When homeowners M. and W. bought their resale flat, they intended to design their home.
“Our underlying vision is that the home should cater to our lifestyle. And the philosophies aligned to our lifestyle are natural sunlight, sustainability, un-encumbrances, depth of vision, and trusting our intuition,” W. shares, adding that they focused more on how the space would make them feel instead of how it looked.
Who Lives Here A couple in their 30s and a cat
Home Four-room HDB resale
Size 1,090 sq ft (102 sqm)
Interior Designer Uchi Studio
4-Room Resale HDB, Serangoon
The 26-year-old four-room unit in Serangoon had a generous living area and a service yard they loved. But it also presented some challenges.
“The beauty of living in a curved block is that your apartment is also curved. But that also makes furnishing the space slightly challenging because you have very few 90-degree angled walls to work around,” W. explains.
For one, the entrance opens to a living area with a slanted wall. All three bedrooms were at the other end, meaning the living area lacked light.
Hacked One Bedroom
The couple decided to open the middle bedroom, converting it into the living area. The other bedroom became a study. These moves invite light and ventilation into the home.
The kitchen, smaller than they would like, was kept to its original layout so that they could retain the living space.
Self-Employed Young Couple
With this being their first home, the couple, self-employed in the film and tech sector, naturally faced challenges during the renovations. The pandemic compounded the problem.
They took to Instagram, where they shared their journey and sought advice from other homeowners on @hominghumans, discovering a supportive community. They also enlisted a contractor. “Thankfully, our contractor was able to work her magic. She is also a close friend from our wee teenage days,” W. shares.
Jowie Tan, the project lead at interior design company Uchi, shared valuable advice on the practicality of material choices and details. She also took on the overall build of the space.
Huge Water Pipes
“As it is a relatively old development, I thought the most challenging aspect was to work around the services in the unit, mainly the huge water pipes. The kitchen also had poor natural lighting and deep nooks, making space planning harder.”
Working together closely over three months before their move in February 2021, they tackled the challenges of overhauling an old flat. They also took their time, even installing the purple metal partition for their study a year and a half after moving in.
“The process probably best reflects who we are as individuals, and we let that guide our decisions,” W. says.
The Dining Area (Before & After)
A significant challenge was the slanted wall in the living area, which might be jarring against a long dining table. A 2.4-metre batik painting serves to distract attention from the wall.
While everything else was overhauled, the couple retained the original tiles in the living area and bedroom. Colours were welcome in this space, from the furnishings and decorations to the main door in purple, which echoes the study entrance.
The dining area before renovation; original tiles were retained by the couple
The Kitchen (Before & After)
“Once we decided for the kitchen cabinets to be green, the gloves came off, in a positive sense, because for some time we probably tried to be conventional about the colours and design,” W. says.
As the homeowners enjoy cooking, they had specific ideas on the kitchen layout and details to maximise efficiency. These include a stainless steel countertop welded to the sink, a spice rack next to the stove, a hot and cold water mixer, Blum hinges, and a magnetic knife rack.
The kitchen before the old cabinets were hacked.
The Master Bedroom (Before & After)
Colours abound in the master bedroom too. All previous works, except for the flooring, were removed and replaced.
Instead of curtains, they went with a Roman blind in a shade of orange that complements the green wardrobe. Like the rest of the space, this bedroom also features statement lighting, which they purchased from Taobao.
The original flooring of the bedroom was also retained.
W. reflects, “Our home is the outcome of these rather random, haphazard philosophies. We did not set out to create or achieve a certain look. To us, lifestyle and philosophies are more immutable and will follow us for life, while aesthetics can be rather fleeting because taste can change over time. We also trusted our intuition a lot.”
The Bathroom (Before & After)
The homeowners also faced challenges when working on the bathroom design, including restrictions on the models they could choose from due to the unconventional drainage outlet.
Notably, both homeowners are tall, so they elevated the vanity area for their daily comfort. A striking element is the splash of yellow that contrasts against the tiled areas.
The toilet before a splash of yellow was added to brighten it up.
The Hallway (Before & After)
By knocking down the middle bedroom, they would need to replace some of the floor tiles. They created a corridor with hexagon tiles bordered by handmade terrazzo tiles.
A look at the hallway during renovation.
The interior walls are filled with decor and art pieces, many gifted from friends in Singapore and abroad. These included crochet coasters that they decided to frame up and a painting of a shot from one of the documentaries the couple made, among many others.
A few pieces were customised, like the dining table with black marble from Morocco. The couple also sourced secondhand furniture, including the sofa, chairs, study desk, and rugs.