HomeRecipe for the perfect modern + homey living space:
dinkdongs
🏠 warm & cosy modern home inspired by local cafes | 5-room resale flat
Recipe for the perfect modern + homey living space:
183
- Free Style
- HDB (Resale)
- ~1,200 sqft
- 3 br
- Couple Living
Welcome back to our living room! Let’s take a closer look at the modern yet homey and cosy elements that make the space… On a whole, we decided to keep built-ins minimal to make the space feel lighter and spacious. This also gives us more flexibility to switch things up in future. Lighting, both natural and artificial, also makes a huge difference! We don’t take for granted the luxury of having (almost) floor-to-ceiling windows, but we also love a good lamp (‘: In this house, we believe in using the small lights only – this makes nights-in extra cosy too! Do take some time to sit down and think through your lighting plan with your ID/contractor. 
We can’t say enough good things about our sofa— apart from being the perfect colour (not too bright or dull), it’s super comfy and cosy, and the performance fabric makes it easy to maintain. While Castlery does have a higher price point, we really believe in investing in a solid and well-built sofa that lasts all the sitting (and napping) over time without worries! 
Cushions are the perfect way to add character to the living space – it was fun to mix-and-match patterns, textures and shapes using the cushions and throw. This is also one way to tie in other colours in the living space for a more cohesive look. 
Our arched niche~ It was originally a narrow nook that felt abit useless and out of place, so we decided to seal it up and put in a curved niche with wood laminate shelves. Niches might be considered an overused and overrated feature in SG, but we don’t see this going out of trend soon, but even then, trend aside, we personally love it. Consider adding some LED strips to the shelves to accentuate the displays and to create a cosy night time scene… 
Our niche shelves house a collection of random keepsakes from travels and personal momentos (‘: Personalise your space by filling it with items that mean something to you (and your family), instead of rushing to purchase aesthetic vases or books. We wanted to display things that have significance to our home/relationship, so it’ll always be a work-in-progress (like us!) ☺️ 
e.g. tiny hand-drawn cat frame from our honeymoon ^.^ 
The view from our sofa… Plants really add life to the living room (and some greenery is aesthetic and pretty too!) We decided to invest in an everfresh tree from soilboy, and three months on, we have no regrets spending the $$! 
Scents are so important for setting the mood of the space and letting your senses know that you’re home~ to relax~ Add a scent you like thru candles, diffusers, room sprays, etc. We’ve been exploring the world of aromatic incense recently, and really love @atmosphereincense (check them out on IG/Shopee). Super love their aesthetics and concept 
Don’t skimp on key furniture pieces, but Taobao is great for low-hanging fruit like secondary furniture pieces. Our crisscross black leather lounge chair from TB turned out to be the missing puzzle piece that helped to tie the entire living space together – and it didn’t cost much! Contrast textures to add variety and interest to the space, for example, the lounge chair’s leather texture contrasts with the softness of the rug, boucle armchair and fabric sofa. 
Finally, a good rug grounds the entire living area. Shoutout to our Loom and Stone rug. Love the cream colour and abstract checkerboard design which pops (literally), but is subtle enough such that it doesn’t steal the attention away from the other furniture pieces in the space. Opt for a larger size rug to demarcate the living space from the rest of the house, and for maximum cosiness!
