NEVER TOO SMALL: Architect’s Live/Work Home Design Singapore 60sqm/645sqft

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Set on the top floor of a 34 year old low rise Singaporean public housing block, Project #13 by STUDIO WILLS + Architects is a creative reinterpretation of an original shop house, splitting the unit down the middle instead of keeping the shop/office at street level and the home above. Originally a two bedroom, two bathroom home, the apartment was transformed to create fully independent but seamlessly connected living and co-working spaces alongside one another. Raising the roofline created space to add a loft between the living and dining areas, underneath which they inserted a large piece of built in furniture, a tall wooden volume aptly termed the “space-marker”. The centre of the “space-marker” contains a walk in wardrobe and storage, with a built in tea-making station to one side and a set of timber steps, with integrated storage, leading to the loft style bedroom, on the other. By upgrading and repurposing this previously single-use residential unit, Project #13 re-examines what a mixed living and working space could look like, allowing for flexible use over time which in turn will sustain the property over the course of its life.
#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign
Project Name: Project 13
Designer: www.studio-wil...
Creator: Colin Chee
Cinematographer: Kevin Siyuan
Director: Nam Tran
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Jessica Ruasol
Music: Sleeping Seeds by We Dream of Eden

[@nevertoosmall]

If you’re an architect or designer with a project we could feature, please share it with us at www.nevertoosmall.com/submissions Architect: www.studio-wills.com/ Cinematography: kzbin.info Check out our book - www.nts.store Workspace by Never Too Small - www.nts.space Website www.nevertoosmall.com Instagram instagram.com/nvtsmall Facebookfacebook.com/nvtsmall

[@damienrochat4025]

I suggest adding a small pic of exactly what room is showed in the plan up in the corner, cause i had to go back to the general plan layout a couple times to understand exactly where we were supposed to be. Other than that, great Home/Office!

[@tuppence937]

great suggestion. I agree.

[@natheemakathoon2285]

youtube.com/@cotaparedes?si=g1S699u4JBElIjIv This channel shows in a similar way! It would be nice if NTS does this too

[@lauuvicky]

The architects can magically transform a shophouse into a home office in such a seamless manner. Bravo

[@jessisoffline]

One of the most elegant, functional, and breathable spaces. I cannot express how impressed and taken away at how beautiful this space is!

[@Hello_Foody_BE_Roll_here]

Ticks all the boxes!

[@rosiekapun207]

Agree. It's gorgeous.

[@mdm1210]

I also agree... a beautiful space :)

[@zelevol]

Thank you Lindsay, Colin, Nam & Kevin. It was a great experience collaborating with you guys.

[@nevertoosmall]

Hi Keguang and William! Thank you so much for letting us film your space! We totally love it, congratulations - we hope to work with you guys again soon!

[@jancheng9372]

I am a fellow Singaporean living in the U.K. I watch this channel a lot and your project is definitely one of my faves!! If I were back home and needed an architect, you guys would be my first choice. I love love love what you have done with this place.

[@gus473]

🇸🇬👍🏼😎✌🏼

[@Hello_Foody_BE_Roll_here]

You have a beautiful home/ working space. And art work is great too!

[@alicebordarier3308]

Thank you for sharing this space, it is absolutely gorgeous! So many clever space-saving and storage solutions while keeping that feeling of eeriness (and without compromising on comfort) is rare! I love how well the light can travel in the whole unit, and the proportion between separation and communication of the spaces is perfect in my eyes... Not to mention the splendid art works, the cherry on the cake really!

[@abemoni]

As a HDB flat dweller in Singapore, having gone through my flat purchase and renovations rejigging my space, seeing folks seriously rethinking the interiors of their HDB flats, especially when it’s in the older estates, makes me excited! There is so much potential in these flats. So thank you NTS for featuring two HDB flats in a short span, because I can actually relate to these spaces, for real! It goes without saying, that this space is clever! I mean the chain ‘drainage’ for the aircon.

[@bobyu7115]

The drainage reminds me of visiting experience Kyoto villages. Really smart design.

[@hilmir]

i am confused, so this unit is a mansionette? most flats in Singapore are not double volune like this is.

[@jdp486]

Love the inclusion of "finer things" instead of completely minimal. Multiple light sources in each room, the comfy looking couch, the tray with bottles and a candle, artwork!

[@glorial2825]

This is so unique. Such a small space for both office and home, but looks comfortable with 2 bathrooms 🙌

[@QuickQuips]

Really good use of light and brighter colors like the bathroom tile in such a tall and narrow environment. Singapore is full of architectural genius.

