Top 10 Ways to Personalise a Templated Condo Interior Design

Key Takeaways

• Curate with intent: Add pieces that reflect your taste and tell your story.
• Set a colour story and layer lighting: Choose a cohesive palette and layer ambient, task, and accent lighting to shape the mood.
• Maximise space with smart pieces: Use multi-functional furniture, targeted bespoke carpentry, textiles, and natural elements to boost storage and comfort.

What Templated Condo Interiors Often Lack (and How to Add It)

Having these ten aspects will add an additional layer of uniqueness and personalisation to your templated condo. Even just one of these tips can set you apart from your neighbours—and make your condo feel more like home.

#1 Curate an Artistic Focal Point

A room needs a focal point to draw the eye. As with a painting, newspaper layout, or film, a focal point gives the scene a place for the eye to rest and a unifying theme.

In a bedroom, this is usually the bed. In a dining area, it may be a statement light over the table. However, many templated condos lack a focal point that reflects the occupants’ tastes and personalities—think default, mass-produced pieces that fade into the background.

In the example below, notice how a mirror-clad feature wall paired with sculptural pendants clearly zones the dining area. This ensemble also acts as a luxurious focal point within a compact condo.

A well-chosen centrepiece not only captures attention; it also sets the tone for the entire room. If you’re unsure where to start, consider consulting an interior designer for guidance on planning your focal point. Ensure it doesn’t impede functionality—placement and proportion should enhance movement and daily use.

#2 Add Unique Decorative Items

Unique decor items can transform a condo, making it more personalised and inviting.

Notice how the decor items styled on the TV console’s wooden accent shelves bring out the room’s personality.

Not only do unique, decorative items enhance the overall aesthetic of your living space, but they also reflect your interior design style, personal taste, and sometimes, your own personality.

• Statement pieces make for excellent stand-outs in a templated condo—think a striking sculpture, a robust table centrepiece or a commissioned artwork. They’re natural conversation starters for the right crowd.
• Personal mementoes can create a narrative within the space, whether it’s travel souvenirs, family heirlooms, a vintage clock, or an art piece you cherish. These not only add a unique touch but also enhance the emotional connection to your space.
• Grouping collections by colour or theme can create harmony and enhance the visual appeal of a display. Use wall-mounted or built-in shelves to showcase your collections, allowing them to integrate seamlessly with the room’s design.

Thoughtful selection and arrangement create subtle focal points, reduce visual clutter, and keep your condo interior design feeling both elegant and personal.

#3 Use a Custom Colour Palette

A custom colour palette reflects your personality and sets the tone for your space. Rather than a pre-defined scheme, like the beige, eggshell, and black that line the walls of condos nowadays, select colours that resonate with you.

While cookie-cutter colours aren’t a design crime, use colours you love—not those set by the developer’s contractor.. For instance, muted lavender can add an elegant touch to a small living space while maintaining a light and airy feel.

Here are some colour psychology basics that some interior designers swear by:

Warm vs. Cool Colours

Warm colours create cosiness and intimacy. This is why warm, earthy colours characterise rustic and Scandinavian styles.

Cool colours, on the other hand, are calm, spacious, and refreshing, bringing a sense of ease to your interior.

When mixing warm and cool palettes, let one lead and use the other as an accent. This provides a temperature balance to the room and offers a fresh change from the usual eggshell-beige-black.

Notice how the bright orange figurines and the timber partition add warmth to the cool, muted blue and green.

Bright Colours vs. Muted Colours

Bright colours are striking, stimulating, and invigorating. Have you ever wondered why most fast food chains favor bright red, yellow, or orange colours?

Muted colours, on the other hand, are more calming and soothing. However, you shouldn’t just use one or the other. It’s important to create a harmonious balance between bright and muted colours. If everything shouts, the room can feel overwhelming; if everything is muted, it can read flat and dull.

Notice how the bright cabinets contrast against the muted blue wall in the image below, creating a harmonious balance. The brown couch and table provide a healthy transition from blue to yellow, so the room’s colour scheme doesn’t look abrupt.

Bright colours work best as accent colours, whereas muted, neutral colours are more suitable for the dominant colour. A neutral colour base with 2-3 accent colours can create a cohesive look in an open-concept condo, making the space feel harmonious and well-designed.

Carefully selecting and integrating different shades creates a visual flow that ties all elements of your condo together. Whether you prefer neutral tones or bold accents, a personalised colour palette is a powerful tool in making your condo truly yours.

#4 Integrate Personalised Lighting Solutions

Lighting shapes how every finish and texture reads in a room. It’s a cornerstone of interior design—creating warmth, clarity, and focus.

