Home Tour: $144,000 Taobao Renovation for a 54-year-old bachelor’s 5-room flat in Edgedale Plains
Online shopping platform, Taobao, offers a mix of the most wonderful and also some of the weirdest things.
By Lynn Tan -
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Most of us are familiar with the online shopping platform, Taobao. You would have at least heard of it, even if you have not actually bought anything on it. While most of us limit ourselves to knick-knacks and other small purchases, there are adventurous interior designers and homeowners who design their entire homes around Taobao-sourced items.
54-year-old operations executive, Melvin Tan, purchased this 5-room HDB flat in 2001. After having lived in it for over two decades, he felt that it was time for a major makeover. He got to know Charisa Chan, an architectural designer from Massing Design through a Facebook Taobao group. It was a perfect client-designer match for the two Taobao fans. “I knew that I was going to get all my furniture and appliances from Taobao, so my interior designer has to be someone who is very comfortable working with Taobao items,” says Melvin.
Who Lives Here: A bachelor, his Persian mix cat and Maltese dog
Home: A 5-room HDB flat at Edgedale Plains
Size: 1,184 sqf (converted from 110 sqm)
Interior Design: Charisa Chan, architectural designer from Massing Design
Open-concept living and dining area in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
Taobao Furniture
Incorporating Taobao-sourced items into home interiors is architect Charisa’s forte. Her own home was fully renovated and furnished using items imported from Taobao, a project that she took on personally while taking a break from her former job as an architect. “My home turned out very well and I was very pleased with it, so I decided to go into interior design,” she says.
Monochrome corridor with a cat wall motif as an ode to the homeowner's black Persian-mix cat in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
Monochrome interior design
Homeowner Melvin wanted a minimalist black-and-white home with plenty of storage. The inspiration for the monochromatic theme came from his pets - a black Persian mix cat and a white Maltese dog. To achieve this, the existing interior was gutted, red door, green walls and all.
The original main door was red, and both architect Charisa and homeowner Melvin literally got their hands dirty and painted it white themselves. In fact, architect Charisa reveals that she did some of the work herself, including fixing the plumbing for the water dispenser and taping up the refrigerator to give it a matte black finish. She admits that she is willing to go the extra mile for clients like Melvin, who are “very chill and not calculative”.
Sliding DB box cover in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
Past the sliding DB box cover from Taobao, which one might easily mistake for a framed artwork, are the pantry, kitchen and dining area that are conceived as one open-concept space by demolishing the existing kitchen walls. The household shelter is concealed behind full-height built-in cabinets in the pantry area that also houses the refrigerator.
The dining table abuts a square countertop that together form a sort of island at the heart of the pantry and kitchen. Apart from the built-in carpentry that was done locally, most of the items in these areas, from the water dispenser and motion-sensor hood to the dining table and magnetic backsplash, came from Taobao.
Black and white TV feature wall and the homeowner's Maltese pet dog in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
Monochrome Living Room Design
The main focal point in the spacious living room is the floor-to-ceiling black-and-white feature wall incorporating a large television set with a faux fireplace from Taobao below. The corridor leading to the bedrooms is what Melvin considers to be one of the most special features in his home.
Architect Charisa created a slanted ceiling to hide the air-conditioning trunking. From this utilitarian purpose within a utilitarian corridor, she has managed to inject a gallery-like quality that is heightened by the minimalist forms, clean lines and monochromatic colour palette. “I love it because it is so unique and makes the corridor feel so nice and cosy as I walk to my master bedroom,” Melvin shares.
Monochrome master bedroom design in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
Monochrome en suite master bathroom with a bathtub in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
En Suite Master Bathroom
By hacking the wall separating the master bedroom and master bathroom, architect Charisa created a master suite complete with an en suite bathroom. The bathroom is fitted out almost completely using Taobao items, including the WC, bathtub, wash basin and vanity unit, and motion sensor lighting.
A provision was made for Melvin to extend the master bedroom space into the adjacent bedroom, which is currently tenanted, by replacing the existing wall with sliding fluted glass doors.
Neon light wall decor in a 5-room HDB in Edgedale Plains.
$144,000 Renovation
The cost of the renovation and furnishings came up to about $144,000 and Melvin moved back into his home in December 2023 after a four-to-five-month renovation. The duration was slightly longer than usual due to a longer lead time that is typically required for homes that are fitted out using Taobao items.
Architect Charisa points out that some items may arrive earlier or later than when they are required for installation. Certain items can only be ordered until other related elements have been finalised or completed. As shipping can take some time, homeowners, interior designers and contractors should factor in such lead times.
Built-in carpentry space for the cat's litter box, and a robot vacuum cleaner.
Architect Charisa warns of potential defects such as broken components and scratches or missing parts, wrong colour or model. “Be sure to check the items once they arrive. Catching any issues early allows you to make alternative plans,” she advises. She also highlights the importance of establishing a good relationship with the contractor as many Taobao items require more work in terms of installation and assembly compared to locally sourced products.