When we spent a lot more time at home during the recent ‘Circuit Breaker’, we may have noticed several things about our homes.
Perhaps it’s a crack in the wall or paint peeling in the corner — but our pads could do with some refreshing, especially if we’ve lived there for awhile.
The owners of an old, worn-out flat in Malaysia probably thought the same thing, so they engaged professionals to turn it into a cosy but luxurious nook reminiscent of a hotel suite.
It’s amazing what a bit a refurbishment can do to a place — or this case, a very extreme makeover. The place looks totally unrecognisable.
From the outside, the flat looks unremarkable, situated as it is in an old block with near-identical looking units.
Outside, the corridor looks poorly maintained, and one won’t expect the units to be any better.
According to the post in Malaysia Homie, the flat’s area is just 470 square feet, or 44 square metres — smaller than a typical 3-room flat in Singapore.
Hence, it’s amazing what Winelo Design & Renovation did to it, proving that size is no barrier to luxury.
In its Facebook post on the project, Winelo said design isn’t just about being aesthetically pleasing.
Space planning is equally important, it added, especially in a small flat like this.
And we can see how the flat is a triumph of space planning, as initially the tiny living-cum-dining room could’ve been cramped.
However, the designers managed to fit a bar area next to the couch, and there’s even room for a display shelf.
From the photos, we can see that the bar table, which is next to the window, can fit 4 people.
It’s a creative way for 4 to have a decent meal without taking up all the space in the room.
There’s even space to fit in a smart home system.
The original flat didn’t have much of a kitchen — it was a squeezy nook which also doubled up as a laundry area.
Now, it’s fully equipped to prepare meals, with storage cabinets, a stove and microwave.
We especially like how the fridge is positioned on top of the washing machine to save space.
As we venture into the most important space for every resident – the bedroom – we see that it used to be a bland space that nobody would want to spend much time in.
It’s now been transformed to a plush haven, with contemporary fittings comparable to a hotel room.
The dirtiest place in the home would be toilet, a place that’s difficult to spend time in, let alone love.
The original toilet was no different, being a dark and grimy pit of despair.
The renovation brightened the place up significantly, with good lighting and marble floors and walls, and now it’s a classy corner to clean yourself.
We like how the cabinet is located over the toilet bowl, again to save space.
Opposite, the marble sink and wide mirror are to die for.
Even the non-descript spare room was spruced up.
It’s now a stylish study room perfect for working from home.
Winelo named this project “The Hidden Gem”, and it’s aptly named because no one would except to see this gorgeously designed unit in an old block.
With good space planning, it looks bigger than its actual size, and as luxurious as a hotel room to boot.
Kudos to the designers, and now we’ll have some design inspirations for our own homes.
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Featured images adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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