7 Condo Interior Design Ideas to Build the Perfect Retreat

April 3, 2023

While condos are smaller than HDBs in general, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on having a beautiful home. In fact, by selecting the right design, along with the appropriate furniture, you can still create a luxurious living space while achieving your very own dream home.

In this article, let us bring you through the 7 designs, going from mid-century modern and modern retro to fun eclectic and even quirky bohemian. Not only are these design themes timeless, but they are also simply stunning and perfect for every condo homeowner. If you’re looking for HDB interior designs, 5-room interior designs, 4-room interior designs, or 3-room interior designs, do remember to check out our other articles.

Without further ado, here are 7 interior design themes for you to choose from for your condo!

1. Timeless White

One of the easiest design styles to accommodate would be the simple and classic white minimalist, owing to its versatility to complement a wide range of secondary themes and furniture looks.

Apart from just being easy to design and stage, the design also invokes a sense of calmness and serenity from its uncluttered nature, while also having the ability to evolve into a swanky upscale modern design.

To achieve this look, the aim of the game is to keep it simple. Start out with a base palette of white or off-white (i.e. light colours), and ensure that the majority of the living spaces are of that colour. Next, choose furniture and other decors that add to the white expanse, but also have items that are dark in colour, such as black or dark grey, to provide that strong contrast. To make things swanky and modern, look for furnishings that have elements of luxury and/or opulence, such as leather or marble, thus creating that smart clean look that makes it look as though it was taken right out of a New York penthouse.

2. Urban Industrial

One interior design style that has really picked up in popularity as of late is the industrial style, inspired by how an imagined upscale warehouse or factory space would look like.

To achieve this look, one of the main elements that you should look to add to your overall interior is cement screed, either as a flooring surface or wall texture. Unlike a smooth plain grey surface, a cement screed surface creates some variation and texture to the look, adding a level of sophistication to the overall mood of the space.

As for furniture, you would ideally want to get metal or wood-looking fittings, or a combination of both; for instance, you can go for a brown wooden table with a black metal frame or even light options that show off the entirety of the bulbs and/or its wires. This creates the sort of grungy, garage metal type of vibe, which contributes to the overall industrial look!

One thing to be careful of is the type of light (note: not light fittings) that you choose. We recommend going for warm lighting for most of your home; you’d want to manufacture a more warm and welcoming mood, rather than having cool lighting which might come across as being more intimidating or “formal”.

3. Earthy Islander

There are condos, and there are condos.

If you’re fortunate enough to snag a condo unit that has more than one floor, then this certainly opens up more design theme options for your home. One interesting style that we came across is a theme that is inspired by what you might find in a private villa or hotel built in nature.

In particular, this is characterised by incorporating a Scandinavian-based clean and uncomplicated interior, bolstered by ‘earthy’ components such as wooden surfaces and plants. One of the great benefits of ‘nature’ elements in the home is that it promotes calmness and serenity, and so having them integrated throughout the home not only gives you an aesthetically-pleasing home, but also one that has tangible side benefits for your health as well!

Needless to say, there are many possible avenues for you to incorporate such natural elements in the various spaces around your home. Some of these include the flooring, furniture like tables and chairs, or even the steps if you’re fortunate enough to have a 2-floor condo!

4. Mid-Century Modern

Also known as MCM or mid-mod for short, the mid-century modern design first flourished in the mid-20th century. They boasted ornate and extravagant designs, which were later adapted into fresh and clean designs.

With this concept in mind, a mid-century modern home remains refreshing to the eyes due to its sleek lines, innovative materials, unique geometry shapes as well as bright and bold colours.

For example, this living room design reflects the modern architecture of MCM. Instead of minimalist colours, awash your living space in bright but muted colours. For instance, put up photo frames of memorable occasions, colourful books on your shelves, and even assorted decorations to liven up the space.

As MCM also utilises innovative materials, opt for a stretched and circular table for your dining space, and even mesh chairs in the same shade to complement the overall soft look. Open up your living space further by having large glass windows to invite natural light in.

