Inside our $39K Scandinavian-Industrial BTO Home for a family of 3

1051

Virtual House Tour

Scandinavian
HDB (BTO)
~1,000 sqft
3 br
Couple Living with Kids

Hello everyone, we're beyond excited to be joining as a Season 8 Ambassador! Honestly, we never expected to be here, but after learning so much from the past few seasons, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to share what we’ve picked up along the way. From design tips to budget-friendly tricks, we can’t wait to share some of the insights we’ve gained. Our name is OnCloudTan, which is a fun play on words—“Tan” sounds like “Ten,” so instead of being on cloud nine, we’re on cloud ten! It’s all about that feeling of pure happiness and being in the best space possible. Here’s to a fun, inspiring season ahead! To start off, we’ve always wanted a space that feels calm and timeless, so we chose a neutral palette of greys and wood tones throughout the house, with a preference for dark wood to add warmth and depth. While we love the industrial cement look, we had to keep the budget in mind—so we worked with more affordable materials to achieve the aesthetic. Every design decision was made with practicality in mind, especially with our young child and growing family!
Before we dive into the details of each room, here’s a look at our floor plan. One of the boldest changes we made was knocking down the walls between the living room and bedroom 3. This huge move expanded the living area and gave us the freedom to create a fun, dedicated playroom for our child. It’s been a total game-changer, offering us the flexibility to keep an eye on the kids while cooking or working—without missing a beat. Our new, open layout has totally redefined how we use the space, making it more dynamic, connected, and perfect for family life.
- #4roomBTOfloorplanlayout
- #4roombto
The living room is the heart of our home—where we spend most of our time together. We wanted a cozy yet spacious atmosphere, so we focused on keeping the area open while incorporating plenty of seating and storage. One of the highlights here is our 2.85m Taobao sofa—our first big purchase on Taobao—and we couldn't be happier with it! It’s comfortable and spacious, perfect for family movie nights and hosting guests. One challenge we faced was our initial idea of putting a settee along the window. After realizing our window is almost a full-height window, we decided against it. This decision not only saved us money but also opened up the space and kept the view unobstructed.
We also decided to get creative and DIY our limewash for our feature wall, giving the space a unique and personal touch.
- #Livingroom
The dining area is an essential part of our home, especially since my husband has a large family. We wanted a table big enough to fit everyone, so we opted for a 2-meter dining table—perfect for when the whole family comes over. Now, we can all sit down together and enjoy meals, which is something we truly cherish. We were drawn to the cement grey industrial table look—it has a raw, unique appeal that we really love. While we initially thought a wood table would complement the space, we felt this industrial style added a touch of character and individuality.
Right at our entryway is the shoe cabinet, which also conveniently hides our bomb shelter. To enhance organization, we added a niche—perfect for placing small everyday items like keys, wallets, and sunglasses. We initially wanted to add LED lights to highlight this space, but after realizing the cost, we opted for a stick-on sensor light instead—and we’re happy to report it’s working perfectly! It serves the same purpose, and we love how it adds a little extra glow without breaking the bank.
The matte sintered stone countertop and tempered glass backsplash add a sleek, modern touch, perfectly complementing the HDB tiles. The kitchen island serves as both a prep space and a gathering spot, providing a place for quick meals or chatting while cooking. One of our must-haves was a water dispenser, which we placed just above our 'pantry corner' in the kitchen island. We love drinking cold water, so having it conveniently placed in this spot makes it easy for the whole family to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Another standout feature is our large fridge, which was essential for storing frozen food. Plus, it automatically makes ice—something we absolutely love, as we’ve never enjoyed making ice the traditional way!
Our kitchen is on the smaller side, with no service yard, and the laundry area situated right above the burner and hob, so we had to be strategic about the design. Since the HDB kitchen floor and wall tiles were already in place, we designed everything around them to keep the costs down while ensuring the space still worked for our family.
When it came to designing the carpentry, we quickly realized that it’s so much easier to know exactly what we want to store or place in each space. Whether it’s the kitchen cabinets, wardrobe, or shelving, having a clear idea of what items we’d be putting there really helped us make smart design choices. It not only maximized storage but also kept everything organized and accessible. Planning ahead definitely saved us from making costly changes down the road!
For our common bathroom, we decided to stick with the HDB floor tiles to keep costs down and ensure the design still felt cohesive with the rest of the home. The industrial style was our theme of choice. We decided to skip the traditional shower screen and go for an open layout instead as we wanted to create a spacious, comfortable bathing area for our child. A glass shower screen would have made the space feel tighter, and we really wanted to keep it as open as possible.
We absolutely love the tiles in this bathroom—the mix of raw textures really gives it that industrial edge. We have also been toying with the idea of adding some posters or artwork down the line to soften the look and bring in a little more warmth and personality. It’ll be a work in progress, but stay tuned to see how it goes!
With the neutral palette throughout the rest of the house, we thought it would be fun to experiment with something a little different for our master bedroom. We decided to go for a bold, vibrant color that really brings personality to the space. Since it’s a private room, we felt we could take a little creative liberty without disrupting the overall neutral tone of the rest of the house.
For our master bathroom, we chose tiles similar to the common bathroom, but here, the design is more refined and polished. Unlike the common bathroom, the carpentry is fully built-in, creating a seamless, organized look. The combination built-in storage, and soft lighting creates a spa-like atmosphere—a perfect space to unwind after a long day.