Home Tour: $300,000 Renovation for a F&B, Entertainment couple’s 3-bedroom condo in Balmoral Park

When Danny and Sarah were house hunting, they fell in love with this centrally located 3-bedroom condo in Balmoral Park mainly because of its fenestrations. It is surrounded by windows, bay windows and balcony-like outdoor planters accessible via sliding glass doors on three sides of the apartment. This makes the interior feel bright and airy, especially with the excellent natural cross ventilation thanks to openings at either end of the unit. 

The couple, who work in the entertainment and F&B industries, often host their extended families and friends, so they wanted a large living and dining area that can accommodate big gatherings. They also needed ample storage for their belongings.

The existing floor plan, with its enclosed kitchen and a convoluted corridor leading to the three bedrooms, was not ideal. It was almost impossible to expand the spaces or to carve out additional storage. There were also a lot of unusable nooks and crannies which made it difficult to arrange furniture.

Who Lives Here: A couple, their baby boy and Chihuahua 
Home: A 3-bedroom condominium at Balmoral Park 
Size: 1,390 sq ft

Artistroom Review

Artistroom came highly recommended by the father of one of Danny’s friends who has photographed many of the homegrown studio’s works. He recognised that their strength in space planning would be put to good use in a project such as this. “I brought the existing floor plan to Artistroom for their input. If they could not make it work, we would not have gone ahead with the purchase,” says Danny, who is 40 years old.

Hacked Original Walls

The apartment underwent major reconfiguration to suit the couple’s lifestyle. Walls to the wet and dry kitchen were hacked and the internal walls of the bedrooms were moved towards the periphery to free up more space for a larger living and dining area, separate wet and dry kitchens with an island, and a walk-in wardrobe within the master bedroom. 

Red Travertine Floor

The walls and the ceiling around the entrance foyer are clad in a customised stained veneer with a dark, reddish tone, complemented by a red travertine floor. These materials are consistently applied throughout the rest of the home. They respect the clients’ preference not to have any laminates in the home, opting instead for wood veneers. The choice of a reddish hue helps to bring the various spaces and elements into focus.    

Living Room Design

A nook to the right of the entrance foyer is now a storage area complete with a built-in cabinet on one side and a wooden peg wall on the other where the couple can hang their bags, hats and other items. 

A bay window cladded in red travertine extends across one side of the living room while the other side behind the sofa opens out onto a planter. These openings fill the living room with an abundance of natural light, giving it a bright and welcoming ambience.

“In our previous home, we had to forego a proper sofa to free up space, so I am really happy to have one now,” Danny shares. The King Living sofa checks Danny’s stringent criteria. He works from home and starts his day very early. During the day, he spends pockets of time taking breaks and relaxing in the living room, so he wanted a plush sofa where he can lounge.

“It must be sleep worthy so that I can nap on it,” he emphasises. The choice of a fabric sofa works well and stays cool even with the air-conditioning off. It is also dog friendly. Maintenance is a breeze with just a weekly vacuum. 

Dining Area Design

In addition to the spacious living room, the reconfiguration made it possible to introduce a proper dining area next to the dry kitchen along with a new kitchen island. Collectively, these make for a great space to host bigger groups. The dining and dry kitchen area is Sarah’s favourite. “The open concept allows me to prep, bake and add the finishing touches at the kitchen island while still interacting with our guests,” says the avid baker who is in her 30s. 

The surrounding bedroom doors, open shelves, kitchen and island cabinetry, and even the kitchen ceiling are all fabricated in wood veneers with the same dark, reddish colour stain as the rest of the home.

Together with red travertine on the floor and the end wall of the dry kitchen facing the living room, this palette of colours and materials brings attention to the kitchen and dining space and anchor them as the heart of the home. A contrasting stainless-steel top for the island breaks the monotony while providing a hardy and easy to maintain work surface. 

A vintage Scandinavian dining table and chairs from Noden complement the mid-century modern look. “We preferred a circular table as it has a more communal feel, but it was not available in the wood colour that we wanted, so we settled for a rectangular table instead,” Danny explains. 

Master Bedroom Design

The reconfiguration freed up space near the master bedroom entrance that allowed it to be relocated, which in turn made it possible to introduce a walk-in wardrobe that is neatly concealed behind a row of timber slide-and-fold doors. An L-shaped bay window on two sides of the master bedroom allows views out and light in, making it a cosy space for resting.

Master Bathroom Design

The attached master bathroom sports an unexpected pop of blue in the form of Kit Kat wall tiles sourced from Japan. Each piece has a slightly different texture and colour to create a non-uniform and organic effect. “It feels very calming to shower in a blue bathroom,” Sarah comments. 

Home Office Design

Danny’s home office is the brightest room in the home, which also has an L-shaped bay window like the master bedroom. When allocating rooms, the couple decided to make this a home office as it is a little too hot for a baby nursery.

However, should the need arise in the future as the family grows and there is a need to convert the home office into an additional bedroom, the couple already have a plan in place. The existing storeroom in the yard has already been fitted with an air-conditioning unit, so Danny can easily convert it into his new home office then. 

$300,000 Renovation Cost

The design and renovation took eight to nine months to complete and cost between $200,000 and $300,000. The couple moved into their new home in July 2024.