[@Furnitecture]

Love this live and work space, looks so comfortable and inviting. Really effective use of the high ceilings with the ‘space marker’ (I hope I'm using the correct term?) built-in furniture piece / loft space. The pivoting mirror panel is a really nice touch too!

[@kofimii]

I don't get the space marker. Is it the separation between two rooms?

[@ilovebobsdonuts]

4:29 that indoor window is wonderful! It's clear that the architects have a deep respect for their art, as they've done such a beautiful job framing, lighting, and placing their art throughout this home and office. I want to learn how they did such a great job on that!

[@snowhunter7536]

This is actually innovative. I rarely heard of spaces integrating home and office areas until this. LITERALLY. I always thought of integrated home and office spaces like a house with just a simple office/study area.

[@Tadneiko]

Did you see the other video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaqVgYSDYq2hg7M

[@snowhunter7536]

@@Tadneiko yeah I’ve seen this before. The one with the library, and it’s actually good. However, 1) I was talking about a real office space where multiple office workers actually work instead of that typical work-from-home kind of office, and 2) I said rarely. It’s not like I’ve never seen such setup/plan before.

[@Tadneiko]

@@snowhunter7536 just wanted to make sure you didn't miss it

[@ThePirateHunter]

This is probably my favourite one so far and I've been following this channel for years. It's so functional, visually pleasing and really shows that you can have office/living in the same space without having to live a minimalistic lifestyle (I mean there's SO MUCH STORAGE).

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

You may want to explore South Korean living and office spaces called officetels. The ability to combine living and work spaces together makes for affordable solutions. The flat in the vid is a true testament of being flexible with the demands of work and living. Work life balance is such a difficult thing to achieve, but when you can it’s gold dust 🥰

[@ysbyttybedbug]

It’s a beautifully light and airy space and I love that windows can be opened, which, along with the gauzy curtains, softens and enhances the airy feel. I’m perplexed as to why the cooking facilities are in the office rather than the living area.

[@kalliste01]

I wondered the same thing too. When it got to the first kitchen I thought "nowhere to cook?"

[@bettenotap4791]

Maybe because only one person resides here but more people come into work. If they prepare their own meals they are more efficient. The person who resides here can always use the larger kitchen space when they are gone.

[@amberoh5297]

They can probably buy food in the nearby market. Much more cost efficient to just eat out in the nearby hawker than cook in Singapore for a single person or a small group

[@coreycruz6546]

One thing people need to understand is that in SG, "hawker centres" and the SG-style coffeeshops (not to be confused with the Starbucks-style "Western" ones) are planned for by the government so that those in public housing estates can have access to inexpensive food, so that a lot of people actually don't need to cook anymore. To me it would seem like the first kitchen serves as the pantry where the office staff could sit together and eat whatever they've bought from the hawker, so they don't have to eat at their desks. The bigger kitchen then serves as the proper kitchen for the resident once everyone's gone home, with the daytime coffee bar serving as the island for the resident.

[@n2y88]

So happy to see more of our local homes being featured! SG really boasts of extremely tiny living, and spaces for families of 3 or 4 (or bigger) really do come that small. I hope more SG projects are featured on NTS! :)

[@gus473]

🇸🇬 👍🏼😎✌🏼

[@tonkeasley6210]

This house is incredible. Like these white walls look so soothing and sophisticated. It gives you a peaceful vibe and kind of encourages you to work more feverishly.

[@vleraberisha9276]

It's honestly a bit too messy.. Also some of the choices are a bit weird, why are there 2 sinks in the dining room or two coffee areas? The wood and neutral colors are great though. LOVEEEE the series!!!! Thanks for constantly entertaining us!

[@R-lyeh]

Don't forget the other sink and the oven in the office space or the second bathroom, which shares a wall with the first bathroom. They could have made one bigger bathroom and one bigger kitchen instead.

[@kayelle8005]

Yeah 60 square metres is not that small and this arrangement seems quite poky and chaotic to me. The office space is ok but no literal or metaphorical balancing of work and life.

[@lizsays3324]

The 2 bathrooms make sense to me, because the person living there probably doesn't want to share a bathroom with the office. Separate food storage also makes sense. But couldn't the cooking appliances, etc be shared? I'm assuming the separate kitchen and bathroom sink is a cultural tradition. But why is it outside of the bathroom?

[@almond4933]

@@lizsays3324 again, cultural thing i think. my relatives house in china were the same with the sinks

[@oddicris]

Agreed

[@rocketsteel]

Good design. They also had the luck to acquire a top floor HDB unit with a pitch roof design. It's a rare find.

