Cover Authors Interior & Styling takes a deeply personal approach to interior design in this Duxton apartment in Singapore, letting the homeowners’ memories, rituals and belongings shape every space.
Authors Interior & Styling takes a deeply personal approach to interior design in this Duxton apartment in Singapore, letting the homeowners’ memories, rituals and belongings shape every space.
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Authors Interior & Styling shapes an apartment around the personalities, rituals and memories of its occupants
What makes a home truly beautiful? The memories it creates; the small details that speak intimately to its inhabitants—reflecting how they live, what they enjoy and what they want their abode to represent, both to themselves and to others.
These were the thoughts that design firm Authors Interior & Styling read between the lines of the brief for a unit at The Pinnacle @ Duxton. The starting point of the design process here for designer Tracey Yap was not a particular aesthetic or trend, but the people who would inhabit it—to create a space shaped by the homeowners’ personalities, preferences, memories and everyday rituals.
The result is a home that feels deeply personal, allowing the people and objects within it to remain at the heart of the story.
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Selective by design
Above Exposed screed flooring and timber cabinetry frame the open flow between the living and dining areas
Exposed screed flooring and timber cabinetry frame the open flow between the living and dining areas
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Significant changes were made to the original layout while paying special attention to the materials and design elements. The aim was to move away from the conventional, and not replicate the looks that dominate social media.
The decision to rethink the original layout went hand in hand with a more selective approach to what was brought into the home. Rather than filling every corner, the designers considered what deserved a place within the space, allowing the owners’ belongings, memories and personal preferences to become part of the interior.
Above A tiled column and illuminated display niche mark the transition between the communal zones
A tiled column and illuminated display niche mark the transition between the communal zones
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This restraint is evident in the way the spaces have been composed. Materials and furnishings are given room to breathe, while personal objects become part of the visual language rather than mere additions to the decor. The result is an interior that feels layered and lived in, without seeming overly furnished or styled.
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Redefined transitions
Above A low-slung media console and lived-in furnishings bring warmth to the living space
A low-slung media console and lived-in furnishings bring warmth to the living space
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The flow of life is very evident in how the designer handled spatial transitions. One of the defining ideas of the apartment is how it moves from one space to another. Rather than relying on conventional partitions, walls or doors to establish boundaries, Yap allowed the materials, textures and spatial proportions to guide the journey through the home. This sense of transition also gives the apartment a feeling of discovery.
Above The functional yet snug kitchen is replete with classic wood fittings
The functional yet snug kitchen is replete with classic wood fittings
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The communal areas are deliberately kept more open and expressive, encouraging conversation, gatherings and shared moments, while the private areas gradually take on a more intimate character. This shift is not overt; rather, it is sensed through a change in texture, the feel of a different material, a subtle adjustment in proportion, or a change in atmosphere. All signal that one has entered a different part of the home.
The apartment reveals itself gradually; each space has its own identity without being detached from the overall story.
Honest materiality
Above The layered view to the master bedroom
Above A steel bedside table offers contrast to the room’s warm wood panelling
The layered view to the master bedroom
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Among the more unexpected choices was the decision to leave the cement screed flooring exposed, utilising it as a finished material instead of concealing it beneath a floor covering like tile or parquet. Here, the screed flooring’s raw texture and understated character become a key part of the interior.
Above Burl-veneer wardrobes bring pattern and texture to the master bedroom
Burl-veneer wardrobes bring pattern and texture to the master bedroom
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The imperfection in the choice is disarming and grounding, while creating a contrast with the more refined elements. More importantly, it does not compete with the occupants’ belongings.
Instead, the simplicity of the material allows those very personal objects to take their place within the apartment’s overall design scheme. It reiterates the primary design objective: that not everything needs to be polished, decorative or designed to make an impression.
Above This well-lit niche serves as a visual canvas for hanging garments
This well-lit niche serves as a visual canvas for hanging garments
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The design achieves what it set out to do for the inhabitants: to create a home that could only belong to them.
Authors Interior & Styling
Above Designer Tracey Yap of Authors Interior & Styling
Designer Tracey Yap of Authors Interior & Styling
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Founded by Tayllen Phoo and Elaine Khor, Authors Interior & Styling believes that good design begins with an understanding of context, and that effective design should speak for itself. The firm looks beyond aesthetics to understand the people and purpose behind each space, creating interiors that feel grounded, humanising and meaningful.
Authors Interior & Styling, 22 New Industrial Road, #01-07/08, Tel: 6844 9917, authorsinterior.co
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