Lighting Categorised by Colour and Temperature

Three primary lighting colours you can choose from include:

• Warm white (~2700–3000K) —  This is cosy and inviting, setting a warm, intimate ambience.
• Neutral white(~3500–4000K) — Bright but balanced; adaptable across schemes.
• Cool white/daylight (~5000–6500K) —  Also known as the task light. This is the brightest and has the highest temperature of the three. Provides crisp visibility for detailed tasks (studies, kitchens), but can feel clinical if overused.

For a more personalised room, you’d want to integrate smart lighting systems, such as three-tone lighting, to offer tailored experiences that adapt to various moods and activities.

Lighting Categorised by Function

There are three types of lighting, categorised by function. In many developer-standard condos, you typically get ambient and task lighting; adding accent lighting creates depth.

• Ambient Lighting — overall illumination (downlights, ceiling fixtures, coves).
• Task Lighting — focused light for activities (pendants over dining, under-cabinet strips, reading lamps). Most standard condos only have ambient and task lighting. If you want to personalise your condo even more, you’d want to add this next one:
• Accent Lighting. Think of these as the spotlights to the ambient light’s fill. These are fixtures meant to highlight key areas in your condo, such as decor or wall segments.

Notice how in the modern chinoiserie design below, warm ambient light sets the mood while accent lighting picks out the central blue wall—creating a cool counterpoint to the room’s warmth.

In addition to this cool contrast, the accent lighting also draws attention to the segment of the room, giving the TV zone a focal point.

Combining ambient lighting with accent and mood lighting can beautifully draw attention to conversation pieces and highlight the uniqueness of your room. It will also make for a more cohesive and inviting environment.

Lighting Categorised by Form

In addition to providing illumination, some lighting fixtures add to the form of your room. These are lamps, festoon lights, and chandeliers (a chandelier suits spaces with ample ceiling height; consider scale and weight)

You may add these types of lights to personalise your condo’s interior design. A chandelier, for example, can be a room’s focal piece and point of symmetry. It can also inject some much-needed eccentricity.

Out of the design elements in this list, lighting has the biggest impact on our well-being. Our circadian rhythm responds to light tone—warmer light helps you wind down, while cooler light supports alertness—so tune your scheme to match daily routines.

#5 Opt for Bespoke Furniture

Bespoke carpentry (custom built-ins) addresses unique spatial constraints—ideal for compact condo interior design. It can be tailored to fit awkward nooks or corners, so no square foot is wasted. Think of a custom bookshelf wrapping a dead corner or a low console sized precisely for your wall.

Notice how the woven, rattan lounge seats below thematically zone the condo’s outdoor area from its Balinese interior. Unique furniture pieces, such as these, help create a theme and can either complement or contrast with the room, curating a cohesive design scheme.

With bespoke furniture, you choose the materials, finishes, size, and features, so the piece fits your space and lifestyle perfectly.

• Bespoke pieces are built to last: Well-made bespoke pieces are durable and pay off over time by reducing the need for replacements.
• Bespoke pieces are tailored to your style & layout: Designed to your dimensions and look—whether contemporary or classic—so every piece is functional and unique.
• Bespoke pieces set the design direction: Like chandeliers or artwork, large bespoke pieces (such as sofas, beds, and dining tables) anchor the room and create a clear focal point.

By adding bespoke furniture, you not only enhance the functionality of your condo but also elevate the personalisation of your living environment.

#6 Utilise Multi-Functional Furniture

Multi-functional furniture maximises space and adds versatility to small living environments. Consider a Murphy bed that can be hidden away to free up space during the day, or nesting tables that can be compacted when not in use.

Multi-functional furniture helps keep spaces organised and flexible, supporting various activities for multiple purposes. Examples include:

• Storage ottomans for throws, toys, or workout gear
• Wall-mounted desks that fold flat after work (ensure the wall can bear the load; use proper anchors).
• A dining table that doubles as a workspace with cable grommets or drawers
• Sofas with hidden storage for bedding and board games keep the living room tidy.

These clever solutions reduce clutter, keep layouts flexible, and make a small home feel more spacious—without sacrificing style.

#7 Enhance with Textiles

A variety of textiles, such as throw pillows and rugs, provides more depth and complexity to an otherwise flat space. Notice how the simple addition of a rug gave more character to the French interior above.

