Designs on Asia: A tropical chic condo blending rattan and marble in Balmeg Hill

Downsizing one's home is never easy, but good design works wonders to transform a space from small to airy.

For one family of four, shifting from a two-storey landed property to a three-bedroom condo meant fitting their old lifestyle into a dwindled space - 140 square metres, to be exact.

One layout revamp and $200,000 later, their new home in Balmeg Hill was transformed into a chic tropical oasis with surprising amounts of living space.

"The family first fell in love with the unit, thanks to its large balcony accessible from the living room and all bedrooms," says Yanika Gunawan, Design Director of Singapore-based studio Parenthesis.

Step onto the balcony and the lush calm of Balmeg Hill enfolds you - sweeping greenery, birdsong all round, and not a concrete building in sight.

Inspired by this verdant view, the clients' brief to Yanika was to bring the tropical surroundings indoors. The result is a home splashed with green and botanical motifs, fusing modern decor with natural touches.

Far from being simply soothing, the tropical palette goes striking with its colours and textures.

Taking pride of place in the living area is a moss-green slab of Verde Giaba marble, carved into a statement island counter.

Threaded through with dark green veins and pops of white, this snazzy surface doubles up as a worktop for baking as well as for everyday dining.

More rustic textures offer a contrast with the sleek marble: Shaker-style kitchen cabinets are finished with rattan, complete with tempered glass to protect it from mould in Singapore's humidity.

Compared to the full outdoor wet kitchen of their previous house, the kitchen here offers less elbow room for the family's baking and cooking needs.

To make the most of the space, the Parenthesis team reconfigured the dry kitchen to fuse with the dining space, creating a semi-open kitchen.

Meanwhile, the wet kitchen is neatly tucked round a corner, with long rows of deep green cabinets concealing any clutter.

The corner itself is strategically lined with tinted mirrors to reflect the greenery outside, enhancing the airy feel of the space.

With a glass-panelled balcony spanning its breadth, the small living room is flooded with natural light.

The living area flows into the balcony space seamlessly - thanks to a special MCST approval, the family was able to replace the balcony's original sliding doors with slide-and-swing doors, allowing them to be folded back fully.

It's a breezy space for alfresco dining with family and friends; post-meal, the party can easily spill over into the TV area fitted stylishly in pale wood and rattan.

The master bedroom has been decked sleekly in white hues and blue velvet upholstery, but it's the master bathroom that saw a major overhaul.

Removing the existing bathtub beside the door, the designers converted the space into a pocket-sized dressing area for the lady of the house.

Screened windows shed plenty of serene light on the dressing table clad in black and green.

Textured greens make an appearance on the master bathroom's entrance wall, with its weathered green subway tiles framing white double doors accented by beading.

Meanwhile, in the common bathroom, botanical prints sourced by the family themselves bloom exuberantly over the tiles; an unusual wooden washbasin adds a rustic finishing touch.

This condo home is located at Balmeg Hill, Pasir Panjang, Singapore. Check out more of Parenthesis' projects here.

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This article was first published in City Nomads.