Home Tour: $65,000 Island-style renovation for Hong Kong expat couple’s 2-bedroom condo in Sentosa
A story of personal milestones and shared vision–from a Bali wedding to a Sentosa home that echoes their travels and life together.
By Gwyneth Goh -
Share this article
After tying the knot in Bali last year, Happy and her husband returned to Singapore to build their first home—a place that would carry the spirit of their travels, the calm of the sea, and the ease of shared everyday living. The 1,259 sq ft apartment at 1 Ocean Way offered the perfect backdrop: framed by sea views, it invited a “homecation” sensibility that felt close to the island destinations they love. “We wanted our place to be really chill and have a holiday feel,” Happy says.
Working closely with designers Noel and Lynn from Yi Jian In, the couple envisioned a home that blends island warmth and understated elegance—a relaxed, tactile interior inspired by Bali and Europe, layered with natural textures, soft light, and clean, modern lines. Every detail—from joinery planning to the couple’s self-designed storage systems—was the result of close collaboration, turning the renovation into a process of discovery and partnership.
Who Lives Here: Happy and her husband, a Hong Kong expat couple in their 30s, who both work in the technology sector
Home: A 2-bedroom condominium at 1 Ocean Way, Sentosa
Size: 1,259 sq ft
Interior Designer: Noel and Lynn, Yi Jian In
The newlyweds’ first home together reflects their love of travel, fashion, and coastal living—a calm, resort-inspired retreat in the heart of Sentosa.
A Seaside Homecation in Sentosa
Before their first meeting, designers Noel and Lynn sent the couple a short questionnaire to understand their lifestyle and what they envisioned. “They shared that they wanted a spacious and relaxing area, as they enjoy hosting friends and gatherings,” the designers recall. “Both of them love shopping and personal styling, so they wished to have a glass-covered wardrobe or display room in the living area to showcase their favourite pieces.”
The final concept took inspiration from the couple’s travels—a “seaside homecation” that extends the ocean view indoors. Warm wood textures, soft rattan, and stone surfaces create a resort-like ease, while clean lines and modern forms echo their shared love of fashion. “We like to camp, to visit scenic places, that’s why we got married in Bali,” Happy shares, “That’s why we moved into Sentosa too—it’s different from the rest of Singapore.”
Warm wood beams and a textured limewash wall frame the living area, where the designers introduced hidden LED lighting to create a soft, sunset-like glow.
The Living Area
The living area sets the tone for the home’s tranquil rhythm. A custom TV partition wall finished in limewash creates a subtle focal point without breaking visual continuity. “We wanted the home to feel calm like a seaside retreat, yet still modern and stylish,” note the designers.
Instead of a central ceiling light, hidden LED strips along the wooden beams create a soft, ambient glow reminiscent of sunset. The fabricated wall itself also conceals power points and device cables while keeping calm continuity. Natural light filters through sheer curtains, merging the indoor and outdoor views.
The arched feature wall anchors the living and dining areas, combining open display shelves with concealed storage and a surprise at its centre.
Feature Wall with Hidden Depths
One of the most distinctive parts of the home is the arched feature wall running the length of the dining and living area. An idea conceived by the couple themselves, it houses open display shelves, concealed storage, and—at its centre—a piano tucked neatly behind sliding rattan panels.
“My husband and I are really big on symmetry,” says Happy. “We also wanted to make the feature wall a little bit fun.” “We like to hide it before our friends come,” Happy grins, “and then slide it open to surprise them. So there’s an A and B choice—how you want your living room to look.”
Sliding rattan panels reveal a built-in piano alcove—a favourite feature that the couple keep hidden until guests arrive.
When closed, the panels conceal the piano completely, creating a seamless expanse of warm wood tones. When open, the alcove lights up like a stage—transforming the serene dining area into an unexpectedly personal space that reflects the couple’s personality.
The designers built the entire wall from custom joinery, using warm wood panels and natural tones to achieve a soft, textural balance. “Most of the larger built-in cabinets are located along one side of the wall,” explain Noel and Lynn. “That keeps the other side of the room clean and open, which helps the space look wider.”
The newlyweds’ first home together reflects their love of travel, fashion, and coastal living—a calm, resort-inspired retreat in the heart of Sentosa.
The arched forms and layered lighting give the feature wall its quiet rhythm. Each niche is softly illuminated—a deliberate choice to highlight both the homeowners’ personal collections and the craftsmanship of the joinery itself.
One of the main challenges was balancing the couple’s need for storage with a sense of space. “We worked closely with them to plan every detail, from the wardrobe layout to hidden compartments,” say the designers, “so everything feels neat and seamless.” The aim was to make storage feel like part of the architecture.
