Stylish and Bright

Two designers bought an HDB flat, designed it themselves, and the outcome is a seriously stylish home.

Guofeng and Cai Yi hit the drawing board right from the time they selected their 5-room Yishun Greenwalk flat, and engaged contractors at the later stages to realise their vision. Three years and a whopping 13 design revisions later, they have a bright and roomy home to proudly call their own.

Space, Space, and More Space

The couple opted for an open layout, as they wanted their home to look as spacious as possible. This meant tearing down many of the internal walls, and realigning some of them to a better configuration. But before their HDB Registered Renovation Contractor got hacking, they made sure to secure approval from HDB to ensure that the works will not compromise the structural integrity of the building.

The result of all that hacking was an open concept kitchen, a bright and airy dining-cum-work space, and a separate living and entertainment area in the place where two bedrooms used to be. Further in, at the end of the hallway, is the master bedroom, a private retreat amidst the openness of the flat.

Guofeng and Cai Yi said that many of their guests marvel at how expansive their home looks. “When people come over, they usually exclaim “Wah, very big!”, and then they ask “Where will your future children sleep?”

Filling the Space

The couple kept a look out for suitable furniture while waiting for their flat to be built. They sourced items from all over, from re-purposed swivel stools in the kitchen to accessories bought online and shipped from overseas. They also assembled their own wall shelves and the standout 3-metre long dining table which they use for meals, work … and ping pong games!

Guofeng and Cai Yi named the table as one of their favourite furniture pieces; put together by supporting two table tops on metal trestles, which took them two months to hunt down. Best of all, when they got to the shop, they managed to grab the last few pieces in store – score!

Quiet details that reflect the couple’s love for simplicity and design

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

A Collector’s Haven

We love a creative home owner who uses innovative ways to furnish and utilise space. I was warmly welcomed to one such home – an HDB maisonette located in Jurong West, which is not only home to Syahril Salleh and his family of three, but also doubles up as a haven for his extensive shoe collection.

Syahril has been actively collecting shoes since he was a teenager. Today, his collection stands at a whopping 150 pairs (and still he claims is not much)! From casual sneakers to smart leather oxfords, some of them are displayed on shelves while the others are kept in boxes. To care and maintain for the shoes, it is a monthly ritual for Syahril to diligently bring each pair out to shampoo or polish. But there are no complaints, as he finds cleaning a therapeutic exercise.

Syahril’s 5-year-old son, Afeeq, follows in his footsteps, showing similar passion for footwear. He has his own collection of adorable sneakers, amounting to about 50 pairs, most of which he has since outgrown. Syahril’s wife, Diana, playfully laments that she has the least pair of shoes in the household!

Little Afeeq has also started his own collection of caps, toy figurines and movie memorabilia, all displayed neatly in his bedroom, taking after his parent’s amazing trait of being organised and tidy.

Space-saving tips

As a collector, Syahril tries as much as possible to weed out clutter to maximise the space in their HDB flat. Despite having so many items displayed, they managed to keep the place clean and tidy – a pretty amazing feat I must say! Together with Diana, the couple shares with me several great tips:

1. Choose space-saving furniture

There are special built-in display cabinets for Afeeq’s shoe collection, and custom-made shelving for Syahril’s. By having the correct dimensions of shelves according to their needs, they have managed to save space and organise things more easily. The couple also invested in several foldable or stowaway furniture (like tables and chairs) to accommodate guests for festivities or gatherings.

2. Invest in good quality furniture

Having lived in the same HDB flat since 2004, Syahril and Diana revealed something shocking – they have not changed their furniture in the last 10 years! One of their tips is to invest in good quality products, as it will be more cost-effective in the long run. For example, their leather couch, although it cost quite a bit, has lasted them through the decade, and was more lasting compared to alternative materials such as PVC. They also believe that simplicity is more. Instead of following trends and fads, a timeless and classic design will last longer.

