What apparently sealed the deal for the owner of this apartment on the 28th floor of Jean Nouvel’s eponoymous Le Nouvel Ardmore were the dusk colours, and the unobstructed 270-degree southeast views of Singapore’s green canopy and distant skyscrapers from the master bedroom.
‘She wanted the apartment to emulate the light blue and grey colours of the fall evening sky, when the light is less intense,’ says Bobby Cheng, the founder and lead architect of the Singapore-based Brewin Design Office.
Beaneath Apparatus’ ‘Cloud Chandelier’ is the rotonda glass top dining table by Cassina and the Knoll ‘413 Cab’ dining chairs.
To ensure there would be no contrast or visual break between the living spaces and the sky, Cheng has swathed the 380 sq m three-bedroom apartment in untreated Arctic grey granite and Prussian grey marble floor. Meanwhile, a silver stucco-coated ceiling and tints of silvery white and blue stucco further conspire to create the impression of the interior blending seamlessly with the exterior.
The level of bespoke detailing is impressive, particularly since the Hong Kong client literally uses the apartment as a vacation pied-à-terre for her twice or thrice yearly visits to Singapore from her American base. All the timber joinery was sourced and fabricated in Australia: white oak, American walnut and figured maple dominate. In the bathrooms, blue, black and beige travertine subtly reinforce the natural colour palette the client is so fond of.
Bedroom one features an armchair with footstool from Redondo by Moroso, an Omar Khan rug with custom bed-end cabinet and headboard designed by Brewin Design Office
‘It was a challenge to source unique stones,’ Cheng says. ‘We actually viewed stones in quarries before cutting them.’ The specified furnishings, too, hew closely to a calm cool palette – to wit, creamy Christian Liaigre sofas and armchairs, Jim Thompson cushions, pale Minotti leather benches, Apparatus chandeliers, and coral-patterned Tai Ping rugs.
For Cheng, the living and dining rooms are the most impactful for their quiet blend of horizon, colour, and views of the sky. ‘On certain evenings during the dusk light, the greyish blue sky is literally an extension of the balcony surfaces, with the edges of the building completely masked.’
Living room, view from the balcony, featuring Prussian Blue marble flooring, Poliform armchairs and sofas by Christian Liaigre
The kitchen system featuring lime-washed white oak panels is designed by Bulthaup
The master bedroom features custom millwork of figured maple and silky oak and a rug by Taiping
The armchair in the master bedroom is Double Zero by David Adjaye for Knoll. The throws and cushions are by Jim Thompson.
The master bath features Brazilian crystal blue quartzite marble with custom white corian and figured maple veneer paneling and fixtures from Madison by Dorn Bracht
In the second bedroom, custom millwork in American wlnut timber, solid and veneered, is combined with soft additions including throws and cushins by Jim Thompson and an Omar Khan rug. A circular mirror by Holly Hunt is hung on the wall.
Ocean black travertine stone and custom millwork in American walnut veneer and black corian, features in the bathroom to the second bedroom
Custom made side tables are designed by Brewin Design office in 30mm thick sandstone
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Brewin Design Office website
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