From the dining table, a clear view of the greenery outside enhances the sense of calm.
Where He Cooks, and She Curates
The dining area sits at the heart of the home—open to both the kitchen and living spaces, it’s where the couple often gather for meals. A sculptural table anchors the space, surrounded by textured chairs in a soft monochrome weave that echo the home’s neutral palette. Overhead, a woven rattan pendant adds a relaxed, island-inspired note that ties the room back to the couple’s Bali wedding.
“You can see a consistent, cosy colour palette in the living, dining, and open-concept kitchen, as these spaces are closely connected.,” say Noel and Lynn.
The built-in shelving along one wall extends visually into this zone, creating continuity with the arched feature wall. Gentle lighting from the cabinets and ceiling beams makes the area feel warm and inviting through the day and into the evening.
Light-toned cabinetry, open shelves, and concealed full-height storage make the compact kitchen feel calm and uncluttered.
Kitchen
Just beyond, the kitchen continues the story of balance between aesthetic and practicality. “The wet kitchen was relatively small, so we decided to remove the upper cabinets and replace them with wall-mounted shelves to make the space look more open and airier,” explain Noel and Lynn.
Although the top storage was simplified, a full-height cabinet beside the fridge now conceals the dish rack and small appliances to keep the counters clean. “The bottom cabinet drawers were customised to fit the clients’ Taobao baskets,” add the designers. “We planned the compartments and provided the exact dimensions before they made their purchases.”
Happy remembers the planning process fondly: “We wanted to be practical and use every single inch of the kitchen for storage… So, my husband went online and found these pull-out baskets.” Every cabinet and appliance was meticulously fitted for proportion, function, and flow, with light-toned laminates and stone surfaces that blend effortlessly with the dining area.
One bedroom was transformed into a boutique-style walk-in wardrobe. Glass-fronted cabinets and soft lighting showcase the couple’s love of fashion and personal style.
A Boutique for Two
One of the couple’s proudest achievements is the walk-in wardrobe—a space that perfectly encapsulates their shared love of fashion and organisation. Converting an entire bedroom into a dedicated wardrobe was a bold move, but one that felt natural to them.
“Both of us are really big on fashion and really like to shop,” says Happy, “So this was our idea when we got this house—to turn the second room into a walk-in wardrobe.”
Working closely with the designers, they fine-tuned every shelf and hanging rail to fit their collections precisely. “The walk-in wardrobe was one of the main highlights,” say Noel and Lynn. “We first proposed an initial design, and after their review, we worked closely together to adjust the layout so it suited their lifestyle and storage habits.” Happy adds, “We actually put in a lot of effort to measure our things so that everything looks the way it does right now.”
Glass-fronted cabinets and slim frames lend the room a refined, boutique-like feel. “We selected slim frames for the glass doors to give the space a light and elegant feel,” the designers add. “It allows them to display their favourite fashion pieces while keeping everything neat and organised.”
Sharing how the room has enhanced their daily routines, making dressing up a ritual of pleasure and ease, Happy says, “It elevates the way we live. Much more than aesthetic, it’s also practical.”
In the master bedroom, a curved built-in dresser and soft wood tones create a calm, intimate atmosphere. Happy’s pink boucle chair adds a gentle, feminine touch.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom continues the apartment’s serene tone with light wood flooring and built-in furniture designed for comfort and practicality. “For the master bedroom, we used a slightly lighter wood tone to bring a relaxing mood,” explain Noel and Lynn.
The custom curved headboard was first designed and hand-drawn by Noel and Lynn, before being refined on site. “We asked the carpenter to make a mock-up and showed it to the clients on-site to confirm the exact curve and position they preferred,” they recall.
Together, the wardrobe and bedroom form a tranquil retreat—elegant, tactile, and deeply personal.
The serene entryway hints at the home’s tactile theme, blending rattan textures, natural light, and playful personal touches.
$65,000 Renovation Cost
The renovation took just over two months from concept to completion—a short timeline for a project so detailed. Every material choice, from the Bodaq-wrapped ceiling beams to the limewash walls, was carefully considered for both aesthetics and cost efficiency.
“Our first design proposal was over budget, so we focused on important areas like joinery, electrical work, and materials to save cost without lowering quality,” say Noel and Lynn. The total renovation came to $65,000, a sum that feels modest for the refinement achieved. Yet for the homeowners, the experience held far more meaning than numbers or finishes.
“This feeling is really nothing that I have experienced before,” says Happy. “I see it as a first project after our marriage. Previously I thought organising our wedding was the biggest project in my life, but after doing this, I find nothing compares to an ID project for a married couple.”
For them, the home represents more than a shared milestone—it’s a reflection of their partnership, patience, and creativity, shaped through countless small decisions made together.