It’s got a walk-in pantry and a wardrobe island – yes, you read right.
We first met Bob (@bobmubarak) for a tour of his 4-room flat in Bukit Panjang back in 2018. Seven years on, he still possesses an undying love for the neighbourhood and the same infectious enthusiasm when talking about his home; but a few things have changed.
For one, he’s since moved into a bigger flat and – now as a second-time homeowner – prioritises functionality over experimenting with aesthetics like he did with his first home.
That isn’t to say that his new abode isn’t serving looks and wow-worthy features though. Join us as we tour this 5-room resale HDB flat (yes, it’s still in Bukit Panjang!) where minimalism meets modern luxe. Or, as Bob describes, a bigger and better iteration of his first home!
Layout changes for an airy, open-plan communal area
“When I first saw the unit, it was dilapidated with old, broken marble. But I loved the layout and surroundings,” Bob tells us. In particular, he liked that the unit did not come with a corridor to the bedrooms, and saw the potential for an open-plan layout that he’d wanted for his new home.
The original entrance and access balcony, pre-renovation
This involved hacking several partitions and walls, starting from the entrance where the original access balcony was merged with the living area.
Here, visitors are greeted with a cafe-like settee and coffee table which, as Bob tells us, is for guests to have casual chats over a cuppa.
The entrance post-renovation, with an organically shaped settee that continues into the TV area
One thing did get in the way of a truly open-concept space though: a structural wall between the entrance and TV area.
As a workaround (pun intended), Bob and his ID decided to wrap the aforementioned settee around this wall and have it continue into the TV area, making the transition between the two spaces seamless.
Pre-renovation (left) and post-renovation (right) floor plans of Bob’s 122sqm flat
The communal area, post-renovation
Comparing the floor plans before and after the renovation, you’ll also notice this TV area was once the study room.
The walls here were hacked, creating a flow between this part of the communal area and the dining area next to it, where a custom rounded bench was built to keep up with the curve motif recurring in this home.
Dining nook in the communal area, post-renovation
Wet-and-dry kitchen combination, with a walk-in pantry
But perhaps the most impressive feature in Bob’s home is that you’re able to see the entire length of the apartment (and take in its sheer size) when standing at either end of the wet-and-dry kitchen.
2.2m dry kitchen island and cabinetry (left) that continues into the wet kitchen
Here, carpentry covers a long stretch of wall that runs across both kitchens, making the place look longer but also giving Bob the storage space he needs – something he lacked in his previous home and paid careful attention to this time around.
The wet kitchen, post-renovation
Moving into the wet kitchen, Bob then excitedly shows us his favourite part located behind a set of French doors: a walk-in pantry not unlike those you see on Masterchef.
“I have this because I’m Jamie Oliver (laughs)! Okay, no, I cook a lot, so I do need a lot of ingredients. For example, if I want to make curry from scratch, I have everything I need here,” says Bob.
A ‘secret’ guest room
Guest room with a concealed and curved doorway
Eager to check out the individual rooms, we proceed to ask Bob for a tour.
“This is a bit frivolous, but I really wanted it,” he laughs as he opens a concealed curved door behind the TV area, revealing a guest room.
Catching us off-guard, Bob then shares an important renovation budgeting tip mid-laugh. “The guest room is simple on the inside because I ran out of budget,” he continues. “Basically, I had two columns in my renovation checklist, for essential items and frivolous things that are good to have. Each time I needed to add something to the first column, I’d strike something off the ‘frivolous’ column.”
In the case of the guest room, Bob decided to forgo a fancy curved cabinet design he initially envisioned. But honestly, the end result still looks great!
Master suite with a walk-in wardrobe
Heading to the master suite, Bob then shares yet another renovation tip: double check your measurements!
Original junior bedroom (left) adjacent to the master bedroom (right), pre-renovation
As it turns out, the plan was to have his bed in a junior bedroom, and build an L-shaped walk-in wardrobe in the original master bedroom next door.
Wanting to see if the bed he ordered could fit in the former, he measured the space only to find that it would not! Thankfully, carpentry fabrication for the walk-in wardrobe had not started, and the positions of the sleeping area and walk-in wardrobe were eventually swapped.
Junior bedroom turned walk-in wardrobe, with an island for clothes worn at home
The master bedroom, post-renovation
Next, the vanity was shifted out of the en suite, made of the same stone used for the walk-in wardrobe’s island, complete with curved edges for a soft yet masculine look.
The en suite (left) and common bathroom (right)
Inside, the en suite sports beige stone tiles for a luxe look that also exude a sense of calm, similar in concept to the common bathroom’s design.
Parting thoughts
"I first started my home renovation journey at 36, and now I'm 44. This in a way feels like the 'grown-up' version of my first home,” Bob shares.
“Maybe I'll move to a smaller home again when I'm 60 and have no energy to upkeep such a huge house, but we'll see! Right now, I'm perfectly happy with how it all turned out."
Special thanks to Bob for letting us tour his home and sharing the photos above with us!
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