The homeowner also took things into his own hands – literally – for electrical works.
If your home is your sanctuary over the weekends – and also the heart of the gatherings you host – you know you’d want it to be cosy and inviting.
Making it roomy on top of that can be a tall order in space-starved Singapore, but homeowner Zul set out to give his 5-room resale flat an extensive makeover perfect for hosting and relaxing in with his wife and daughter.
“My wife and I were hands-on for different aspects of the renovation since we’re quite particular about details. It was a collaborative process with our interior designer, Shawn (from MET Interior), who was flexible and had great ideas.”
View this project by MET Interior
Keep reading to find out how the family of three transformed their home into a bigger, warm space – and even managed to fit a bathtub in!
About the homeowners and their home
Zul (Z): Our first home was a 4-room BTO flat we moved into after getting married. We did a no-frills renovation with just the necessities installed since we were tight on time and didn’t have prior experience.
We’re all homebodies and spend a lot of time with extended family over the weekends, so we came to value practicality and comfort the most over the seven years we lived there.
That’s exactly what guided us for this resale flat renovation, from the big picture to the small details.
Pre-renovation floor plan
Z: In Singapore, one thing we always want more of is space. Moving into this bigger flat, we wanted to keep things simple. I was also inspired by my travels to Bali and Krabi, where the houses are spacious and uncluttered, yet there is something delightful at every corner.
We also wanted enough space to host friends and family when they come over.
That’s why we decided on a Scandinavian-inspired style, with soft, neutral colours throughout and a big, open-concept communal space.
Post-renovation floor plan
Z: You could say that I worked on the backbone of the home, which is all the electrical works and tech-related set-ups, since I’ve been in the IT industry for seven years.
My wife, meanwhile, came up with the main ideas for designs and concepts. She got her inspiration from social media platforms she uses for her work in the media industry, like Pinterest and Instagram, and browsing projects on Qanvast.
We met about six to seven interior designers for the renovation and MET Interior stood out to us because Shawn didn’t just agree to all our ideas – he shared his own and suggested helpful alternatives. When we had different thoughts, he was open to compromising as well, so we worked closely together with Shawn to get the result we wanted.
On renovating the living room
The living room, pre-renovation
Z: While some homeowners build a feature wall just for the TV, I switched up the concept: here, the feature wall is the focus, and the TV is more of an accessory.
This was actually inspired by a home I saw in Sentosa Cove while I was working for an events company. In this way, everyone can enjoy watching the TV from wherever they are in the living or dining areas.
The living room, post-renovation
Z: It was my wife who decided on the whites and neutrals with pops of greenery for the overall colour scheme, because we want to return to a relaxing and soothing space.
We specifically looked for modular and moveable furniture for when friends and family come over, since we have the space to move them around.
This comes in handy when we want to change the arrangement depending on the occasion, and it lets our guests mingle in different spaces.
Z: As I mentioned, I did all the electrical rewiring because I’m precise about where I want my lights. Shawn has been very helpful in accommodating to what we wanted, since I had a couple of uncommon areas I wanted to install lights in.
I also changed all the wall sockets as I wanted the switches to be hidden. We can control the lights with the Google Home smart home system we integrated through our home.
Having such a system is convenient and helps us to organise everything better – we can activate our robot vacuum remotely while we’re away on vacation, or let our guests in even if we’re not home yet. We can also turn off our heater and lights we might have forgotten to do, which helps us to save on costs.
Z: If you notice, there’s a sliding door at the feature wall which leads to a corridor for the bedrooms. Initially, we intended to have a glass door with hinges, but decided to close it off for two reasons: privacy, since we have friends visiting, and safety for our daughter and children from our extended family who might crash into a glass door.
Shawn agreed that it was a practical idea and helped to build it into the hidden wall.
Z: The entrance to the second junior bedroom used to be at this niche by the sofa, but we concealed it.
We were planning on converting it to a coffee spot, but we realised that it could get cluttered and instead left it as a nook for minimalist decor that we can easily change up in the future.
About the kitchen and the dining area
The dining area, pre-renovation
Z: The previous owners had the sofas and entertainment set-up next to the kitchen. We flipped the arrangement and swapped the living area with the dining area.
This way, we could have a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen that extends out into the living room. Cooking is important to us, so we wanted sufficient space for food prep, instead of having a cramped galley-style kitchen.
The dining area, post-renovation
Z: With the dry kitchen in the dining area, we – and our guests – can easily make a hot cup of coffee or enjoy a cold drink without having to go into the kitchen, which might be messy and hot when we’re cooking.
Not only that, it also looks like a very long kitchen, which is rather uncommon and beautifies the space. Shawn suggested having the cabinets in this pastel blue colour, which he felt would match the colour scheme we wanted. We loved it and went ahead with it.
