Aiken Chia's 3-room HDB: 7 space-saving strategies from the NOC influencer's new crib

Aiken Chia, the partner, actor, host and the reigning Food King at Night Owl Cinematics, has just moved into his new home at the start of February. Aiken shares the 700 sq ft, two-bedroom resale HDB flat with his retired mother.

The home underwent an extensive two-month renovation period designed and overseen by interior design studio Rezt & Relax to fulfil Aiken’s design brief. Some of the most important considerations were a need for open communal areas for hosting people and plenty of storage space.

Clad mostly in warm neutrals and monochromatic shades, the result is an airy, modern contemporary home that feels so much more spacious than its actual square footage. This is thanks to a slew of clever design decisions made by both owners and Rezt & Relax’s interior designer Shuwen See. Take note.

AT A GLANCE

Type of home: Three-room resale HDB flat
Size of home: 700 sq ft
Who lives there: Night Owl Cinematics’ Aiken Chia and his mum
ID: Rezt & Relax

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Aiken Chia's 3-room HDB: 7 space-saving strategies from the NOC influencer's new crib

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1. Make the bedroom part of the social hub

Integrating the living and dining spaces in an open plan is a tried-and-tested design strategy. But have you tried putting the bedroom space into that equation?

Aiken is an intrepid homeowner who dared to do so. His bedroom, located at the side of the entrance, is on an elevated platform separated from the living room by black-framed accordion glass doors and curtains. When needed, it can provide extra space for the activities happening in the living room.

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“We wanted my room to be convertible and connected to the living room when it is not partitioned by a sliding door and curtains,” says Aiken.

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“The benefit is two-fold – we get a sense of a bigger living room where friends and family come and are able to sit comfortably on the step, and a sense of a more transitional space that can open up which makes the room feel bigger,” Aiken adds.

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2. Get more storage with a raised platform

Shuwen managed to retain the linearity of the interior for a clean-cut modern look by neatly placing the storage into walls and raised platforms, as seen in Aiken’s bedroom. The platform of his bedroom is raised by 30cm, creating more space for storage.

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“The amount of storage created by Shuwen still amazes us. Because we live in a considerably small space with no storeroom, yet she came up with many innovative places to store things while still keeping the aesthetic clean,” says Aiken.

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3. Keep walls flush by creating niches

Another innovative storage spaces are these niches in the dining room and the cabinets below them, which are integrated flush to wall to Aiken’s mother’s bedroom, creating a clean linear space from the entrance all the way to the yard beyond the dining room.

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The same principle applies in the bathroom, where niches are carved into walls to store small items.

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4. Do you need extra space in your bathroom?

Think really hard: do you need that extra space in your bathroom? Or can you use the space for something better? Aiken decided to hack an existing wall of the bathroom so his mum can have a larger room.

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He also added a wet corner in his mum’s room installed with a water fountain.

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5. Place the sink area outside the bathroom

Divide and conquer. Since the size of the original bathroom’s been reduced, the sink is moved outside of it to serve as the wet area of the pantry/yard area.

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6. Integrate hidden amenities

Now you see it, now you don’t. The smartest home technology appears when you need it and disappears when you don’t, leaving the space clean and uncluttered. Aiken has many of these installed throughout the house. Like this kitchen hob that pops out and in to counter according to the chef’s needs.

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Next to the kitchen is the open pantry/yard area, which features a sleek, retractable laundry system, which can extend and retract as needed. It also comes with a lighting system that helps with the indoor drying.

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Another clever bit of detailing is the ironing board placed inside Aiken’s mum’s bedroom, a bright space with a decidedly softer and feminine space with touches of pastel pink.

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The ironing board is integrated into the wardrobe via a pull-out mechanism that can be easily slid inside when not needed, leaving the space tidy in a jiffy.

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7. Keep the ceiling uncluttered

The nett height of the home is 2.4m, which is best kept uncluttered to maintain that overall spatial airiness. Shuwen did this by opting for discreet architectural lighting from Sol Luminaire. Even the centrepiece lighting fixture above the dining table is a simple floating linear bar that visually reinforces the flow of the space.

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Another inspired detail is the bladeless fan that generates the same air movement with 50 per cent less energy compared to the traditional bladed fan. Doing away with the blades also translates to a cleaner look and safer maintenance.