reviving resale HDB corridor unit with mid-mod twist!

710

Virtual House Tour

Mid-Century Modern
HDB (Resale)
~900 sqft
3 br
Couple Living

Welcome to __madeofpebbles! After renting for almost a decade, we finally found a long term storage space. :) As an homage to our profession of both programmers/analyst, it is our design principal of "it is a feature, not a bug" to mean acceptance for imperfection and changes.
After visiting 16 units, we finally settled on this the very night we saw it. Despite the unit being over 25 years old and smaller than what we were initially looking for, it was still in its original BTO-ed layout--which we loved because it gives us full flexibility to change it up. We also loved the squarish lay out of it, leaving no wasted walking space. It is in an ideal central location in Toa Payoh, which we adored after having lived in multiple areas (East and West included) in the past. The unit is along the corridor, which is often a negative points by many, comes with a generous view and wind, which we decidedly embraced.
We removed the walls and expanded the master bedroom to give it a more spacious layout and cordoned the other half as a low energy area for lounge and reading. The study/studio is facing the corridor, with a good view across the window. Meanwhile the living, dining space will be defined through other decoration method to keep the layout flexible for changes.
During our visit to Hafary, we came across a tile pattern that we could not resist and had it added as a 'genkan'-like foyer entry, contrasting to the wood vinyl finish.
- #entrancewaytiles
- #entrywayideas
The entryway is small since it is shared with the living space and dining space. Once we enter, we will then see a small entryway to the kitchen area.
As this is a corridor unit, the layout does not allow for a huge demarcation between foyer, living space and dining space. We did consider hacking the walls in order to extend the dining and living space, but eventually decided otherwise.
The living space features the amazing corridor lighting, so we decided to have the blinds out and embrace the openness of it all. There is the unpopular opinion , of privacy invasion along a corridor. While it can be true, but we also appreciate having the connection to our neighbours, with the doors and windows opened. Our believe in mid century modern is align to the concept of modularity and timelessness. Oak, walnut finishes scream aloud to our attention and without trying, we find ourselves selecting it all too often.
The enlarged master bedroom is hidden from view, keeping privacy in a more intimate space. Facing south, the room stays well lit all day. We had an fun choice in colours for the wardrobe, so we kept the flooring and bedding simple.
- #Bedroomdesign
- #cosyarea
Blue night curtains and sheer day curtians to tie the entire home together with in the shades of blue.
- #Daynightcurtains
- #Colourtheory
Kitchen has been an essential part of the entire home design as it is the first focal point when we started the design exploration for the house: --> stainless steel countertop, open shelvings, tiled backsplash.
With all reno regrets going around, one we refuse to abide to is avoiding small format tiles because cleaning grout line is a pain. We reckon cleaning is inevitable regardless of the backsplash size/materials. We believe cleaning consistency is the key, and refuse to overthink on the backsplash selection, especially we already have decided on the open shelvings anyway.
The studio/study room is the only room with a feature wall paint and possible the only space without a shade of blue. This space is designated for high energy activity, which includes working as well. Truth be told, this room still requires a lot thoughtful work, but for now this, suffice.