• Patterned curtains can visually soften a room while adding texture to the overall design. Use lightweight sheers to maximise daylight, heavier drapes for privacy and blackout when needed.
• Textiles help define zones in an open-concept layout. Rugs can define zones in open-plan layouts and soften acoustics.
• Textured wall finishes (e.g., limewash, Venetian plaster, fluted panels, grasscloth) can add much-needed characterisation to a condo interior. These design choices can add depth and nuance to a design scheme. They help avoid the “smooth monotony” of an otherwise polished room.
• Smaller items, such as table mats, runners, and door rugs, add nuance. Homeowners and guests will also notice the finer details, especially as they sit down for tea or lounge with their laptops. These table mats and coasters, though little, bring out depth in the crevices of your interior design.

These elements add comfort and enhance the visual appeal of your condo, creating an elegant and inviting environment.

#8 Personalise Storage Areas

Customised storage keeps a condo organised and visually calm, creating a seamless look across the design scheme.

These are also an excellent way to hide the day-to-day clutter that can undermine a carefully planned interior. They make your space cleaner and more spacious.

Notice how the handle-less fronts create a seamless TV wall while preserving storage volume. These cabinets elevate the modern aesthetic of the communal area, while also making it more functional.

Utilising custom solutions can enhance the storage function of your room without the dread of a clashing cabinet. You may even increase your storage capacity doing so.

#9 Showcase Personal Collections

Now, for what makes your room truly you! Some people like to keep their personal collections stashed and hidden away in their private quarters. However, extending personal collections such as books, travel souvenirs, and hobbyist items like board games to the living area adds character to the overall condo space. It tells guests, this place is unmistakably yours.

It tells your unique story. It highlights what you’re into, making for excellent conversation pieces with like-minded guests.

Depending on the items on display, you may even be reminded of particular moments in life, such as your college varsity awards or that sales trophy you got for topping the 4th quarter.

Practical ways to display:

• Use cabinets to protect items from dust, and incorporate glass-front or open shelves for showcasing hero pieces.
• Wall-mounted shelves: Great for dead walls—just ensure proper anchors and, if required, obtain condo management approval before drilling.
• Bookshelves for rhythm: Rows of spines add visual “scaffolding” and texture; intersperse books with a few objects to avoid heaviness.

Pro Tip: Curate by theme or colour, leave some negative space, and keep dusting easily so the display stays enjoyable, not high-maintenance.

#10 Incorporate Nature Elements

Nature elements provide a calm and relaxing feel for your condo interior design. They can make a small condo appear larger and keep you feeling refreshed throughout the day in an open-concept layout.

Notice how, in the living room below, just adding an indoor plant already provided a huge boost in colour to this grey, white, and black room.

• Maximise daylight: Use sliding doors and glazed partitions where possible to invite natural light and visually extend the space.
• Sheers over heavy drapes: Sheer curtains filter glare while keeping rooms bright and elegant; layer them with blackout tracks for nighttime privacy.
• Add greenery thoughtfully: Fresh plants, botanical art, and natural textures (rattan, timber, stone) soften a cool scheme. Plants can support perceived air quality and wellbeing; choose low-maintenance species (ZZ, snake plant, pothos).

Incorporating natural elements creates a soothing environment and connects your condo to the natural world through thoughtful design.

Styling tip: repeat natural tones (wood, stone, foliage green) in small accents across the home to create flow—especially helpful in open-plan layouts.

Level Up Your Condo Interior Design

Your routines, your keepsakes, your taste: that’s the brief. Templates are just the starting line; the finish is a home that works beautifully for you every day. From there, we translate what matters to you into a plan—one that respects how you move, host, rest and recharge.

We start with your habits, flow and priorities, then craft a cohesive condo interior design that elevates comfort, function and character. For condo interior design in Singapore, our team refines every metre—right-sized furniture, layered lighting, practical storage and finishes that age well.

Tell us how you live. We’ll design the rest. Reach out to us at The Interior Lab.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Make My Small Condo Feel More Spacious?

Use multi-functional furniture, a light and consistent colour palette, mirrors to bounce light and keep windows unobstructed with sheer layers. Built-ins that run wall-to-wall reduce visual clutter.

What Are Some Affordable Ways To Personalise My Condo Interior?

Curate decor that tells your story, set a cohesive colour palette, display a small, well-edited collection and add layered lighting with dimmable bulbs.

How Do I Choose The Right Lighting For My Condo?

Start with ambient (overall), add task (work/reading) and accent (to highlight features). Three-tone, dimmable fixtures let you tune warmth and brightness throughout the day.

What Are Some Tips For Organizing Storage In A Small Condo?

Prioritise built-ins, use vertical space, integrate handle-less fronts for a seamless look and assign a home for daily-use items to stay clutter-free.

How Can I Incorporate Nature Elements Into My Condo Design?

Layer sheers for daylight, introduce hardy indoor plants or botanical art, and use natural textures like rattan, timber and stone. Check by-laws before adding any water feature.