A Photographer's One-Room Studio Man Cave
83
Virtual House Tour
- Minimalist
- Condo
- ~400 sqft sqft
- 1 br
- Solo Living
Hi guys! I’m Andrew, a photographer working in the furniture industry. I spent about 7 years in Melbourne, Australia, before relocating to Singapore in 2019. As an expat new to the country, I chose a one-bedroom condo that came furnished with essential pieces of furniture, including the bed, sofa, and wardrobe. While I continue to fill the rest of the house with my character, here’s what I can share with you so far. 
I found my unit’s floor plan online. One of the biggest advantages to this house is the abundance of panel windows in the living room and bedroom, which allows for plenty of sunlight on most days in Singapore. The house, while not too spacious, is comfortable enough for one person, or sometimes two when my girlfriend stays over. 
In a studio-like layout, my living room and kitchen share a combined space, where I have also set up my home office. The rather cramped space is somewhat enhanced by the balcony, which overlooks the busy Haji Lane – while usually bustling during both day and night, the noise level has gone down slightly after the introduction of safe distancing rules after 10.30pm. The small space in the kitchen has limited my ability to cook – as you can see, the stove and sink already takes up more than half of the counter. 
A mini collapsible wooden table for quick dining – nice enough for a single diner. 
Given this, I use several storage tricks to maximize what I have left: A glove holder to drain wet gloves after doing the dishes. S-Hooks that help me hold my snacks and my everyday needs, such as bags. 
Two-tier racks to place frequently-used items, such as keys and tissues. 
The bedroom has more free space than the rest of the house. It came furnished with a queen-sized storage bed with drawer spaces below the mattress, where I keep most of my home wear, as well as small pieces of clothes such as socks and undergarments. 
As in the living room, the panel windows grant a nice view of Bugis. 
Being located in the heart of a busy city comes with an unwanted side effect – dust. The Xiaomi Air Purifier has been a great help. 
I try my best to introduce some character to this place without purchasing large, permanent items. The cherry-shaped toilet brush is one example 
Again, with the use of a two-tiered storage rack, I store some display-worthy objects in the living room. 
This building-motif night light was gifted by a close friend to me, and it keeps me company in dark nights especially as my room is shielded by a thick, blackout curtain. The past three years in Singapore was a rollercoaster ride for me — just like other expats, relocating to a country completely new meant I had to create an entirely different lifestyle, not just including working and socialising, but also down to the mundane tasks like cooking, eating, and spending my weekends. Instead of looking for a dramatic change, however, I stuck to a slow and gradual transition into my new lifestyle. My home is a good reflection of this mindset — a rather limited space, but I'm happily making use of what is available. It's not fancy, but it's sufficient for me. Meanwhile, as time continues to inspire me and my lifestyle, I'm expecting to see the space evolve with me.
- 23 January 2023
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