No Kid, No Limit: 12 Daring HDB Designs and Layouts for DINK Couples

Trust us: get your notepad ready.

Are you and your spouse DINKs (dual income, no kids) planning your home renovation?

Since you probably have a room (or more) to spare, and no kids to worry about, you have plenty of freedom to think up all sorts of unconventional designs to change up the ‘regular’ layout of your home.

That’s why we’re about to take you through a whole range of home layout design ideas that just might be what you need to turn your home into a welcoming sanctuary.

1. Cafe-lovers, set up your own one at home!

No, we aren’t trying to hoodwink you: this is actually a home, and not a cafe in the colourful vicinity of Katong/Joo Chiat.

With over 200 sqm to play with and a generous budget, the owners certainly put their space to good use with a pastel cafe-esque design.

To add to the vibes, the entrance to the cafe space is along the foyer stretch that leads to the ‘main’ entrance of the home.

Head further in and you’ll find a study-cum-walk-in-wardrobe that connects to the bedroom, painted with pops of pastel colours that match the rest of the eclectic theme around the home.

2. Get bold and replace walls with glass for an open-plan layout

It’s evident that privacy was hardly a concern for the owners of this flat, whose bedroom entrance is now entirely done up with glass.

On the practical side of things, it can still be closed off from the living room with curtains (which your guests will thank you for if they need to use the bathroom!).

Step into the bedroom and you’ll notice that the bathroom is an open-concept space too – an idea for those of you who want to try something more bold in your home!

3. Carve out a study space for two in the master bedroom

“Good things come in pairs”, according to an age-old Chinese saying – so why not set up a his-and-hers study?

In this home, the owners merged two bedrooms for an extra spacious area, setting aside half for a built-in desk that stretches the corners.

This way, you get plenty of desk space and a decent distance from your partner while you’re working.

A fluted glass partition visually demarcates the study, which lets light flow through freely between the two areas.

4. Amp up the fun with a dedicated entertainment room

Why settle for the standard living room fare when you can double down on the fun with a dedicated entertainment space?

Just take a look at this 4-room flat! The owners converted one junior bedroom into a warm, moody space where they can game and relax.

Plus, if you host often and need to entertain your friends’/relatives’ kids while you talk, this looks like a perfect solution!

5. Give your living room a twist with an open relaxing zone

As you can see, this 3-room flat is anything but cookie-cutter.

Hacking down one of the two bedrooms in a 3-room flat might not be for everyone – but if you know you don’t need a spare room (for guests, kids and the like), you can do what the owners of this home did.

That is, converting one bedroom into an open and warm relaxation deck with fluted panels running across the walls and ceiling.

Besides that, they have a suspended ledge in the kitchen by the window for folding laundry (or a quick morning cuppa) and even made room for a walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom.

6. Transform your home into a hobby ‘playground’

This unique home is sure to tickle the fancies of the creatives among you, who love the old-school vibes and dream of sinking into a plush couch while a vinyl record plays in the background.

This home certainly embodies that, with a room designed for a sound set-up that includes a turntable and speakers. Look to the right and you’ll see that it seamlessly connects to the bedroom via an arched entryway.

Did we mention that it even has stairs leading to the living area? Talk about making an entrance!

Explore: 12 Useful Spare Room Ideas: Home Gyms, ‘Zen Areas’, and More

7. Be your true self with an unapologetic ‘man cave’

As a DINK, you’ll have free rein with your spare room – like in this home, where it was turned into a study that also features the owner’s prized collections of shoes, games, vinyl records, games and even instruments!

The space sports a distinctly different theme compared to the rest of the home, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to call it a 'man cave'.

Interestingly, the display shelf that looks like it’s been slotted into a recessed corner is actually a second, hidden entrance into the room!

8. In a compact home, merge the bedroom and living area for a bigger space

If inviting people over often sounds like the last thing you and your partner enjoy, consider merging your bedroom and living area for a bigger, more open space where you both can relax.

In this 2-room flat in Sengkang, that’s exactly what the owners did: the platform stretching from the sleeping area extends to the living room and seamlessly connects with the TV console-cum-bookshelf.

And with bookshelves filled with rows and rows of manga, it isn’t hard to imagine cosying up in the plush floor seating for a long and relaxing read.

9. Give your home an extensive minimalist treatment

Now, this type of interior – which some would dub a ‘cave dwelling’ – is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a huge fan of extreme minimalism, why not go all out like the owners of this home did?

Big curves dominate the space that is dressed in limewash paint and create a natural flow around the area, with an eye-catching skylight at the centre of the communal area.

The curves naturally lead to the master bedroom that was made bigger by combining two rooms, and features a platform bed.

10. Hack all the walls and reconfigure communal spaces

The owners of this 4-room BTO in Toa Payoh pulled all the stops to give their home an extreme – and extremely aesthetic – layout overhaul that involved hacking down all the rooms except the master bedroom.

The result is that one junior bedroom was converted into a semi-open entertainment room with a platform that stretches across to the redefined dining area next to it, which is where the second junior bedroom used to be.

In the dining space, you’ll find a spacious two-tiered island set-up for hosting and food prep. With this shift, the owners get a smoother flow to the kitchen too, since they won’t have to walk over from the original living room area.

Notably, the bedroom was sectioned with a full-height wardrobe to create a walk-in space that leads to the bathroom.

And did we mention the really cool faux skylight along the corridor?

For those of us living in HDB flats with limits on how natural light gets in, this definitely emulates the feeling of gazing up at the real sky.

11. Combine the bedrooms and corridor for a massive master bedroom suite

On the topic of extreme layout makeovers, this ‘corridor-less’ 5-room BTO in Punggol is a sight to behold.

While some homeowners might have to default to no-hack walk-in wardrobes because of space constraints, you might have a room or two to spare – much like the owners of this flat.

They combined all the bedrooms for a huge master bedroom suite that includes a study, walk-in wardrobe and master ensuite.

With its sleek design and abundance of iridescent designs, you could definitely trick us into thinking this home is a hotel!

12. Calling all pawrents: build your furbabies a room of their own

At first glance, the most prominent feature of this home is its curving TV feature wall that connects with the foyer door next to it.

But look further in, and you’ll spot a room that was built just for the owners’ felines; it’s fitted with built-ins that work as a cat playground, and looks into the kitchen area.

DINKWACs – that is, dual income couples with cats – this might be just what you need!

And did we mention the lovely walk-in wardrobe space that has all the storage space so many of us dream of?

Start making plans for your dream home

At the end of the day, a little creativity and an open discussion with your ID can go a long way in helping you to understand how to plan your home around your needs (while sticking to your budget)!

Need help finding said ID? Get in touch with us: we can help you shortlist suitable firms within one working day for free when you tell us your renovation needs below.

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