3. Make every purchase a conscious one

Syahril and Diana decided against putting up a chandelier in their balcony as it wasn’t practical – they would have difficulty cleaning it. They also replaced their curtains with blinds, as the latter is easier to maintain. Their kitchen cabinet doors didn’t have handles, precisely for ease of cleaning, and moreover, these were childproof as well! The couple advises home owners to always do sufficient research before investing in a furniture piece, and avoid making impulsive purchases.

4. Rethink wall partitions

While a walk-in wardrobe is much coveted for many home owners, the couple sees it as a regrettable feature. When they created a wall partition in their bedroom, it took up almost a third of their precious room space, and also reduced air ventilation. Syahril is considering hacking down the wall and using an alternative, such as a shower curtain or glass panel instead.

‘Painting’ an HDB Flat

Her walls are covered with splashes of colour and each flash of brilliance is an inspiration that Iris Yee has captured on paper and canvas.

Iris’s 4-room flat in Choa Chu Kang is also her art studio where she paints to her heart’s content. Her subject matter covers a wide range as she paints as inspiration strikes.

“My inspiration comes from childhood memories, or things that capture my interest. Art is interesting because you get to produce something that tells a message. The artist takes a memory or a scene and adds his or her own perspective to tell a story – that is what makes art special,” she explains.

“The message behind ‘Gossip Town’ is to encourage people to be more compassionate, as gossip is harmful and bad for a community – especially among neighbours” she adds with a twinkle in her eye.

If you feel inspired by her passion and her decorating style, why not dress your walls with meaningful paintings. If you have the talent and the time, go pick up your paint brush again! Or if your talent is not in the art department, there are many works of local artists on sale that you can buy without busting your budget.

Iris also has some words of advice for home owners looking to decorate their homes with art: “Choose a piece that makes you happy when you look at it. It doesn’t matter who drew it or what it is worth. A perfect piece is one that reveals its layers and nuances the more you look at it, and one that makes you feel at peace”.

A ‘Scandustrial’ Revolution

With a theme inspired by a mix of Scandinavian and industrial styles (or ‘Scandustrial’, as it is increasingly being known as), Joshua and Giselle’s 5-room BTO flat in Punggol Emerald feels so much like a café that I would gladly hang out in!

The recently-married couple generously shared their design journey with me, and some insightful tips too.

Different views of the ‘Scandustrial’ living room

Design with a Purpose

The couple had three guiding principles which helped to streamline their design choices:

1. Use natural materials whenever possible

2. Adopt an open concept

3. Create a unique yet practical living space

They designed the entire flat on their own, and engaged an interior designer to coordinate the renovation works, obtain the necessary renovation permits, and translate their ideas into the final design.

During the six months that Joshua and Giselle were drawing up the design plans, their inspiration stemmed from everywhere – furniture stores, magazines, online references, and especially eateries that had similar interiors to the couple’s chosen themes. Even Joshua’s mother chipped in with design ideas and practical suggestions!

Going Au Naturel

To recreate an outdoorsy dining experience, the couple got a dining table and bench which had been fashioned from the cross section of a tree trunk. An artificial grass carpet below the table helped to complete the alfresco setting.

They picked solid oak flooring over vinyl and laminate, which made a difference in creating the right aesthetics. The couple also creatively embraced the use of wood by creating shelves out of planks, and exposing plywood edges in the carpentry.

The wooden textures throughout the house add to the clean, Scandinavian look

Attention to Detail

Although the home is fitted out with energy-saving LED light bulbs, Joshua installed some incandescent lamps for decorative purposes. Gorgeous hand-painted tiles line the passageway to the bedrooms, evoking a slightly vintage vibe.

Delicious details around the home that add up to the big picture

Food for Thought

Joshua revealed that choosing the furniture was probably the hardest part of the design journey. Factors like the material, size, and colour of each piece had to be carefully considered before making a purchase. As he considered the couch to be the centrepiece of his home, it took the couple several trips to various furniture shops before they settled on the current one.

The couple also learnt some things the hard way. For example, some furniture pieces were delivered before the renovation was finished, and the workers had to keep moving them around the house in order not to damage them. So, here’s a note of advice – complete the bulk of your renovations before bringing in your furniture!

