To say that the pandemic putting a halt on all travelling plans is a huge damper is perhaps a major understatement. To ease your restless spirit, we put together 8 homes in Singapore inspired by places around the world.

Taking inspiration from popular travel destinations like New York, Bali and London, these homes will hopefully fulfil a part of your wanderlust.

1. Place of Inspiration: Japan

Design: AkiHaus

The homeowner wanted a home that was inspired by Japanese interiors as Japan is a place he frequently travels to for work. To recreate the look in the one-bedroom apartment, AkiHaus employed a neutral palette of white, wood and black —a palette commonly associated with Japanese interiors — with the occasional greys to lend visual texture and a modern slant.

Much of the interiors were kept clean and simple, with fuss-free silhouettes and lines. An open concept was adopted to facilitate hosting and to allow light and ventilation to pass through.

Storage was also maximised, as seen from the bedroom with cabinets stretching overhead across the bedhead.

Located outside the master bedroom, the originally uninspiring balcony was given a Zen-like ambience with wood decking and bamboo plants.

The attached bathroom was also redesigned to create common access. A Hinoki bath bucket and stool sit by the side in the glass-enclosed modern shower, alluding to the traditional Japanese design.

2. Place of Inspiration: French and English Countryside

Design: Black N White Haus

The couple loves travelling to Europe and was particularly enamoured by the French and English countryside. They thus wanted the same feel and decorum found in the homes there for their 5-room HDB flat.

Instead of incorporating everything however, Black N White Haus took on key elements while keeping the rest of the home relatively modern for more timeless appeal.

This was also in view of the space — homes in the French and English countryside were often generous in size and could take on the extra detailing and ornamentation unlike our considerably smaller HDB flats.

Brass highlights and classic European elements like wainscoting walls and crown moulding ceilings showcase a discreet elegance amidst the soothing beige and cream palette.

Other elements that allude to their European countryside inspiration include a custom-made ‘fireplace’ that takes centre stage in the living room, French doors with ornate handles that lead into the private spaces of the home, dark-stained teak flooring and black-and-white tiles in the kitchen.

3. Place of Inspiration: Southeast Asia

Design: Design Zage

The inspiration for their new flat came mainly from the various resorts across Southeast Asia that the couple frequently stayed in when they travelled.

To evoke the same chill, tropical vibes they experienced in those resorts, they incorporated wooden beams on the ceiling, decorated the walls with wood panels bought in Bali, and created a bar dining table made from Suar wood by the window. Plants — both real and artificial — are decked out throughout the space to lend to the resort ambience.

Because resorts are never without its creature comforts, the couple turned one of their spare bedrooms into a home gym. Enclosing it behind glass panels, the space feels as much a part of the home whilst achieving enough light and privacy.

To recreate the feeling of entering a luxury villa, the entrance into the master bedroom was replaced with wooden French doors adorned by a pair of Oriental brass knockers.

Inside, the en-suite bathroom features similar holiday vibes decked out in woodgrain tiles with part of the flooring covered in white pebbles.

4. Place of Inspiration: Santorini

Design: First Dot Design

The homeowners wanted a holiday-themed space for their first family home, a 5-room flat in Bukit Batok.

Santorini was an obvious choice, as its very name conjures an airy laidback vibe, with dazzling white walls and curved blue domes set against a charming backdrop of blue skies and the shimmering waters of the Aegean Sea.

Taking into account these features, the designer awash the interiors in a true white paint to lend a crisp and clean setting.

Sky blue accents were added as a homage to Santorini’s skies and seas.

In the living room, the TV wall was clad in faux bricks to reflect the Greek island’s architecture, while the curved false ceiling reflects the iconic curved domes of Santorini. In the bathroom, a pebbled tile shower wall adds to the carefree, resort feel.

5. Place of Inspiration: London

Design: M Atelier

While most would take design inspiration from the hotels or resorts they stayed in, the homeowners of this flat took inspiration from the storefronts of London, which they fell in love with during their travels there.

They replicated the look in the facade of their entertainment room.

Black-framed glass panels complete with gold signage was done up and made to look like an upscale London storefront.

The rest of the home’s design concurs towards this focal point, with the balcony adopting a similar black-framed glass panelling. Woodgrain panels lend warmth amidst the luxurious milieu, which are marked also by gilded accents, marble prints and velvet textures.

A long island sits outside the kitchen to serve as the main hosting zone as well as a baking station.

6. Place of Inspiration: Morocco

Design: Fatema Design Studio

The Moroccan style is all about drama. Heavy on pattern, it is bold, luxurious and elegant, very much like this 4-room HDB flat, which is home to a family of four.

You see it most evidently in the living room’s feature wall, which features tiles with intricate patterns in contrasting blue and white hues — reflecting Morocco’s surrounding seas. Adding to the drama is a Moroccan style area rug that helps to anchor the room.

Next to the feature wall, a cosy corner was carved out using grey-tinted glass and mirror panels.

The home’s walls are swathed in a subdued grey, presenting the perfect milieu for the various patterns and motifs to stand out.

And there is certainly no shortage of that. In the kitchen for instance, we see the honeycomb-patterned backsplash tiles stand out, while the corridor leading into the bedrooms boasts a metal geometric patterned screen on the ceiling.

Even the bathroom’s shower area is tiled with similar patterns on the wall.

7. Place of Inspiration: New York

Design: Linear Space Concepts

New York lofts — previously converted warehouses — are a common design inspiration for homes in Singapore, mainly due to the appeal of how open and bright they look.

Because of their history and the existing structure of the space, the lofts in New York often feature industrial details, a lot of which was also included in this new home.

There are a lot of textures in the 5-room flat, including a brick wall that stretches from a part of the living room wall into the entire walkway leading into the private areas.

Complementing the bricks are a series of coloured wood planks lining the TV wall, cement screed surfaces in the dining area, wire mesh glass in the study, and a zinc sheet in the kitchen.

In the bedroom, walls were hacked between the master bedroom and the spare bedroom to create a similar open, airy feel and to form easy access to the walk-in wardrobe.

Rustic woodgrain laminates line the fronts of the wardrobe to adhere to the industrial style.

A custom dressing table sits in the middle of the two spaces, providing the perfect spot for getting ready in the morning.

8. Place of Inspiration: Australia

Design: The Local Inn.terior

One of the homeowners hails from Australia, which was why the inspiration for their new family home is from Down Under. Modern Australian homes are drenched in plenty of sunlight with clean and simple lines in view of their relaxed and easy-going culture and the use of natural textures and materials due to their love of nature.

This was the vibe that they sought to recreate in their home.

Besides creating a flexible, open space through bi-fold doors, which had the result of keeping things looking spacious and airy, walls were also kept mainly white, save for the dining area which is awash in a pale pink.

Pops of colour — including the very bright yellow front door — lend an air of cheeriness throughout the home. Wooden beams line the walkway to give the space a sort of beach shack feel.

To make things even more personal and less cookie-cutter, they decided to incorporate a couple of Peranakan influences throughout the home, in tribute to the other homeowner’s heritage. As such, the dry kitchen flooring was laid out in colourful Peranakan-style tiles.

They pop against the light wood cabinetry, which was cleverly designed to hide a pull-out pantry and the entrance into the common bathroom.

This article was first published in Renonation.