[@EdricHsu]

Fantastic blend of work and living spaces, without being too cluttered or claustrophobic. Love this episode!

[@mypuppy4U]

I am just amazed by this transformation of the floor plan from a single-living, two bedroom apartment to a living and working integration. This particular living space just fascinates me that a spacious living space, two kitchen spaces, two bathrooms, a dining space, a guest room, and a bedroom can be built into this small space, but I guess that is the power of architecture!

[@ruahinehemara5164]

Loving that art work choices, it seemed to extend the space with simplicity and elegance

[@robertedwards9055]

Beautiful execution. It’s smart, attractive, and functional.

[@meredithcurtisgoode3850]

This is a fascinating project. They do many unexpected things that seem functional, especially when you consider the two sides of the location as complementary.

[@Alextodd007]

Hello Meredith

[@lucindabutler1100]

What a lovely home/office space, it's so inviting. I am so impressed with the living areas and how much room there is. Thank you for sharing this I love this channel.

[@arabella959]

Wow, I absolutely love this. Brilliant concept and use of space. I love the neutral theme butterscotch colors and I gave this five stars. This concept really distinguishes the theme of your company. Bravo 👏

[@tsai3009]

Great transformation of an HDB 3 room! Love it!! 👍💪👏👏👏🎉

[@miahcpz]

I like the framed floor plan of the house hanging in the office. What a clever and unique idea!

[@klgherkin]

The more of the apartment that was revealed the more I smiled. Genius design, with significant storage, and the wall and shelf space devoted to beautiful artworks. The space feels simultaneously cocooning and inspiring.

[@YT-GuestAccount]

Wow, this is such a cool concept and really, really well done. Although it has nothing to do with my model of life, taste, preferences in colors or materials, I still find it super enjoyable. :) That's some solid interior design right there.

[@cherylsusanv5596]

as a singaporean who has followed this channel for a while now, i always thought executing a small space idea in singapore would be impossible! glad to see these new episodes prove me wrong :)

[@gunesayyldz9856]

I have watched every single video of this channel and i think this is the best design of them all. Kudos to the architects, they've done such a great job!

[@TalithaL]

This home/office design is a work of art! So creative and a beautiful color palette.

[@Nicolaspurr]

Some gorgeous artworks here.

[@Alextodd007]

Hello Nicole

[@liszaf3976]

Wow amazing how you have got so much into this space! Thank you to Never too Small and the architects who created this space for sharing, I need to watch this many times to really understand the design!

[@flottenheimer]

Such an elegant, pleasant and unique studio/apartment. I love the blend of materials and natural textures. Bravo!

[@inbareform]

Well done Studio Wills, the style is on point, limited material palette works to simplify the hectic multifunctional space, fantastic use of storage. I wish my commute was this short.

[@annanirathsi1111]

I just love all of it and their artwork and lighting and designs are so beautiful and inviting. I feel like I need more than 7.5 minutes to really see this whole place.

[@annjohnson8437]

This is a great space! It's extremely innovative, functional, and soothing.

[@feimuihong5668]

Brilliant design! I would never think this is a HDB apartment.

[@antonietaovalle1484]

I was amazed everytime they showed a new area within their design. It was ethereal , peaceful design. Fantastic job

[@minnah101]

Love this design. Compact yet you cannot tell. Good job.

[@eliza9799]

I fell in love with the living room area, it's like painting, such beautiful and complimenting colours, especially wiyh the painting on the wall. Amazing

[@tamiweber7118]

Incredible design for office work from home. Beautiful apartment 💜💜💜💜💜

[@zoelee8471]

Great design and made use of the limited space! It's practical and functional. If they decide to move the office to a different location one day, the existing office space could be used as another studio/living area.

[@carveratutube]

Imho this project characterise perfectly what is most important for small places, create a functional and liveable space following the customers needs.

[@Pelow5]

Amazing use of space! Light, airy and comfortable and functional.

[@TheEmzies]

Love this space. For me physical separation of work and home supports mental separation of the two. I'd be interested in how the architects manage that in this space.

[@rachelyamada2794]

This so beautiful! The color palette is marvelous, very soft to the eyes and amazing use o space, 10/10!

[@adriaandippenaar4303]

The artwork in this space is brilliantly melded to the environment

[@amandawhite3851]

Gorgeous space! Love the layout and overall palette. Very calming.

