Home Tour: $130,000 Renovation for a young 30s couple’s 2-bedroom duplex condo in Bukit Timah
The interior design of this home indulges the homeowners’ favourite pastime and accentuates the duplex unit’s double volume space.
By Lynn Tan -
Share this article
Banker, Gregory and recruiter, Sarah, both 31, fell in love with this duplex unit because of the high ceiling in the living and dining areas. The double volume spaces give the unit an expansive and airy feel. “We were drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room that bring in ample natural light, enhancing the home’s bright and open ambience.
Notably there is also a floor-to-ceiling window at the master bedroom which overlooks the living area and offers an unobstructed view towards the balcony,” says Sarah. The duplex’s layout - where the master bedroom is located on the second storey away from the rest of the living, dining and kitchen areas, also appealed to them. “The first floor is then used as a place for social gatherings, whereas the second floor is where we wind down for the evening,” she adds.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their early 30s
Home: A 2-bedroom duplex condominium at Keng Chin Road
Size: 1,249 sqf
A seamless blend of elegance and warmth — the living room showcases a travertine feature wall, earthy tones, and double-volume windows that flood the duplex with natural light.
Budstudio Review
The couple prefer something that is quiet yet elegant, understated and refined. To achieve this, they worked with Budstudio, who specialises in interior design consulting and build. They chose warm and earthy tones such as beige and brown that evoke a sense of calm.
Materials wise, they went for natural options such as travertine, stone and dark wood for their timeless appeal and subtle textures that add depth without being overpowering. The travertine also blends in with some of the travertine elements that were already in the home. “The (colour) palette and materials work together to enhance the natural light, giving the space an inviting and serene atmosphere,” shares Greogory.
Flush cabinetry along the corridor maximises space without compromising on the home’s clean lines and refined material palette.
Stepping into the home, the entrance foyer provides a transitional space that frames a partial view of the living room, balcony and surrounding skyline before the actual reveal. As you move further along the entrance walkway, the anticipation heightens before the double volume space of the living and dining areas eventually comes into view.
The open-plan layout reveals a clear visual connection between the travertine kitchen counter and the soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, inviting natural light deep into the living space.
Living Room Design
The living and dining rooms read as one seamless space designed for homeowners Gregory and Sarah to indulge in their favourite pastime. “We enjoy watching videos together, hence we wanted to make sure that there is enough space to watch television from the living room sofa or even at the dining table,” she points out.
The travertine backdrop continues from the display shelves after the entrance foyer to the television feature wall, which helps to visually expand the space horizontally to balance the vertical expanse of space. The backlit shelves cast a soft glow that accentuate the beauty of the travertine backdrop and brings attention to the couple’s collection of alcohol.
A settee on one side of the dining table has been built right up against the wall to maximise spatial efficiency. It also conceals storage underneath. This open plan is great for hosting family and friends as there is ample room for everyone to lounge in the living area, wine and dine at the dining room or mingle around the kitchen island.
A travertine-topped island anchors the open-concept dry kitchen, creating a sculptural yet functional centrepiece for gatherings and everyday cooking.
Kitchen Design
As Sarah is an avid baker and Gregory loves to cook, the kitchen was an important space in the couple’s brief, one that had to be both functional and inviting. The first move was to hack the glass walls enclosing the existing kitchen, along with some reconfiguration of the layout and the addition of a kitchen island.
Cleverly concealed cabinets and built-in compartments ensure a clutter-free kitchen, blending form with day-to-day practicality.
“Ample lighting and a spacious kitchen island were key elements, making it not just a workspace but also a focal point of the living area, perfect for gathering, entertaining and everyday life,” he highlights. Another plus of the open concept kitchen layout is that it enables the couple to watch television from the kitchen even when they are preparing food or washing the dishes.
Warm tones and travertine textures meet in this refined kitchen corner, where every surface doubles as stylish storage.
A view from the dry kitchen highlights the flow between the living spaces, with the stone vanity and sculptural staircase creating an understated focal point.
Second Floor
Located on the second storey, the master bedroom is the only area within the home that uses wallpaper. This is intended to enhance the sense of warmth and comfort in an intimate space that has been designed for relaxation. Elevated on the upper floor, the room enjoys absolute privacy while still being visually connected to the goings on downstairs via a full height internal window that overlooks the living and dining rooms, which the couple likens to “a living art piece”.
From the mezzanine-level master suite, the living area below unfolds like a cinematic scene — a nod to the couple’s love for film and architectural drama.
The pair of television buffs had blinds installed over this internal window, which double up as a projector screen without intruding into the space or disrupting the décor. A new vanity cabinet has been added to the existing bay window and the existing carpentry has been replaced with a two-way sliding door with tinted mirrors and display shelving. “In the mornings, the sunrise streams through the expansive windows and filters gently through the glass wall, filling the space with a serene, golden glow - an effortless way to start the day in tranquillity,” says Sarah.
The reconfigured common bathroom balances space efficiency with natural materials, with a stone vanity harmonising with the kitchen island.
Bathroom Design
The bathrooms also underwent major changes. The attached master bathroom was reconfigured from two shower areas and one basin to one shower compartment and a pair of His and Her basins that better suit the couple’s needs. A sunken rain shower was added to create an immersive and indulgent bathing experience that evokes the tranquility of a luxury resort. For the common bathroom on the first storey, the basin was relocated outside the bathroom to free up space within the bathroom itself. The stone used in the vanity was carved from the same stone as the nearby kitchen countertop, so that the two can blend together harmoniously.
Custom stone basins in the master bathroom reflect a resort-like ambience, combining form and function with luxurious minimalism.
$130,000 Renovation Cost
Despite significant delays in the shipment of their master bathroom tiles and juggling wedding plans concurrently with the renovation, the couple managed to get the renovation completed in six months and they moved into their matrimonial home in September 2024. The renovation came up to about $130,000.