Though the Baroque style is often viewed as dramatic and extravagant, it can exude a sleek and sexy feel with the right ingredients. That, as exemplified in this HDB apartment unit in Tampines, is the introduction of modern elements. Commissioned by the homeowners to do up their four-bedroom home, designer Florence Yang from Plus Interior really put a fresh spin on the Baroque style. To start things off, she hacked away the boundary walls enclosing the common room and merged it into the living and dining space. This unconventional move gave her the freedom to build an open concept kitchen, which was what the homeowners have always dreamt of. Keeping with the Baroque theme, she adopted a monochromatic colour theme of black and white hues. The kitchen counters are dressed in white while the worktops are clad in black granite. A coloured glass backsplash in black complements the black and white counters while adding a modern glossy finish.

Next to it, the dining area hosts a custom-made dining table with a black granite top and sleek metal legs. Six leather Baroque chairs with a gorgeous quilted pattern grace the dining table and to complete the picture of decadence, a black chandelier adds lots of oomph.

Over at the living room, the Baroque theme takes a radical turn with the classic palette of black, grey and gold. A plush leather sofa, printed chaise lounge and a gold area rug set the stage for glitz and glamour. Complementing this lavish scene surprisingly well is the modern-looking feature wall and television console. Recessed lighting is installed behind the matte grey laminate feature wall and console with a mirrored finish. The warm light puts emphasis on the streamlined setting.

Framing the bare walls behind the sofa is a varied medley of black frames arranged casually. With their intricate details, they add plenty of visual interest to the otherwise dull-looking wall. The elaborate display of frames leads the way into the bedrooms and one of the rooms in bright pink is hard to go unnoticed. What is even more interesting is how Florence cleverly pasted custom-designed floral wall decals on the ceiling which blends in nicely with the recessed lighting.