The balcony at the entrance, pre-renovation
Z: There was a balcony at the entrance, but we hacked the walls to combine it with the living and dining areas for a bigger communal area that we can welcome guests into from the moment they step in.
Z: While we wanted an open-concept space for natural light to flood in, we didn’t want cooking odours to waft into the rest of the house. You can’t see it in the photos here, but we added a sliding glass door to separate the kitchen from the dining space.
Z: Besides the usual closed cabinets, my wife also wanted open shelving for both the dry and wet areas to display decor and memorabilia. She loved the idea, and I just had to accept it.
A rule of thumb: a happy wife is a happy life [laughs].
It’s not obvious at first, but we have hidden switches here too at the pantry that are flushed to the quartz table top.
The kitchen, pre-renovation
The kitchen, post-renovation
Z: Shawn suggested white quartz for the countertops. While it’s brighter and glossier than the matte, muted tone surfaces in the living room, we were agreeable since it’s subtle and has an elegant look overall.
We implemented minor details too based on our experience at our previous home, like having rounded edges on cabinets instead of the sharp ones, for kids’ safety.
My wife picked out the knobs you see on the drawers and cabinets to match the aesthetic. We got them from Lavavella – they have what I consider rustic options for knobs in various sizes and designs.
On making over the master bedroom and walk-in wardrobe
Z: There was originally a second junior bedroom, but we merged it with the master bedroom to make space for a walk-in wardrobe and vanity.
Since the bedroom is a place to relax when we want our alone time, we wanted to keep it simple and cosy. We predominantly used light colours for a more spacious feel, and black as an accent colour.
The wall is a shade of grey that Shawn suggested, knowing how particular we are. He shared that the colour would calm us down at night and help us sleep more comfortably. Our daughter also likes to cuddle up with us here.
Z: This converted junior bedroom is the only space that we have a built-in wardrobe since we don’t foresee our needs changing in the future.
We also have a work desk next to it since we need some space for our laptops and monitors.
The vanity area, pre-renovation: the previous owners used the space for a work desk
Z: The highlight of the room, though, is our vanity with a his-and-hers sink by the window. We would often tussle for space in our previous home, so we brought the sink out of the bathroom for a rather unique layout.
The vanity area, post-renovation
Z: Now, we can get ready together, and at our own pace. Positioning the vanity at the windows also means we get a lot of natural lighting to clearly see things like our natural skin tone when we’re preparing for the day.
About the master ensuite and common bathroom
The master ensuite before (left) and after (right) renovation
Z: The highlight of the master bathroom is definitely the bathtub, since it’s rare to find one in an HDB flat.
Z: To highlight this unique feature, we used a subway tile feature wall. It both contrasts and complements the marble look-alike tiles and gold accents used for the rest of the bathroom, which add a bold and luxurious feel to the space.
We did face difficulties installing a bathtub since there aren’t many vendors who cater to one that will fit in an HDB flat. A false wall with niches was actually designed so that we could slot in our bathtub neatly below the tap.
The common bathroom, post-renovation
Z: In comparison, the common bathroom in the kitchen has a simple black-and-white scheme.
Besides the aesthetic touch they add to the bathroom, the black floor tiles are easier to maintain than white ones since they won’t yellow over the years.
For a seamless connection to the floor, we used black wall tiles for the shower area and for the partition which separates the wet and dry areas.
On renovating the junior bedroom
The junior bedroom, pre-renovation
Z: My daughter loves Elsa (from Disney’s Frozen), so she picked blue paint for her bedroom to match the character’s colours. She spends a lot of time with her toys, so we made sure there was enough space for all of that.
The junior bedroom, post-renovation
Z: We chose loose furniture for her room, much like the other parts of the house, so we can adjust the set-up as needed when she grows up.
Z: Even the wardrobe is a loose one from IKEA, which we had custom-made thanks to their online 3D planner that allows us to customise the measurements.
To sum up
Z: One other thing we appreciate about working with Shawn is that communication was prompt, even for any last-minute changes. He was on the ball to rectify issues and we’re satisfied with the good workmanship as well.
While there were some hiccups along the way, they were all resolved. To put it frankly, Shawn is a really good ID; we’d be glad to recommend MET Interior to others.
Z: My wife and I are very happy with the result – we have a lot of confidence inviting our friends and family to our house, knowing that they will enjoy the space and feel comfortable, as they have shared with us.
Even for ourselves, we were pleasantly surprised by how nice everything looked after we got home from a vacation. The vibes, so to speak, are excellent, and there’s nothing that we would have done differently.
We're on Instagram, Telegram and TikTok! Follow us there to keep up with the latest design trends 🙌