Home Sweet Home

Meet Giselle and Joshua, the awesome couple behind this ‘Scandustrial’ home

I’m truly inspired by Joshua and Giselle’s hands-on approach in designing their own home, cleverly combining the use of space, materials, and details to transform their HDB flat into such a beautiful home, and creating a unique space they can truly call their own.

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

The White House

If there is one thing you would not find in Fiszuanie and Ashik’s 4-room flat in Tampines GreenTerrace, it is anything dark or woody.

The couple designed their house with the idea of it being bright and spacious, which meant having lots of whites, with pops of colour to inject character.

A clean, white space which greets the couple after a long day at work

Framed up memories from the couple’s travels

Planning way ahead, the couple took the DIY route – from sketching out designs to sourcing materials and contractors to create their dream home. Doing so also meant overcoming obstacles and saving money

Varying shades of white are in every room

For example…

Fitting in a bathtub might seem difficult unless one resizes the bathroom. But this was not an issue for the couple as they found a portable, standalone bathtub which looks as good as a built-in one. “We saved more than half of what it would have cost to install a built-in bathtub, and don’t have to worry about having to hack any tiles if there’s any choke!” said Fiszuanie. But of course, the couple checked that fitting in the bathtub would be in line with HDB’s guidelines for bathroom renovation before making their purchase.

Perfect for a bubble bath

From the start, the couple wanted their walls to be white all around. But as their kitchen came with beige tiles, replacing them with white tiles would cost a lot. So they got specialists to paint over the tiles with four coats of paint.

Out, brown spot – white paint took care of the original brown door!

The main door to their flat was painted over too – with six coats of paint. “We did this ourselves. It was tedious, but we couldn’t change the door, and didn’t want any browns at home!”

Realising the dream of having an island in the kitchen

Planning in advance gave the couple much time to source for their dream fittings – like this vintage-inspired tap and farmhouse sink

But what is most impressive is the moveable island the couple designed especially for their kitchen.

Built-in oven in a moveable kitchen island

“I’ve always dreamt of having a kitchen island, but that would require me to have lots of space in the kitchen. I didn’t have that much space, but I was determined to realise my dream. So I designed one to fit in a dry cabinet and an oven, and found a carpenter to construct it!” said Fiszuanie. She shared how Ashik was sceptical of the idea at first, but then he chipped in with what she called the best idea ever – to make it moveable. “Now if I ever feel like having a change, I could always push it up against the wall.”

The ‘D.I.White duo’, Fiszuanie and Ashik

Looking back on their experience of designing their home and managing the different contractors they hired to execute their plans, they felt it was well worth the effort: “It was tiring. But at the end of the day, the satisfaction of seeing your dream home come to life is indescribable!”

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

Soothing Shades of Grey

At Home with Julian and Dawn

You can often tell a couple’s personality by the way their home looks. And for Julian and Dawn, their tastefully-decorated space speaks volumes about their chic and minimalist style.

Soothing grey tones dominate the 4-room Costa Ris flat, accentuated by pops of colours from their accessories. The home is cosy, comfortable, and functional – just as the couple had envisioned it to be.

Cool grey tones that soothe and relax

A Home Takes Shape

After hours of poring through Pinterest and online resources, Julian and Dawn found themselves gravitating towards a Scandinavian decor style for their home. With some ideas in mind, they engaged an interior designer whom they credited for bringing their concept to life.

Julian and Dawn stressed on the importance of chemistry when choosing an interior designer to partner as that may just be the key to making a potentially stressful experience, enjoyable. They said their designer was invaluable throughout the whole process – from crystallising their vision through mood boards, to picking out paint swatches and navigating the extensive tile warehouse with them.

It was about four months before the couple moved into their home, but not before having to clean up the onslaught of dust that inevitably comes with renovations.

“We rounded up some friends to help us clean up, and hosted a pizza party on the newly-cleaned floors to thank them afterwards”, they said. “But the dust was everywhere, and it took many rounds of cleaning over several weekends before it finally went away.”

