Design Ideas for Every HDB BTO Layout, from 2/3/4/5-room to 3Gen Flats

LOTS of ideas to help you design your dream home, no matter your flat layout.

So, it’s time to plan your renovation.

With so many interior styles, materials and fixtures to choose from, it’s definitely an exciting process – but while you’re deep in your planning, always remember to consider your lifestyle needs before you make any big design decisions.

To get you started, we’ve put together clever and functional design ideas for all ‘standard’ (by this we mean the most common) BTO flat layouts, regardless of which flat type you’ll be calling home.

But first, some general tips before you start scrolling

There are lots of design possibilities to consider, like hacking walls to open up a space, converting bedrooms for other uses or even building cosy, multipurpose niches.

Just don’t forget what’s important for your flat layout:

• For 2- and 3-room flats: Making the most of your square footage
• For a 4- and 5-room flats: Future-proofing, especially if you plan to have kids
• For a 3Gen flat: Making not only the communal spaces comfortable, but also private ones so that everyone has space for themselves too

With that covered, let’s dive right in!

2-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the living room

a) No-frills makeover without hacking walls

To get the most out of your small home, you don’t need to hack the wall between the bedroom and living room (or anywhere else).

In fact, most 2-room BTO flats come with a sliding door between the bedroom and the living room in the spirit of a ‘semi-open’ concept, which gives you flexibility of the space and saves you the swing clearance area.

Or, you could even swap out the sliding door with a fluted panel divider, like what you see below:

You’ll notice a combination of ‘tricks’ here: A low-height sofa that gives the illusion of height and built-in storage units that fit in perfectly with the minimalist approach of this Japandi-style home, keeping the space clutter-free.

You can also max out your small space with clever multipurpose carpentry, like this living room nook that converts into a cosy dining space for two with a pull-out dining table.

b) Blur the boundaries between the communal and rest areas

Instead of letting walls cramp up your style and space, you can hack them to get a brighter and airier space – especially if you’re tight on floor area in a Type I flat and live by yourself.

2-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the kitchen

a) Use sliding glass partitions for a ‘semi-open’ kitchen

Creating a seamless flow between rooms goes a long way in making your flat look more spacious.

You can set up sliding glass partitions between your kitchen and the living room to ‘close’ your kitchen when you’re cooking and open it up when you want more breathing room, or you have guests over.

Since the partitions are made of glass, it keeps things looking ‘open’ even when the kitchen is closed.

3-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the living room

a) Hack the junior bedroom wall to expand your living room…

If you’re planning on having kids in the near future, it’s definitely prudent to keep your junior bedroom intact. But if you aren’t, you can hack the wall to expand your living room, or turn it into an open-concept study.

For this house, the homeowners hacked the junior bedroom wall to make room for a study with plenty of elbow space.

b) …or replace walls with glass partitions for a defined but open space

Alternatively, replace the junior bedroom wall with glass partitions that give you the flexibility of opening and closing up the room as you like.

To truly maximise its use, you may also wish to keep built-ins to a minimum. Taking the example above, this junior bedroom is used as a study, but also has sufficient space for other uses like exercise or for the kids to play.

c) Go fully open-concept for your kitchen layout

Newer flats like this 3-room flat at the upcoming Woodlands South Plains are designed to accommodate open-concept style homes, so you can see that the kitchen isn’t partitioned from the get-go.

Take advantage of this to design an open-concept kitchen with a strategically-placed bar counter for extra prep space when you need it, and as a place to dump any hand carry items upon returning home.

You’ll have to rule out an open-concept kitchen if you have a layout like this one at Keat Hong Grange though, where the structural wall is between the kitchen and the bathroom.

3-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter along the central walkway

a) Convert your junior bedroom into an entertainment or activity space

While you can’t hack the structural walls of the household shelter opposite the junior bedroom, you can cover it up with fluted walls.

Fun idea: Use that as a backdrop to install a massive pull-up projector screen for movie nights.

Swapping out the usual TV spot with the junior bedroom by hacking the walls also gave the homeowners abundant space for a six-seater table in the living room area, which is not something you’d otherwise expect in a small home.

b) Have a dining nook in place of a sofa

It’s usually tough to squeeze in a dining area in your communal space, especially if you’re retaining both junior bedrooms – but not if the living room doubles up as a dining area!

That’s precisely what you see in this 3-room BTO flat in Woodleigh, where the living room sports bench seating and a table instead of your regular sofa-and-coffee-table setup. With this, you can comfortably have a meal while catching up on your favourite TV shows.

