Far from basic.
Interior design trends may look cool, but they may not necessarily be a true reflection of your personality – something that homeowners Ting Wei and Wei Chao (@beyondaspace) realised throughout the course of their renovation journey.
“When we first renovated our home 3 years ago, our priority was to make the space look and feel cohesive instead of having it reflect our characters,” Ting Wei – who quit her corporate job in 2023 to pursue interior styling – says. “So our choices leaned more towards the clean Japandi aesthetic, with furniture and decor pieces in neutral, muted tones.”
“Over time, however, I realised that this just wasn’t me. I’m personally more drawn towards colours and use them in my wardrobe, so I realised I shouldn’t be afraid to use them in my home too.”
This realisation soon led her down a 1-year journey to transform her home into one that reflected her character more accurately. View the home in more detail below!
An open, airy living room
As regular hosts, Ting Wei and Wei Chao wanted an open space that allows multiple groups of people to mingle at different spots without feeling cramped. So, they chose to hack one of the junior bedrooms to create one big, spacious communal area.
The pegboard (on the right) allows Ting Wei to store everyday items without cluttering the look
Filled with white, cream, and brown hues, the neutral background sets the stage for the vibrant furniture and decor pieces to shine. Most of them were sourced from Taobao or XiaoHongShu stores, from reputable brands or those endorsed by top-tier interior designers.
Ting Wei particularly enjoys viewing livestreams on XiaoHongShu, as the live interactions with the products allow her to get a better understanding of their quality and feel.
A cosy study nook
The bookshelf gives Ting Wei the necessary space to display the items she curated over the years
One thing that Ting Wei and Wei Chao wanted from the start was a glass partition. After some planning, they eventually installed one as the door leading into their study – where Wei Chao takes private work calls, and which Ting Wei uses as a cosy corner to make coffee.
“Some might feel the glass partition is unnecessary,” Ting Wei says, “but we really have no regrets. It adds visual height and makes the overall space feel bigger.”
Inside, the walls are painted a sunny yellow hue, and complement the blue metal cabinet – the focal point of the room, and one of Ting Wei’s favourite pieces in the home.
An open kitchen fit for hosting
To maximise storage space, Ting Wei and Wei Chao erected a kitchen island that boasts ample room for their dinnerware and snacks.
Next to it, the dining table’s proximity to the kitchen allows the couple to easily attend to their guests whenever needed. Instead of being flushed to the wall, the table is situated centrally within the space, to allow guests to leave and join the area easily without needing others to give them way.
An airy master bedroom
With limited space, many BTO bedrooms tend to feel cramped while accommodating a decently-sized bed and wardrobe. To ensure that this wasn’t the case, Ting Wei and Wei Chao opted to hack a wall to make room for a ‘recessed’ wardrobe.
Instead of sticking out like regular wardrobes do, this design keeps the look seamless while ensuring ample walking room.
The common and master bathroom
The couple played around with different colour schemes for each bathroom. For the common toilet, they opted for a creamy palette (similar to the communal area), with a half-wall tile design that pairs off-white kitkat tiles with larger stone-look ones.
For their ensuite, they injected some colour into the space via the sage green vertical tiles.
To sum it up
At the end of the tour, we asked Ting Wei what’s one thing she would have done differently for her renovation.
“I definitely would’ve chosen bathroom fittings with better quality,” she says. “Those are items that you interact with every day, so it’s essential to get good quality ones that can last you a long time.”
Then, when asked if she had any advice for future homeowners, she stresses the importance of taking time to fill up a home.
“Something I’ve learnt to do is to be more intentional with my decor choices,” she says. “Instead of rushing to buy things because they’re trendy or on sale, I focus more on curating items that hold meaning to me.”
“Trends and sales come and go, but the things you love will stay with you for a very long time – so trust the process and take your time!”
Special thanks to Ting Wei and Wei Chao for letting us tour their home!
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