[@Alextodd007]

Hello Amanda

[@93VIDEO]

I like it very much, the lines are pure and refined, the colours are naturally warm, very modern... thanks for sharing... In French : J'aime beaucoup, les lignes sont pures et affinées, les couleurs sont naturellement chaude, très moderne ... merci pour le partage ...

[@anwarp8113]

I love it! the house really gives me comfort and calming vibe ❤️

[@versus19]

speechless... this is really incredible... functional and totally liveable... bravo!

[@majorquackquack]

This half and half idea is quite genius. It splits the space nicely and I can certainly see a single or even a couple living here. I think rather than a pivot I would put in a simple window instead so you can use that bar like space in the bedroom area.

[@no.reply_]

Love how they managed to get so much from a modest apartment, the complex looks cool too, always loved how Singapore does social housing

[@jonathancastellino6707]

This is absolutely one of my favorite projects that you folks have shown; magnificent.

[@guinevereshort3811]

Love all the wall art. Very clever design

[@caroln63]

wow amazed how much they fit into that space

[@ravent3016]

This is elegant and well-thought-out. I also like the serene atmosphere and palette.

[@heleneac]

Love it!! It’s great to see a small space look good even though it contains a lot of stuff (read: life). Perfect!

[@miriam4235]

Such a lovely space! Although I still have no idea what the layout is. Even after seeing the overview. 😅

[@cherylkoh119]

Love this! Singapore is home to very innovative architecture and interior designs. Would love to see more designs in Asia!!!

[@lindamcclain7975]

Beautiful space with fantastic Art !!!

[@douglaswhitter8410]

Architects are a unique breed, beautiful design guys✌👍

[@melifiscentgirl]

Was super clever! Curious if sharing one bathroom or one kitchen which is cleverly shared between the two spaces was considered? since both spaces are small I assume this could help conserve space in both places

[@daniellebissonnette3304]

This is the most beautiful space showcased on NTS to date. There are so many clever ideas, like the rainwater chain in the bathroom. However, I feel like this would be a high maintenance space, with many places for dust to collect. Also, having two kitchens and two full baths in such a small space seems inefficient to me.

[@ingusch3783]

I get what you mean, but I imagine that having your own private bathroom and kitchen nook makes sharing your home with your office a lot more 'bearable' and stress-free. Like, you can leave your kitchen a bit messy from making breakfast and the office kitchen will still look nice and presentable. The 'public' bathroom can similarly look nice and representable without the owner's private toiletries cluttering the space. It just helps keeping work and living a bit more separated.

[@kimzszsz1726]

I agree about the dust. Whenever I see homes here I think about how the space would be cleaned. Just like what the other comment said, there are two bathrooms and kitchens to keep the personal and business space separated. But the idea of one big kitchen also sounds good if the owner is fine with sharing the space with others. For the bathroom, it is better kept separated.

[@yoxxed]

I just discovered this channel. I’m getting so inspired!!! I love it

[@lemonadeslices]

such a clever use of space. excited to see more singapore content on NTS!

[@Naitorokkusu]

The tiles in the bathroom are beautiful.

[@yingpan305]

那么压抑的组屋被你们改成这么好。赞👍🏻赞👍🏻

[@markhogan77]

Really well thought out - quality build and tasteful design - but I’d really like to know aspects of the challenges involved in raising the ceiling height …what floor level this unit is on.

[@antonsitepu]

Love it... its stunning and well function spaces... to live and work... very welldone.... i love the colour scheme and the choice of material and artworks...

[@sereniebellini]

Thanks for showcasing Singapore!

[@vurda79]

Simply beautiful

[@gayatoro2332]

OOH "NEVER TOO SMALL" in Singapore! YESSSS!!! I am soo excited to watch this!

[@B__C__]

It's interesting. For me though it seems sort of a "hot mess" of design. It's a small space with two kitchen areas with three sinks (and at least as many small kitchen counters) between them, two places to have coffee, a meeting area with an obvious washing machine, and an open office that looks to be a bit hard to navigate because of the three, big, joined desks at the center eating up all of the floor space. I just keep picturing someone lifting up the hidden, loft, underbed storage lid while someone was in the bed. AAAH! **Thud** "Why Brad, you're up and in early to work today." Again it's interesting, the lighting is nice, as is the cozy livingroom space, but the underloft storage tunnel, and its curtain doors seems at odds with it and some of the more finished-looking parts of the space. It leaves me with the overall impression of the whole design team working on the building simultaneously without telling one another what they were doing, and then this was the result.

[@annamcarthur3409]

I wondered why there was no hob in the home kitchen area but only in the office kitchen. I feel that they must mostly eat out, as the cooking arrangements are confusing.

