Home Tour: A 30s teacher’s $50,000 Mid-Century Modern renovation for her 2-bedroom condo in Tampines

Buying a home for the first time is a milestone for many people. Singles have the ultimate freedom to decide how their home looks and feels according to their lifestyle and personal life philosophy. For this homeowner, a teacher in her late 30s, she wanted her home to reflect her philosophy of simplicity and timelessness. Having a calming space free of clutter aligns with her desire for a peaceful environment. She also has a penchant for mid-century modern design, drawn to classic yet unpretentious designs while preferring to avoid overly bold colours and patterns. 

Who Lives Here: A teacher in her late 30s
Home: A 2-bedroom condominium in Tampines
Size: 581 sq ft 

2 Bedroom Condo

“I envisioned a home that would be timeless and balanced, with clean lines and functionality at its core. I wanted a layered feel through different textures and materials, like wood, metal, glass, and fabric, adding dimension without complicating the space,” she says. The space constraints were a challenge though. The new 581 sq ft condo apartment comes with a long living and dining space, a kitchenette, a balcony, two bedrooms and a bathroom. 

Wolf Woof Interior Design

To achieve her vision, the homeowner decided to work with Carmen Tang, the design director of Wolf Woof. She discovered Carmen on social media in 2019 and has been following her since. Both share an enthusiasm for the mid-century modern style. Carmen says, “Whenever clients approach me with a mid-century modern design brief, my eyes will light up with excitement as it is my favourite design style.”

Explaining that she felt determined to make the design count in the small space, interior designer Carmen says, “Constraint is often opportunity disguised. In this case, space constraints forced us to be strategic in our space planning, make the space work harder, and create a statement.”

Small Kitchen Design

One of the homeowner’s main concerns was the small kitchenette. The interior design must address her storage needs while keeping in mind her goal to keep the living room open and airy without the clutter of built-in cabinets. So, storage cabinets were built on the opposite wall to create a galley-style kitchen. This way, she gets additional countertop space for her cooking needs. 

Kitchen Cabinet

Right beside it, closer to the foyer, is a wall-mounted storage cabinet. The curved edge of the cabinet and the hairpin legs underneath contribute to the mid-century modern look. “This solution maximised storage without compromising the airy feel,” the homeowner says.

Carmen acknowledged that most homeowners would baulk at the idea of sacrificing precious storage space by having legs for the storage cabinet. She explained that it’s worth making to have a more breathable entryway. 

Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Design

The choice of colours and materials is also key to the interior design theme. They opted for warm wood tones with black and green accents. The kitchen, originally with white upper cabinets and light wood lower cabinets, was relaminated in walnut-coloured laminates and sage green laminates to match the new custom furnishings. Muted green tiles were added for the backsplash. Recessed handles synonymous with the mid-century style were used. 

Mid-Century Modern Living Room Design

“Given the compactness of the unit, we needed a feature that says ‘mid-century modern’ in a big way,” interior designer Carmen explains. Further into the living room, muted green also makes a subtle appearance behind the breeze blocks. Hollow blocks create a frame around the breeze blocks. Overhead, wooden slats clad the ceiling to demarcate the living area while anchoring the space visually. 

Bedroom Design

The homeowner also wanted enough space so her parents could be comfortable during their visits. The two bedrooms were furnished sparingly with key furnishings. “Designing for small bedrooms is like dancing in a very cramped bomb shelter – you can’t do major carpentry works, only cosmetic upgrades. Which was what we did, while styling true to our design style,” interior designer Carmen explains. 

Some interior design choices keep the bedrooms consistent with the rest of the home. For one, both bedrooms were treated to a touch of green on the wall behind the beds. Loose furniture pieces were introduced, with the bedside table, bed and wall light in the master bedroom, to build upon the style.

The homeowner says, “The living room is by far my favourite space. I love the unique wall design tiled with breeze blocks, complemented by a wood-panelled ceiling that frames the living area and subtly separates it from the dining space. It’s where I spend most of my time, and it perfectly captures the serene, airy atmosphere I wanted. The balance of textures and warm tones creates a sense of comfort that I look forward to enjoying every day.”