Inside a Couple’s HDB SBF Inspired by Beach Homes and Wabi Sabi Living

Laid back and easy going – just like an actual beach home.

Homeowners Anthony and Hyacinth were all smiles when they welcomed us into their 5-room flat in Tiong Bahru.

Once inside, two things were made clear to us. Firstly, that their home is as cosy as it gets, and secondly, that there were a variety of interior styles that were weaved into the look.

“You’re absolutely right,” said Hyacinth when we brought this up. “We wanted our home to feel like you are on an overseas retreat, and to do that, we drew a lot of inspiration from things like beach houses and places we’ve seen on our travels.”

“I think the main thing about the design is that we wanted to experiment with a lot of different textures,” Anthony added. “Although we wanted a lot of organic textures, we didn’t just want to use wood – so we opted for materials like rattan and cement as well.”

About the homeowners and their home

“Both of us used to stay in the North, but worked in Central areas for a while,” Anthony said. “Before my current job, my workplace was in River Valley – I got to know the area well and eventually fell in love with the area, from the vibe down to the amenities available.”

“So, we knew that if we had an opportunity to move here, we were definitely going to jump at the chance. And just when we were thinking of finding a place of our own, two units in this block went up for Sale-of-Balance (SBF) – and fortunately, we got it! It really felt like fate.”

WATCH: Homeowners Anthony and Hyacinth talk about their home's renovation

About finding an interior designer to renovate their home

“Because we had a lot of ideas we wanted to experiment with, we nearly went with a contractor,” said Hyacinth. “But around the time we were looking for someone, we got to know that our close friend Keith had become an interior designer at SG Interior Design – and knowing his personality, we knew that he’d be perfect for the job.”

“Yeah, we’re all part of a clique of friends, so we know that as a person, he’s a very open-minded and practical guy,” Anthony added. “He’s very creative as well, with ideas of his own, so we knew that the chemistry would work out great.”

“Unfortunately, he passed away recently, which devastated all of us. But we still wanted to take this opportunity to honour him by shining a light on his work, and the wonderful job he did with our house. I think he would’ve liked that.”

About the chill area

“In the floorplan, you’ll notice that this area was originally the designated living room and balcony,” Anthony said while gesturing towards the room. “But as we often host, we wanted to have a chill area where we and our guests could just sit around and hang out.”

“So, we had the idea of building a platform to seat as many people as possible. We initially just wanted a simple one, but Keith was the one who suggested extending it all the way across the room for a more visually-striking design.”

When we remarked about the way the rattan/wicker furniture added to the island vibe, Hyacinth enthusiastically agreed. “That was exactly what we wanted,” she said. “And incidentally, this wicker lounge chair is also called the ‘Hyacinth chair’!”

“And because of the relaxing, easy-going vibe of the space, we spend a lot of time here just chilling and listening to music. When we have people over, it’s very common to see them sprawled over the floor.”

About the entertainment room

At first glance, the display shelf in the middle of the home looked like any ordinary shelf – but that all changed when Anthony swung it open to reveal the couple’s entertainment room within.

“This concealed door thing was actually Keith’s idea,” he said while we ooh-ed and aah-ed, “which we thought was brilliant.”

Inside, the entertainment room was pretty simple, loosely furnished with a big couch, a coffee table and a TV. According to Hyacinth, this was intentional, as it gave them the flexibility to switch things up when needed.

“In the future, we may want to have kids, or convert the space into something else we need,” she said. “So we purposely kept it simple with loose furniture that we can move around when we need to.”

When we asked how they used the space, Anthony mentions that this is where they (or their guests) watch movies or play games – but there’s another purpose, albeit unintentional.

“Sometimes, when our friends stay over, they end up sleeping on this sofa,” he said amusedly. “Weirdly, they prefer sleeping here even though we have a guest bedroom. It just shows how comfy this sofa really is.”

About the kitchen

“We initially wanted an open kitchen, but due to the structure of the house, this wasn’t possible,” said Anthony. “So, we decided to separate the wet and dry area.”

Of course, the main highlight of the dry kitchen is the massive concrete island. According to Hyacinth, this was one of the things they wanted to experiment with as they were keen to break away from overusing wood while introducing texture into the space.

“It’s not your usual island made with wood – this is pure concrete,” she said. “I think this is the first time Keith or his contractor had ever done something like this. I believe they needed to slather on multiple layers of the concrete to solidify the structure, which is why the height is higher than usual.”

“Our parents keep telling us to seal it to prevent marks, but honestly, we like it as it is. When our guests leave their mugs here or accidentally spill something, it leaves behind a mark.”

“When we see the marks, we’ll be reminded about the person or the event we hosted here. It’s like every flaw or notch here leaves behind a story to tell.”

“For the wet kitchen, we had this wild idea of removing the windows to create a sort of open air, al fresco kitchen/dining area,” Anthony said. “But obviously, that wasn’t practical as the kitchen was too narrow for that.”

“So, we settled on a galley-style kitchen. The unique feature here is the seating area by the window. It has come in handy on so many occasions: when Hyacinth cooks or bakes, she can take breaks and have a cuppa while still keeping an eye on the food."

About the common toilet

“As this is the bathroom that our guests will be using, we wanted the vibe to be more colourful and quirky,” Hyacinth said. “That mostly comes from the Mediterranean tiles we used as the sort of ‘backsplash’ for the sink – it’s something we saw and fell in love with while we were in Spain for our wedding photoshoot.”

“Also, to make it more convenient for our guests, we shifted the toilet’s entrance,” she added. “Initially, the door was in the kitchen, but it wouldn’t make sense as the guests will have to go into the kitchen just to use the toilet. The original entrance is actually where this display shelf is at.”

About the master bedroom and ensuite

“We kept the master bedroom pretty simple as well,” Hyacinth said. “Before we enter, we're greeted by a curved ceiling by the door, which creates an organic feel and adds movement to the space."

“As this is where we’ll be winding down at the end of the day, we wanted the master bathroom to have a more ‘zen’ vibe,” Anthony added. “That’s why we chose more neutral-coloured tiles for this space.”

When we pointed out the gorgeous carved bowl sinks that we saw in both bathrooms, the couple highlighted that this was something that they really wanted from the start.

“We love how they add texture and an organic feel to the space,” Anthony said. “We spent so much time trying to find them – I think we basically scouted the entire island just to find them! But eventually, we found one place in the West that sells them. To our knowledge, they’re the only ones in Singapore who have them.”

To conclude

“Honestly, it still feels very surreal to be living here,” Hyacinth said. “Sometimes, we wake up and go ‘Oh wow, this really is our house!’ in the morning. Plus, the neighbourhood and people here are fantastic, and we’re so well-connected to the rest of the island, which was a luxury we didn’t havewhen we were still staying up North.”

“Actually, it’s pretty ironic,” Anthony said with a smile. “When we were still living with our parents, we always wanted to go to town and do something. But now that we’re actually living here, we find ourselves wanting to stay in more.”

“I think that’s a testament to the wonderful job that Keith and his team did with our home, and we’ll forever be grateful to them.”

We're on Instagram, Telegram and TikTok! Follow us there to keep up with the latest design trends 🙌

Renovate with assurance, only on Qanvast. Find and meet interior designers verified by homeowners, with no hidden costs and no commissions involved. Find an ID