Step Inside Our Maximalist 5-Rm Resale Flat in Tiong Bahru

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Virtual House Tour

Maximalist
HDB (Resale)
~1,300 sqft
3 br
Couple Living with Kids

Welcome to our maximalist home! We’ve been living here for over four years now. Our home is a 30 yr old, 5-room resale flat in Tiong Bahru and it was previously owned by the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) to house their foreign staff. The unit was still in its original 1994 condition and in need of a major update. We ended up renovating the house completely, from the floor all the way to the ceiling. And sadly, the renovation process was quite a traumatic experience for me, especially since it was our first time and we didn’t know about a lot of things. Our ID wasn’t doing his job and I found myself having to research and manage every little detail of the renovation, including juggling costs and timeline, all while balancing my work which was extremely demanding and stressful during that period. Just thinking about it still gives me anxiety, but I’m so grateful it’s all behind us, and I can genuinely say that I truly enjoy our home now. PS: if you want to know my ID info to add them into your blacklist, feel free to DM me 🤭 This home is a reflection of my passion for slow home furnishing and sustainability. I love incorporating preloved items that bring character and history into my space, while also reduces waste. That doesn’t mean I don’t buy new, but when I do, I try to be deliberate and thoughtful. I invest in pieces I truly love and know I’ll use for the long run. It’s about creating a space that feels meaningful, timeless, and sustainable.
Here are the original and new floorplans. On the left is the original layout of the house, with the walls we hacked marked in yellow circles. On the right is the updated floorplan, with the newly built walls and doors indicated in red stars. A list of structural changes we made: - Removed the kitchen wall entrance - Repositioned the common bathroom door placement - Pushed back the common bedroom wall - Removed the study room wall to create one large master bedroom - Walled up the original master bedroom entrance to create a vanity nook
Let’s start the tour in the living room. This space sets the tone for the house, combining patterns, textures, and my favourite antique finds. My goal is for the home to feel warm, lived-in and unique, not the sterile feel of a showhouse.
Next up, we’ll head to the dining area, where I've curated a collection of wall art. I’ve created not one, but two gallery walls! 🙈 Most of the furniture here are also preloved, and I especially love how the warm teak wood colour dominates the room. Changes are coming to this space hopefully soon, so if you want to see updates, you can follow me on IG and say 👋🏼!
Let’s move to the kitchen area. We’ve transformed it into an open-concept space to allow more light in and improves airflow. However, we still have the flexibility to close it off with glass sliding doors and folding windows since we cook daily at home, and heavy cooking is the norm (also the reason we have no open shelves). So far, these arrangements have been working great for us! The kitchen is also one of the only two built-ins, the other being the vanity cabinet. We opted for minimal built-ins primarily due to cost - our reno costed $80K and adding more carpentry would have significantly increased that amount. I also didn't have the time or the mental energy to plan out multiple wardrobe and cabinet designs if we went with built-in carpentry, so we decided to skip it. This decision allows us the flexibility to rearrange the furniture in the future if necessary.
Next, let’s take a look at the kid’s bedroom! We revamped it last December, just before my daughter started Primary 1. We changed the layout to create a more spacious feel, giving her plenty of floor space and a much-needed study table! I really wanted to add wallpaper, but unfortunately, the humidity in our house is too high, and I didn’t want to risk it.
Next up is the main bedroom. We combined the study and the old master bedroom to create a spacious new layout that allows for plenty of wardrobe space. We even managed to squeeze in a working area!
Finally, let’s check out the vanity and main bathroom! The vanity area used to be the entrance to the master bedroom but we closed up the wall to create this nook. I added large mirrors to the vanity area to brighten the space and create more interest, making the room feel more open and airy. We also moved the washbasin out to the vanity area to create more space in the bathroom. You can also see the second built-in feature in the house, the vanity cabinet, where I stash my endless supply of toiletries. My inner hoarder’s dream 🙈 That’s the end of the tour, thank you for joining me on this tour of my home! I’m reminded of how much joy and comfort our home brings us. I hope you find inspiration in these spaces too! And remember, transforming your house to a home doesn’t have to come at the expense of our planet. Let’s make conscious choices together!