Compact yet spacious

HAVING grown up in Joo Chiat, it was only natural that when Alan Tan decided to buy his own apartment, it would be in the same area. "Joo Chiat Road has lots of sentimental value for me," says Mr Tan, a director at architectural materials solution provider, Rice.

His home is an apartment at Sandalwood designed by architect Chan Soo Khian. Mr Tan has a second reason for buying in this area. "Soo Khian is one of my favourite architects, and the units here are very hard to come by." So when an apartment was put up for sale, he immediately grabbed it. "The condo is very charming and peaceful to boot," he adds. At slightly more than 1,000 sq ft, and with its dark interiors, the apartment looks small, but oddly feels spacious. Mr Tan points out that by practising a "disciplined use of materials", he has been able to make a compact space look bigger than it is.

His company offers a wide range of floor materials, from tiles to stone and mosaic. With more than a decade's experience in the industry, Mr Tan knew exactly which material he wanted for his home. His choice is a large format porcelain stoneware tile in a warm grey shade from Italy, for the kitchen, living and bedrooms. "Using just a single type of tile makes the different areas in the apartment appear seamless and therefore bigger," he says. "A large format tile has a more luxurious look compared with smaller tiles." He adds that perfectly matching coloured grout and tiles are crucial to achieve the seamless look.