4-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the living room

a) Use your kitchen island/peninsula to demarcate an otherwise large, open space

With a wide kitchen entrance like in the above layout at Woodlands South Plains, you have a bigger area for an open-concept kitchen and dining area, or even for adding a kitchen island/peninsula.

In the example above, the peninsula is used to ‘divide’ the kitchen and the dining area – it blends seamlessly with this Scandinavian-styled home, creating a pleasing and minimal aesthetic.

b) Build a petite diner booth outside your kitchen

Make use of the bathroom’s structural wall to fix a diner booth outside your kitchen!

Besides changing up the usual dining table, it has a unique charm that will surely impress your guests and make for a comfortable place to have your meals.

c) Change up your L-shaped kitchen with a corner stove

Eyeball this: The designer of this house intentionally created a corner stove in this L-shaped kitchen to add dimension to it.

If you have a galley-style kitchen like this, embrace the perks of the kitchen work triangle it provides, with the sink, fridge and stove all conveniently within reach.

4-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter within the kitchen

a) Convert your service yard into a hobby space

Some rules are meant to be broken, and that applies to service yards!

If you’ve got green thumbs but no ideas on where to raise your plants (or your very own herb garden), consider housing them in your service yard, where they can get plenty of sunlight by the windows and sufficient space to grow.

4-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter along the central walkway

b) Fit a study, TV feature wall and dining table, no hacking involved

If you’re planning your interior with your family in mind, you’d probably want to keep all the walls intact for three separate bedrooms. As this living room proves, you don’t have to hack down a junior bedroom to achieve an open-concept communal area.

With a semi-open kitchen, custom carpentry for the study, and a feature wall that extends across the entire wall, this living room makes it work without looking cramped.

c) Have a dry pantry/mini-bar outside your kitchen

A pantry outside of the kitchen is always a good idea, particularly if you cook often. Just think about it: no longer having to deal with grease collecting on the likes of your coffee machine or snack boxes.

Plus, it also serves as a nice little counter for you to prepare your breakfast in the morning, or have a drink or two when you have friends over.

5-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the living room

a) Go fully open-concept for an airy and bright interior

To really emphasise the space that you have in your 5-room flat, go for an open-concept living room without walls or partitions separating it from the kitchen and dining room.

That’s what the homeowner of this flat did, and the open plan layout helps to brighten up the living room, which would otherwise look crowded.

5-room BTO design ideas, with a junior bedroom separated from other bedrooms

a) Conceal the household shelter and bedroom door with a feature wall

If you have a flat layout where one junior bedroom directly opens up to the living room, use a feature wall that extends across the living room to easily cover it up.

You can also use it to conceal the household shelter — your guests won’t notice a thing, until you reveal the ‘hidden’ entrances, at least.

5-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter along the central walkway

a) Use a bay window seat to create more sitting room

You can turn unused space in your living room into bay window seats – cosy them up with throw pillows and add a touch of greenery with potted plants.

We love that these window seats are versatile: You can enjoy a book by the windows, turn them into extra seating space for guests, or even settle in for some shut-eye.

5-room BTO design ideas, with the household shelter within the kitchen

a) Create a wall partition that can be used as display and storage

With the household shelter in the kitchen, you’ve got an uninterrupted floor area in the living room.

Maximise this abundant space with a wall partition that both stores and displays bulky items you own, like the bicycles in this project.

3Gen flat BTO design ideas, with the household shelter next to the living room

a) Demarcate a zone for a flexible activity area

A raised platform is one way you can segregate your living room space for various activities.

For example, you can restrict your kids’ play area to the platform in the living room (avoid mishaps from those stray toys!).

b) Have a relaxing set-up for ‘me-time’ in your personal space

When you’ve got a big family, you have to accommodate different tastes, even for TV time.

With a projector and a blank wall in your bedroom to project movies onto, you’re set for a laid-back movie night without having to wrestle for control of the TV in the living room.

c) Make more countertop space in the kitchen

Make enough counter space if you have more than one cook – you know how it gets when it’s cramped, hot and you get on one another’s nerves...

Don’t forget about under-cabinet lighting for ambient and task lighting in your kitchen so you can easily read your recipes and get your food prep done without a hitch.

3Gen BTO design ideas, with the household shelter within the kitchen

a) Have sufficient storage compartments to minimise clutter

With lots of family members under one roof, it’s a recipe for chaos – when it comes to organising items, that is. To minimise clutter, like your kids’ toys, books and other items you don’t use often, use built-in cabinets or storage compartments.

Not only do you keep your living room looking tidy, but you also reduce tripping hazards!

Kickstart your dream home renovation

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(This article was originally published on 5 October 2022 and last updated on 1 November 2024.