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Homeowners Jasvin Kaur and Jasdep Singh wanted their 1,000 sq ft four-room HDB BTO flat in Telok Blangah to showcase a few things: A contemporary-meets-luxe aesthetic, hubby Jasdep’s burgeoning whisky collection, and their Indian heritage. And their ingenious DIY tweaks with some teak wood plays a role in realising all three. It wasn’t easy, given their different style preferences. “I always liked luxury. Jasdep likes things more contemporary,” explained Jasvin, an assistant manager in a company. But “this was a chance to express ourselves with what we have always wanted,” added Jasdep, who is a general manager at Originals, a furniture store that specialises in unique and authentic home decor pieces sourced from all over the world. “The fact that I work in a furniture store played an important part in what you see in our home. We thought about how we were going to do it and decided, maybe we’ll do it ourselves!” he added. The very first thing they did was … [Read more...] about A couple’s stylish 1,000 sq ft BTO flat with a DIY whisky bar and teak wood touches

Civil servants Chong Shi Yan and her husband Wilson love going on holidays around Southeast Asia – especially on trips where they can kick back and relax in a resort. So naturally, they wanted that same blissful, tropical vibe for their 990 sq ft BTO flat in Bukit Batok. “We decided to create a cosy pad that we can come home to at the end of a tiring day of work. We wanted to feel that we are on a holiday every day, although we are in Singapore,” said Shi Yan. To turn their dream into reality, they engaged interior design firm Design Zage – and also made sure they were on the right track by taking a trip to Bali to source for furnishing and home decor inspiration, so that every single element was perfect. READ: Transforming a 990 sq ft HDB flat into a ‘little Japan’ – complete with an onsen Their keen attention to detail certainly paid off, resulting in a bright, breezy, rustic-modern, tropical Asian home that feels stylish yet comfortable, luxurious yet cosy — … [Read more...] about How a couple turned their 990 sq ft BTO flat into a Bali resort staycation home

Ian Ang doesn't do business lunches and he's not making an exception for this interview. His public relations people have not been able to tell me why he wants to meet over tea instead. When we meet, the 28-year-old co-founder and CEO of gaming chair company Secretlab explains that a full meal means he won't be able to concentrate later. He usually has lunch in his office too, and prefers to keep to this. "I try to eat very few carbs for lunch to avoid food coma so I can continue working after," he says. "I eat the same thing every day. Codfish and chicken teriyaki, and just a little bit of rice. I don't want to deviate from this daily productive routine, hence I don't have business lunches on weekdays." So here I am, at Starbucks in Tekka Place at 3pm on the eve of Deepavali. Traffic in the area is jammed up. A few of his people have come early to make sure we have seats. He arrives soon after, having taken a taxi from the Secretlab office in the Bendemeer … [Read more...] about Lunch with Sumiko: One great idea later, Secretlab CEO Ian Ang has 70% stake in multimillion-dollar business

Most home buyers in Singapore who purchase an old resale HDB flat opt to give their new home a complete makeover in order to bring it up to speed with the times, but not Kaleb Loh. “It’s more about being functional. I don’t want a home to be a showroom. For me, it’s about living comfortably, efficiently, easily,” he said. The creative director wanted a space with character, and thus sought to preserve the circa-1970s feel of the flat . Much of it was still in its original condition, from the speckled terrazzo floor in the dining area, to the retro-looking half-height tiled walls of the kitchen, and the cement flooring in the living area. “Those details are really nice; it reminds one of what the old place was like, while respecting it,” said Kaleb. This practical approach also helped reduce renovation costs. READ: An 850 sq ft condo in Joo Chiat goes for a ‘Japandi’ look with a Peranakan touch As a dedicated plant parent, he needed lots of space to flex his … [Read more...] about Transforming a 775 sq ft HDB flat into a garden paradise – in the balcony and bathroom

Enclosed areas can sometimes make media professional David Chan feel a little claustrophobic. So he was looking to have a home that offers “lots of wide, open space that facilitates relaxation, laughter and expression”. But, at the same time, added the print producer who works from home: “It needed to be homely; I didn’t want a showroom.” So Chan set about transforming a nondescript-looking, 721 sq ft, three-room resale HDB flat into “just one big living space”. “What I told the interior designer was to knock everything down so there’s no walls, no doors,” he said. The result? Living, dining, work and sleeping zones occupy an open-plan, loft-like rectangular space. “I wanted a cafe kind of feel, so I had white brick walls. I also wanted an industrial chic look, so we had this all scraped and exposed,” Chan said, referring to the raw, exposed concrete structural beams and pillar that add character and texture to the space. Aside from white brick and grey … [Read more...] about Turning a 721 sq ft HDB flat into one big living space with no walls and doors