Pretty details for a cohesive look

Scandinavian with a Twist

Although Julian and Dawn’s home was predominantly inspired by the clean Scandinavian style, they avoided it looking clinical by incorporating different patterns and textures. A look around the flat revealed hexagonal toilet floor tiles, cement screed walls in the kitchen and toilets, and retro-patterned flooring in the rooms.

They consciously infused their living space with personal touches like favourite artworks, books, photographs, and memorabilia. Indoor plants, the couple’s new hobby, also dot the flat for added colour to rooms and counter tops.

To ensure a cohesive look for their home, Julian and Dawn were very disciplined when it came to selecting furniture. Anything that did not match the overall theme was a no-go, even if it looked great.

The use of wood and patterned tiles lend warmth to the study

New home, new hobby – indoor plants!

Since moving in in April 2015, the dining nook remains the couple’s favourite part of the home. With its hanging lights, photo frames, and light wood table set against black-framed kitchen doors, they have had friends and family remark that the area looks like part of a hipster café. They also let on that they have invested in a coffee machine, with the aroma of a freshly brewed cup adding to the café-like setting. Good food, good coffee, and good company – what is there not to love?

Hipster café right at home

Home Sweet Home

Julian and Dawn said that the journey from bare flat to home sweet home had been a challenging but fulfilling one. Besides sticking to a clear décor theme and choosing the right interior designer, they said a sense of humour is essential to keep the stress of home-building at bay.

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

Back to Basics

At Home with Jane and Davier

Stepping into this 5-room flat located in Tampines, gives you a sense of calmness – maybe it’s the white walls, or the earthy tones. This Scandinavian and minimalistic decor makes Jane and Davier’s home a cosy haven tucked away in the eastern part of the island.

Love for All Things Simple

“We were quite clear from the start on how our dream home should look like,” said Jane. “It definitely helped that both of us had similar tastes in furnishing our new flat,” added Davier. Having collected their keys in 2015, the couple shared their quick and interesting transformation of their BTO flat. “We started renovations in October last year and we were quitekiasu– checking the progress of our renovations almost daily. It was rather cool to witness the bare flat morph into our ideal home in just a few months!”

Making plaster look like a brick wall feature can save some money

Neutral tones never go out of fashion

Bomb shelter door cum photo wall

Getting Into the Design

Even before getting their keys, the design-savvy couple started planning the look of their new home by Pinterest-ing minimalistic interior design ideas. They also used Google SketchUp (it’s free!) to make their dream home come to live in 3D format so that they could play around with the space and plan the furniture.

Jane added that they did not want to have too many decor elements in their house, just simple evergreen ones that can be shifted around to instantly refresh the design.

Shelves with fuss-free and easily changeable decor pieces

The duo, who confess to being TV addicts, also put in a lot of time and effort to ensure that their living room turned out to be exactly as they envisioned it to be.So their dining table is just behind the sofa, and they hacked a wall off their kitchen so that they can interact or catch up on their favourite drama series while whipping up a meal.

Window seats let more guests lounge around the living room while multi-tasking as a storage option too

Open-kitchen concept – breakfast bar also doubles up as additional cooking or baking space

No Renovation Blues

Though the couple enjoyed shopping for the furniture (from picking out a wooden ceiling fan to complement theirau naturelhome, to finding the right dining table), they were happy to pass the bulk of the renovation planning to their trusted Interior Designer (ID).

Davier said that amidst their busy work schedules, they were thankful to have someone coordinate all the renovation works. The key is to do a lot of research and speak to IDs and contractors so that you can engage someone whom you are comfortable with, he shared.

Here are more shots for you to feast on Jane and Davier’s design ideas ?

Creative use for a coat stand

Small white side tables paired with a mirror stand for that minimalistic vibe

Wood, and more wood everywhere!

Adding a pop of colour and a local flavour to the home decor

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

Industrial Love

At Home with Jenny

Jenny’s 3-room flat in the Havelock area stands out from the units next to hers. From the vintage-looking door to the Andy Warhol-inspired Campbell Soup poster that peeked from behind it, we knew we were stepping into a rather chic home!