Bring the nature and outdoors closer to your home with house plants. From large potted plants to table flowers and hanging vines, let your creativity flow and carefully place these greens around your space to create a lush yet cosy home.

5. Modern Retro

As we live in the 21st century today, we’re all no strangers to modern furniture. But, it is never too late to add in a touch of 80s to embrace retro and create a fun and unique home – that is, even if you did not live through the 20th century.

Bring back the good old days and nostalgia in your living space by incorporating retro styles in your modern home.

To kickstart your interior design journey, one thing that you can do before approaching an interior designer would be to create a mood board of sorts. This involves you curating a collection of pictures of things that visually appeal to you. For example, the pictures can be of places that you find aesthetically pleasing, such as your favourite spa place, hotel, or even shops or restaurants. These pictures can also be of random items that speak to you!

When it comes to a modern retro home, forget about light or muted colours. Instead, go bold or go home. Opt for bright and bold colours such as peach red or mustard yellow. You may even deck your cabinetry in navy blue for cooler tones. To keep the outline of your home neutral, sticking to monochromatic black and white are a safe option.

For decorations, you can go a little wild – select funky and whacky geometric shapes for the chandeliers and place white lights to light up the living space. You can also place them in the middle of your dining room to capture the retroness of the space while sufficiently illuminating your dining area.

In a modern retro home, elements of wood are also highly encouraged. Add laminated wood to your flooring, or your furniture such as your doors and television console. These pieces of furniture help to add warmth and comfort to your modern-retro-themed home.

6. Fun Electic

If you can’t decide on a period for your desired design, how about combining them all? With an eclectic design, you get to easily marry decor and accessories from varying periods. For instance, vintage furniture matched with modern and minimalist architecture is a common sight in an eclectic design.

You may even consider bringing in a myriad of colours, shapes and textures to your furniture to encapsulate the styles and concepts of different periods altogether.

To achieve an eclectic look, start off by featuring different printed furniture around your home. For instance, put up an Egyptian mural in your living room to create a sense of realism and immediacy through the unique Armana-style era. Then, slip a nordic inspired brown rug under your dining table to pay tribute to the Scandinavian design and add extra textures to set the eclectic look.

Throw in elements of today’s century by having your sofas fitted in sleek leather material and metallic finishes such as silver and gold. Keep pieces of the modern theme going by having a glass table at the heart of the living room and placing a few modern but soft egg chairs to surround your dining table.

Colour-wise, the palette of an eclectic home can vary. However, it is best to stick to a common theme or neutral colours to seamlessly integrate all the elements. Thus, browns, blacks and beige and even white, would be the ideal go-to colours for this design.

7. Quirky Bohemian

Aside from serious-looking and modern homes, turn the tables around and impress your guests with a fun and quirky home. Like all things bohemian, this design is a mixture of fun layers, colours, and patterns, tied in with personal items that hold sentimental value.

As a space called your home, a bohemian-designed home is also a relaxed and personalised space where you’ll want to be. At the same time, it bends a little of design rules which gives it that authenticity, distinct and appealing factor.

Layers are often the name of the game in a bohemian home. Think patterned rugs, eccentric decorations, unusual finds and personal items that are all mixed and matched into one common space. When putting together your furniture, don’t be afraid to unleash your creativity to also mix materials such as wood, metals, gold, or even animal hides.

You can even layer different types of fabrics into the corners of your home. For instance, choose a soft fabric for your pillows such as cotton or silk, while selecting a velvet sofa to rest on. Add more layers of fabrics and linens onto the table to placemats and finish off the look with tactile or aztec rugs for your floors.

As plants are a must, fill your space with an array of plants to complete the look. From potted plants on your floors to succulents on your tables and shelves, and even hanging plants on your ceilings, this greenery help to create a calming environment in your home while bringing the outdoors closer to you.

Conclusion

Do not let space deter you from creating your dream space in your condo. Get busy and explore different themes and designs – you’re sure to find one that best suits you. We’ve also prepared more articles to help you in your design journey. Good luck!

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