Transforming our HDB flat to a Filipino-inspired Villa Home

1548

Beach Resort
HDB (Resale)
~1,000 sqft
3 br
Couple Living

My husband I rented a shophouse in Geylang for six months, and then a 1BR condo in Bartley for two years, before finally moving into our first home - a 1,000 sq. ft. flat in Chai Chee. Some of the main things we looked out for during our house-hunting journey include: 1) Second or First Floor - we wanted to be able to access our unit via staircase because we have large family dogs that often can't take the HDB lifts; 2) Hackable/Buildable - which meant, a house that had no renovation works done, because we knew we wanted to re-do everything. We were lucky enough to find this unit in Chai Chee, which is only 8 years old and was on the second floor. It was a no brainer!
This was the original layout of our home. It's squarish so very good and easy to work with. However, this shows that even if we hacked down the kitchen wall, the structural beams have to remain, and it doesn't fully open up the space.
This was the revised floor plan. To maximise our living room space, without hacking down Bedroom 3 (because we might want to have a family), we decided to cut into the room a bit by building a wall niche. That's where we put our TV console (highlighted in blue). Because my husband works the night shift, while I work at home, it was important for us to have a Study. So, we combined Bedroom 2 and the Main Bedroom, so that we could have an extended master suite to include a place to work and get ready, while my husband can still get to rest during the day.
This was the original layout of our kitchen - as you can see, it leaves a very small area for the dining table and living room sofa.
Ta-da! This is how we worked on transforming it. We hacked down the walls of the kitchen, and although the beams have to stay, we covered it with laminate so that it can have some character and style. This really opened up the space for us to have a dining table, a more open entry way, and a kitchen that is not hidden away!
This was the original common bedroom. We cut into the space a little bit to make way for the living room's TV console, but there was still sufficient space. We intend to use this room as a guest room for now, and maybe a nursery when we start to build our family!
Ta da! This is how the common room looks like now. We've kept the room simple and timeless. The twin sized bed can actually open up to a queen sized bed (we bought it from Shopee), and the ceiling fan and curtains are in classic tones of wood and white. Temporarily, it has a few paintings that we haven't put up yet, and a small antique table and stool for reading or writing. I love the light that comes into this room and prefer shooting my images and videos here.
This was the original state of the guest bathroom.
And this is the final look of the guest bathroom! We wanted it to look like those beach villa bathrooms, and my favourite part about it is that the floors aren't made of tiles. This is a DIY project - hand poured stones on cement, and a layer of epoxy was poured on top to make sure it's waterproof. It feels like you're walking in the beach when you step on it, and it's so easy to clean!
This was the original master bedroom. We kept the wall (where the aircon is) and during our renovation, opted to put our TV there. I love falling asleep to the TV because I often sleep alone as my husband works the night shift.
And finally! This is how the final master bedroom looks like now. To keep the airy and lightweight villa vibes, we decided to use day curtains too. But, to keep the light from coming in, we actually installed black out blinds (which are not obvious at all). We only pull down these blinds when it's time to sleep. The bedside tables and bed both have rattan elements, which ties it closely with the rest of the house. Overall, we have such a good night's rest here!