to challenge that perspective and demonstrate that warm, ambient lighting can be just as functional while offering a much-needed sense of soul and aesthetic depth.

When we overhauled the apartment's electrical plan, we moved away from 'general' lighting in favour of 'statement' lighting. Our goal was to use light fixtures as architectural markers that define the mood of each room, rather than just filling the space with flat, overhead light. We invested in key Danish design icons while mixing in playful, vintage finds. Ultimately, our lighting choices prove that you don't need a massive budget for every single fixture. By strategically placing a few high-end Danish pieces where they have the most visual impact, and balancing them with vintage finds, we created a space that feels personal.

The lighting above the kitchen splashback is a particularly favourite feature of ours.‍

We intentionally avoided the standard overhead cabinet with an LED strip. In our experience, high cabinets are often ergonomically redundant and expensive, and that style of lighting can feel a bit clinical and safe. Instead, we opted for two wall lamps. They provide excellent task lighting for prep work while adding contrast and a mid-century character to the kitchen's subtle palette and backdrop.

Can you talk to us about the dominant materials in the design and why you chose them?

We have a deep appreciation for raw materials. Our palette for this home was plywood, cement screed, hollow blocks, terracotta and glass, which was chosen because these materials age gracefully and feel unpretentious. By keeping the structural skeleton simple, we allowed the textures of the materials and the character of the loose furnishings to do the talking.

Can you tell us a little about who lives here (including the cat) and what they were looking for with the renovation?

The owners and their cat are rather low profile! They specifically hunted for a flat with an unusual layout. Their brief was focused on honouring that floor plan, which we did by realigning some of the walls. Also retaining a sense of nostalgia by preserving a section of the original old-school floor tiles in the workstation area as a nod to the building's history.

I believe this is the first time we've featured a cat flap on a bedroom door in this magazine. How early did this come up in the design process?

In Singapore, cat flaps on bedroom doors are surprisingly common. Since we live in high-rise apartments without yards or porches, owners often house the play area, litter box, and sleeping quarters in separate rooms. The flap allows the cat freedom of movement while the owners keep their doors closed for air conditioning or privacy. It's a small detail that solves a very specific urban living constraint.

How much did you change in the apartment and its floor plan? Were the changes mostly cosmetic or structural too?

The transformation was both cosmetic and structural. We stripped away the conventional, stark HDB layout, demolishing the original walls to reconfigure the zones using glass and hollow blocks. We also extended the master bathroom to create a wet-dry separation, allowing us to use cement screed in the dry area.

The common bathroom was repurposed specifically as a shower area for the cat. The centerpiece is a customised deep sink that serves both cat grooming and guest utility.

We wanted to lean into a bold, graphic look, so we paired the raw texture of the cement screed with vibrant, contrasting mosaic tiles. Since the unit faces a common corridor which only older flats have, we replaced the facade with old-school louvered windows to lean into that nostalgic, airy character.

Did your clients have strong feelings and non-negotiables? Can you share some details?

There were several 'must-haves.' Retaining some of the original tiles, which we managed to do in the workspace. While we love the flow of a seamless sleep and living area, especially for DINKs¹, the corridor-facing orientation meant we needed a privacy buffer. The glass blocks and blinds provided that translucent yet private boundary.

The slanted glass wall also became non-negotiable once I showed them the inspiration from The Brothers Sun. They essentially ‘forced’ me to figure out the engineering and I’m so glad they did!

Details such as the little high ledge for displaying trinkets and curios in the bedroom – were these deliberate design decisions or happy accidents?

Those were very deliberate choices. The "ledge" is actually the air-con trunking; we chose not to conceal it because we didn't want the space to feel too concealed or neat. We embraced the steel conduits and the site's inherent imperfections. The homeowners and I shared a mutual understanding that there is beauty in the raw, and to embrace the unpolished and raw form of certain materials.

Glass blocks are something we're seeing a lot of in Singapore apartments (and in many of your other designs). Why are they so popular?

They are the perfect urban solution for privacy without darkness. They provide a structural weight that feels more permanent than a glass panel, while offering a beautiful, diffused daylight glow. For many Singaporeans, there is also a deep-seated nostalgia attached to them. They remind us of the HDB void decks, public pools, and hawker centres of our childhood.

What's your favourite detail in the design and why?

Without a doubt, it's the slanted glass block wall. It represents the perfect mix of risk and reward. It was a technical feat that required us to rethink how we stack and support heavy glass, but the result is a sculptural element that completely changes the light and energy of the kitchen and bedroom. It's a bold, geometric statement that proves even the most functional walls can be works of art.

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^{¹ Double Income, No Kids.}

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no-sense.studio | @no.sense_studio