Peranakan inspired kitchen with hidden storage and a power track hack!

174

Minimalist
HDB (Resale)
~1,000 sqft
3 br
Couple Living

The kitchen was the most fun to design but also the most difficult. We envisioned something fun but could still flow with the creamy tones in the rest of the home. So we went with a Peranakan-inspired style with soft sage green, patterned tiles, and a few thoughtful design choices that make it both functional and personal.
The kitchen is galley style for a more traditional look. One thing that took us a while was finding the right sage green. We went to three laminate stores and brought home sooo many samples. In the end, what helped most was testing the samples under the actual lighting where the carpentry would go — the colours looked completely different in other parts of the house.
We paired the green with grey patterned tiles that had subtle Peranakan motifs. To keep the space feeling warm and well-lit, we added LED strips under the bottom cabinets and at the food prep zone — it really helps, especially in the evenings.
One of the most useful features is our tall unit with pocket doors. This is where we use the microwave daily as we do weekly meal preps for our senior doggo, so having doors that tuck away fully means we can move around easily without being blocked or bumping into anything. Inside, the pull-out shelves make everything more accessible and also helps with ventilation.
We also added a vertical power track inside the same unit, spread across two levels. It fits up to six plugs, so we can keep our appliances plugged in and ready to go without any mess.
To keep to the creamy and peranakan inspired theme, we decided to go with solid colours for the rest of the areas - a classic white sintered stone counter top and backsplash, and gunmetal coloured sink to keep the design simple and focus the attention on the sage green and peranakan influence tiles.
To keep things open, we shifted the fridge to the service yard. This gave us more flexibility and avoided having to design the carpentry around it. So if we ever want to change to a bigger or smaller fridge, it won’t be an issue.
Another little feature that’s been really helpful is the drawer under the oven, where we keep baking trays and smaller items. It’s convenient and keeps the area less cluttered.
We also have an arched window that connects the kitchen to our mini pantry. It’s a small detail but makes the space feel more open, as we could not decide if we wanted to have an open concept kitchen or not! With the cute window we can still chit chat while one of us is cooking, and the ledge has been handy for placing cups or small decor. To match the arch, we added a bifold kitchen door with an arched lattice detail. It’s one of our favourite parts of the kitchen as it adds a bit of charm and softness to the space.
With the fridge in the service yard, we had to get creative with how to use the remaining space. In our next post, we’ll share how we maximised the service yard vertical space without any carpentry and still have room to store all our cleaning and washing items neatly!