Home tour: how LA Design Studio makes a statement in a double-volume Bukit Timah apartment

At just 797 sq ft, a loft within the double-volume space risked losing ceiling height and light. The designers turned this limitation into the home’s focal point, skirting the full-height windows so daylight floods the living zone and flows into the study.

A tinted glass slit panel at the loft’s back, facing the foyer, pulls light into the hallway too, keeping the entry bright. The double-volume space became the project’s primary focus and a point of professional pride. Careful spatial planning, material choices and attention to natural light stopped the new structure from dominating the living area.

The homeowners were active participants throughout, sharing material and design ideas from their overseas trips. “One of our roles was to curate these inspirations, ensuring the final design remained cohesive while reflecting the clients’ personalities,” explains Thong. “The ongoing exchange of ideas challenged us to refine the design, allowing it to evolve organically rather than follow a fixed concept from start to finish,” he adds.

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A conventional staircase would have blocked light and views from the entrance, so the designers merged the TV console into the staircase itself, with the first landing step flowing from its storage unit. Wrapped in travertine to match the five-metre stone feature wall, the structure appears to float, thanks to hidden columns and side lighting.

The structural column for the loft doubles as support for the floating study desk above, with a custom metal support welded to the wall to eliminate visible legs. The desk overlooks the living area, lit through a slightly tinted privacy glass railing.

“The floating stairs were designed to minimise visual bulk, allowing views to remain open from the entrance while maintaining a strong architectural presence,” explains Thong.

Metallic inlays mark each material transition as a deliberate design feature, not just a construction detail.

“Every design decision, from the placement of the loft and the floating stairs to the travertine feature wall and bonsai landscape, was carefully composed to create a space that reveals itself differently from every viewpoint,” adds Thong.

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Below the stairs, a curated bonsai tree replaces a generic planter, grounding the dining area with a calming touch of the outdoors. These elements overlap and interlock, forming a layered composition that stands proud as the heart of the home.

From the common zones to the more private areas, the home’s spaces coalesce into a coherent whole. Nestled beneath the loft, the dining area sits against umber-toned cabinetry and a dark marble feature, lending a cosy, bar-like atmosphere for intimate evenings. Its countertop, cut in matching travertine, flows continuously from the feature wall and stairs.

The powder room and master bathroom both benefit from soft backlighting that brings their material palette to life: subtly patterned ivory stone tiles, gold-toned hardware, dark timber cabinets and pristine white fittings.

In the master bedroom, symmetry and wardrobe walkways were key concerns. The bed, too, is designed to appear to be floating. Paired with an asymmetrical tinted mirror, its marble-based head breaks up the wall’s visual weight, elongates the wardrobes, and draws the bedside stone countertop into one flow.

Bedroom two was similarly re-engineered around light and view: a half-glass partition behind the sofa preserves sightlines toward the Bukit Timah skyline from the entrance, while pulling extra light deep into the interior.

LA Design Studio is helmed by Lim Thong, a second-generation designer who conceptualises good-looking spaces that are sanctuaries for the soul. These environments harmonise with their occupants, merging form with function in a manner that resonates with the human experience.

LA Design Studio, 22 Sin Ming Lane, #02-75 Midview City, Tel: 8090 1540, instagram.com/ladesignstudio.sg

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