Make the Most Out of Your 3-Room BTO With These 9 Ideas

From design hacks to clever storage solutions.

It’s no secret that 3-room BTOs are small, and with the standard HDB flat layouts we’re given to work with, trying to renovate your new home can feel pretty limiting.

But that doesn’t have to equate to boring spaces or cluttered interiors. From storage hacks to beautiful and thoughtful design-planning, there are many ways to make use of the space you’re given. Read on for inspiration on how to make the most out of your new home.

1. Install carpentry with hidden storage compartments

While some would argue that clutter makes a home, having things strewn about would no doubt make your home look messier. Take notes from this clever home in Bidadari - it features a bay window seat with (hidden) storage compartments and a raised platform with a platform-to-ceiling wardrobe in the bedroom.

contact Posh Living Interior Design

2. Create a mini walk-in wardrobe in your bedroom

Typically, walk-in wardrobes take up a whole room, but this contemporary home managed to include one by partitioning their bedroom in half, with their sleeping area on a separate raised platform.

contact Swiss Interior Design

3. Use matching laminates for a cohesive look

Instead of demarcating your living and dining spaces, consider blurring the lines with matching laminates for that seamless look. This Toa Payoh BTO added storage seating from their TV console-cum-feature wall and power sockets for a cozy, cafe-like WFH corner.

contact ECasa Studio

4. Consider flexible built-ins

Planning your home layout in accordance to how you would live in it day-to-day gives you more clarity on what you want to prioritize in your home. If you spend lots of time in the kitchen, install bulky kitchen appliances like your fridge and oven outside instead.

Another great idea that the homeowners of this hotel-like 3-room BTO had was to also install mini pull-out shelves in the wall that can act as additional counter space.

contact Habit

5. Keep it bright with a light colour scheme

Another hack to make your humble abode look bigger and more inviting, is to keep it bright and airy. Having a light colour scheme helps to make your home look more cohesive and spacious.

In this Tampines BTO, the bay window area has a custom vertical shelving unit to make full use of dead space. Plus, a floating TV console in the same colour palette creates a nice, unified corner for all your gadgets and trinkets.

contact ChengYi Interior Design

6. Or spice things up with bold colours

If you’re tired of the white-and-wood look, why not switch things up with a bold blue wall instead?

To create a visually interesting home, the homeowners opted for a built-in cabinet with herringbone laminates at the entryway and vertical patterns for the feature wall. In line with the blue wall, the kitchen features French blue shaker cabinets and graphic tiles for the backsplash.

contact Juz Interior

7. Go for multipurpose carpentry

While this 68m² abode keeps things minimal, it’s far from boring in its design. From a geometric feature wall to muted pops of colour in their furnishing, the homeowners kept things breezy yet playful.

The built-in shoe cabinet even has a small, extended study/work table — an interesting and super functional add-on when you have limited living room space.

contact INCLOVER DESIGN

8. Open up a space with mirrors and glass

Making use of mirrors and glass can make your home look more spacious while warm lighting keeps the place feeling inviting.

This swanky home makes use of a glass panel along the entranceway to allow light to reach the kitchen, as well as a half-wall mirror at the dining nook for the illusion of a larger space.

contact The Makers Design Studio

9. Reconfigure the space entirely

To carve out more space in their tiny apartment, the homeowners tore down almost all the walls, leaving them with only one bedroom that features a sunken king-sized bed.

Another interesting feature of this gorgeous abode is the black marble kitchen island, which extends all the way from the dining area to the kitchen (that comes with plenty of hidden storage ideas!).

Bring your 3-room BTO design ideas to life!

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