Exposed pipes and pendant lights are the signature elements of this style

“I wanted a modern industrial look but something that is easy to maintain, so that was the direction for my interior designer,” said Jenny.

Soft elements like cushions break the hard industrial look and lend a cosy finish

There was another constant in her home besides the theme – cupboards and more cupboards! With a laugh, Jenny explained that storage was another aspect that she emphasised to her interior designer. She chose a complementary shade of grey for her carpentry works so that they would blend right into her home decor.

To make space for the additional storage space, she hacked a wall from the rooms so that she had just one large space to plan her bedroom area and walk-in wardrobe.

Walk-in wardrobe area next to the bedroom provides ample storage

Sleek lines and a simple silhouette for the bedroom with a foldable partition door that separates the guest room

Jenny made sure that every item of furniture and home furnishing, no matter how small, would fall right in place within her bigger home canvas. She found what she wanted either in online marketplaces or by browsing through items in local stores. By hunting down bargain deals on her furniture and fixtures, she managed to save quite a tidy sum, spending just about $40,000 on all her renovation.

A mishmash of collectibles and books

Having lived with her parents and late grandma all her life, Jenny made sure to bring along a little bit of the familiar and fondness. Two items – a re-varnished chest, and a Singer sewing machine – that used to belong to her grandma now take pride of place in her cosy abode. Jenny said, “I grew up under my grandma’s care and was really close to her, so nothing spells home more warmly than having these memories of her in my flat.”

An avid cook, Jenny also paid special attention to her dining area and kitchen. Her fully functional kitchen is where she de-stresses by cooking or baking whenever she has time.

Metal surfaces and wood finishes give an edgy vibe

A drop-leaf table gives Jenny the flexibility to maximise space when she is not having guests over

Now that she has her own space, Jenny is looking forward to inviting her friends and family over for mini gatherings and showing off her bachelorette-pad.

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg

Dare to Be Different

Daring to be different, a fusion of styles was the look that Nizam and Fazlin were going for. In less assured hands, it can turn out very wrong. In their case, the mix of Scandi, vintage and industrial styles flows effortlessly from one room to the other, making their 4-room flat quite the charming abode.

Keeping customised cabinetry to the barest minimum allows them to mix and match and be creative – and also rein in renovation costs. “We didn’t want to have a lot of built-in cabinets around the house so we have interesting cupboards like these for the living room,” says Nizam.

(Left) An antique wood and glass cabinet to store mum’s and grandma’s chinaware (Right) The moss green ‘vintagey’ chest sets off the family’s framed shots perfectly

The couple have a 2-year-old daughter Maya, who was born when they just moved in. Hence they made a conscious effort to have lots of free space for her to run around and play as she grows up.

Daddy’s girl! A rug adds to the cosy space

The dining area is Fazlin’s favourite. With its fire-engine red brick wall and unusual pendant lighting, it is the industrial chic corner of their home.

Bringing the cafe concept right to their dining space

The brick-wall design also continues in their kitchen but is given a twist with monochrome, glossy tiles. Coupled with a gold and bronze backsplash, the kitchen looks fabulous!

The kitchen spots a modern industrial look complete with hanging pendant lights

The couple has also displayed their travel mementos around their house, including some art pieces from their honeymoon in Greece. Some Scandinavian touches to their bedroom like the earthy browns and a furry rug, remind us of the ‘Hygge’ style (the art of creating intimacy).

Spotlight, furry rug and a painting of Santorini in the master bedroom

One of the rooms has been converted into a guest room for their relatives and doubles up as a play room for Maya

The patterned wall tiles complement the mottled granite vanity top

“Our relatives were the first to visit and they did not quite know what to say initially to our fusion style! But they all thought that the decor was nicely done up, and that our home had interesting and quirky furniture,” says Fazlin.

“Our cosy home is perfect for us, reflects our personalities and what we both love! Though it doesn’t look right out of a showroom, we like it this way,” adds Nizam.

Source: mynicehome.gov.sg