Small Space for a Makeover

About the Client
Zann is a renowned makeup artist in Singapore. She has a portfolio of international and local celebrities, works with the media, C-suites executives and members of the parliament. The purpose of the partial studio conversion is to provide a nice workplace for bridal makeup and design of gowns & suites. And because Zann is an excellent sketch artist, she is introducing some of her very own wedding gowns when she is not at set.

Visit Zann’s website:
Make-up: https://zanncreations.com/ or FB site
Wedding gowns and suites: Zamour https://zamourweddings.com/ (FB)

Brief description of the project
Duration: 3 – 4 days
Dimension of space: 40 square meters
Spent on furnishing: $3,000 to 5,000 USD

B U D G E T
One of the first thing to know (as the interior-deco or owner of the business) is to be clear about the budget. You can spend less, but definitely not more because it is impossible to pay using imaginary money that does not exist to begin with. Once the budget is set, it is then important to identify the furniture stores that would provide the range of products that would not blow that budget out of proportion.

Before (Left) and After (right). The huge leather couch was replaced by a two-seater sleeper sofa. Three additional new items were fitted in the space: Carpet, Head-to-toe mirror and Lamp.

C O L O R S   &   C O L O U R S
Colors are also important: i) to recognize the size of the space, a neutral or white-based color makes it bigger and a darker tone reduces the size of the space; ii) Knowing the family colors are good because a range of deco items and furniture pieces have to be arranged and put together in that given space. Blue usually goes with green, and it clashes with yellow; the brand ‘IKEA’ is against the odds, but the clash of colors has a good reasoning in branding purposes. Red tames well with yellow and orange, and most often together with some shades of brown the colors would remind you of a night in Marrakesh. A splash of neutral colors most often balances the equation; when shades of red and yellow are overwhelming, strokes of beige will balance out the overall look of the design.

For a bridal studio? Marshmellow pink, light shades of grey; Primary blue colors, white, Ivory white, white-washed, under-toned white, rose gold, gold, subtle yellow and green are generally considered soothing to the eyes. It is best to avoid a complete yellow object for bridal studio as the gowns are mostly in neutral shades, and brides do not want white gowns to look yellow. To lighten up the boring ivory shade on the old wall, rose white was the chosen shade for the makeover; a shade which has a subtle pink undertone.

Ivory white (Left) and Rose white (Right)

G R A N D
No matter what size the bridal studio is, Grand and Space are the words to bare in mind when picking up furnitures at the store. A bridal studio is a play between Grand and being a Minimalist. Space is required for the bride-to-be to have a non-restricted view of their gowns. The space has to be clean and with the aid of natural lights to visually decide their make-up and colors of the gown that suit the bride best. Grand is important because wedding is generally, by all means of general, couples receive well wishes as ‘Congratulations! Finally, I am at your wedding! etc, but never ever, ‘Hey hope to attend your next wedding soon.’ Getting married is hoped to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

And it is one of the few lifetime occasions that demands details, details, details.

A few recommended items that were selected for this project which carry some contemporary elements in its details.

Curtains, Lamp and Lights.

The use of rustic texture to blend the old to new. A rather refreshing look using a white undercoat paint and/or a grey spray for the reused cabinets.

Gowns are nevertheless the most important element in this studio, and the fitting room is situated at the enclosed balcony with a double-layered curtain. The height of the curtains can make a drastic difference to the interior deco. Before the adjustment and re-positioning of the curtains, not only it was visually unpleasant, but also the height shows a huge patch of ’emptiness’ which (visually) makes the overall height of the space shorter than it should be. There isn’t a wide-angle lens, hence the slight panorama.

After the re-positioning and installation of additional curtains, a fitting room is hereby ready!

The subsequent posting on #ProjectDesign shall be about textiles design and cushions. Though I enjoy interior deco work and coming up with new ideas for a makeover, I do not usually pick up projects such as interior design or deco work. If you have ideas or had designed your very own work partial studio, leave a comment below and share your experience.

Contributed by: Yuhui Lin (author and interior decorator)