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

Yes! Just what I was thinking and don't understand all the praise for this design. My eyes had no idea where to settle. It may work well enough as an office space but this is by no means a comfortable living space. UGH!

[@ixoraaz]

Exactly instead of a seamless flow of private and public spaces, it's a cluttered, cramped, crazy collection of randomness.

[@juanadearco6356]

Imagine having horrible diarrhea at home and all your coworkers can hear. In any case I liked the result, but not this idea of "work from home".

[@bucketofbarnacles]

Beautiful, functional and light.

[@leslieannbeck905]

what clean lines, simple materiality and overall aesthetic. very inspiring. Though I do wonder, who lives in there? The bed area seems to only exist for more practical reasons than actual living purposes. I can only imagine someone using it if they missed the last train home from the office.

[@heribertonunez4893]

Amazing use of space and the whole apartment is beautifully designed, but personally I like to keep my home and my working space separate.

[@Lasercatss]

Absolutely love this set-up. What great re-use of space for mixed living/work. The little loft bed area is so cute!

[@richtig666]

the paintings are so awesome!

[@rockisforthebestofus]

I love your videos. I would be very interested in knowing the budget for each project. As housing becomes more expensive, and more of us are considering small footprint living (for both environmental and economic reasons), it would be great to have a realistic sense of the price of converting these small spaces into such lovely and liveable homes.

[@schreiberinjen]

This is such a lovely space! And I know this area because I used to live here. Nice to see a glimpse of it. I haven't been back in years. My only "gripe," if at all, is the bathroom where the shower comes before the toilet. Why is this a thing in Singapore? My sister's place in Taipei is the same (she rents). I've also stayed at airBnBs in Taipei and again, shower before the toilet. It's annoying to have the whole area wet when you want to go potty. I don't get it. Probably never will. Anyway, lovely space. Well done! I really like the aesthetic.

[@Alextodd007]

Hello Jen

[@PogieJoe]

This is such a wonderful series.

[@jalanwb7469]

This is beautiful and inviting. I would love to work and live there!

[@agnespm4181]

brilliantly designed.

[@thekarlicollective]

Wow this was VERY COOL. Definitely one I will be returning to in the future ✨

[@Vesania3]

Love the colors and design, would personally to conceal some parts, like the storage and the washing machine, but lovely all together.

[@myrtle4251]

Good use of space and very well done.

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

Really cool place. If they ever sell it I could easily see a family moving in, using the current office space as living space, the meeting room as a bedroom (after removing the sink), and the upstairs as a small kids room.

[@carlasstudydiary5807]

Love the shot at 00:56

[@f3lipe135]

Babe, wake up, new Never Too Small dropped!!

[@tomaram6938]

Excellent use of space!

[@tkcldk]

this design looks very cozy, love it

[@Tashax405]

It's so cosy and looks great with all the art on the walls. Not sure about the two sinks right next to each other in the kitchen and I think I would want my hob in the house kitchen rather than the office one. I feel like I'd be going back and forth between the two kitchens with half my stuff in one and half in the other getting confused where I left stuff (but maybe that's just me as a generally disorganized person!)

[@daladada565]

Amazing place, so cozy

[@lawngaiyi]

I love the sleeping space. I think that it's a combo of comfort and cleanliness. I strongly dislike thick mattress, because it cannot be cleaned. I think that you may enjoy your space even more if you use a wide wooden bench with cushions and knitted blankets instead of the current sofa, because this sofa cannot be washed.

[@Lucas-vd2gx]

60m2 but it feels larger than that, Kudos to the architects and builders! Personally I feel there is too much space dedicated to working rather than living, I am not sure if it would suit my needs, I need a break from the office environment and right now it is too mixed in together, the only space that is not office shared is the sleeping area. All the other ones, you can easily spent 08 to 10 hours a day working in one room and then resting for the rest of the day in the same space. I would feel like I am living 24/7 in my work (hell, I already feel like that working from home and not having a specific room/corner just for work). Don't get me wrong it is a great project but I would do it differently, maybe one kitchen instead of two as well and even divide the entire unit into two distinct areas, when looking at the floor plan, the bottom area would be office space with a bigger kitchen and bathroom and, the entire top area would would be living. One could even play with different colours or finishes (like they are doing already with the bathrooms) so it is really separating the working-living spaces. Again, this is just my two cents, it might not work for me but works like a glove for William and I think they nailed it. Great project!!

[@Hello_Foody_BE_Roll_here]

This apartment ticks all the boxes and painting in the living area adds up the volume.