Home Tour: $150,000 Contemporary renovation for 3-bedroom Balestier condominium
By Natasha Ann Zachariah -
Share this article
When it comes to decorating their apartment, married couple Dave Siah and Wendy Koh are like yin and yang - he gravitates towards the aesthetics of their furniture, while she leans towards comfort and practicality, reflecting a contemporary interior design ethos.
Ms Koh, a housewife, says they "balance each other out" when they go shopping and end up picking pieces that tick both their boxes. Mr Siah, who is a retail sales consultant, says: "I don't have a fixed style, but I like the designs I choose for my home to be evergreen. It has to be classic so that it stands the test of time."
Who Lives Here: Married couple Dave Siah who is in retail sales, and Wendy Koh, a housewife
Home: 3-Bedroom Condominium in Balestier
Renovation Time: 5 Months
Renovation Cost: $150,000
Interior Designer: Museum Homes
A six-seater wood table (above), the centrepiece in the dining room, lets the family of four lounge around the dining table while they watch television in their 3-bedroom condominium in Balestier.
Contemporary interior design
In 5 months, their 3-bedroom condominium unit in Balestier went from dank to swanky as the couple, who have two children, experimented with a variety of furnishings and mixed different materials together.
They worked with interior designer Alex Kwan from Museum Homes and completed the renovation in January 2015.
$150,000 Renovation cost
The renovation, furniture and accessories cost them $150,000 in 2015. Much of it went into overhauling the then 14-year-old 1,420 sq ft (131 sqm) home, which was still in its original condition when they bought it.
Ms Koh says: "The apartment was very dark and a lot of the fixtures were worn out. It looked really dated, so we wanted it done up."
The master bedroom (above) in this Balestier 3-bedroom condominium and its reading-study corner, which is marked by a white frame.
Contemporary apartment
A six-seater wood table is the centrepiece in the dining room, which is the first area guests step into. This area seamlessly connects to the living room, embodying a contemporary interior design aesthetic.
The open-concept space allows the family to hang around the table while they watch television or have more space to entertain guests in.
To demarcate the two spaces, the dining room floor is covered with wood-grain ceramic tiles while the living room floor is marble.
Mr Siah says: "I've always wanted a living room with marble flooring. It has a beautiful grain and the material has always been popular, even as far back as the 1940s and through the 1960s. It will always be in style."
Master bedroom (above) in this Balestier 3-bedroom condominium.
The master bedroom, too, received a massive makeover. Its bay window was remade into a usable space - a reading-study corner with a chic, white "frame".
Double sink bathroom
The bathtub in the adjoining toilet was removed to make space for a large sink with double taps. Ms Koh jokes: "Now we save time and don't need to fight over who goes first."
Contemporary furniture
On their travels overseas, they sourced an array of chic and unconventional accessories for their abode, embodying a contemporary interior design sensibility. One standout piece is a book-like light fixture acquired from Hong Kong, illuminating brightly upon opening.
Mr Siah says Bangkok is also a great place to shop for furniture and lifestyle wares. "Thai designers have a sleek and clean aesthetic, which is similar to mine. And the prices are quite easy on the pocket too."
The couple took their time furnishing their home, instead of buying all the pieces at one go. Ms Koh says: "We wanted to get a feel of our home and see what needed to be added. It was one thing at a time."
This article was first published on The Straits Times in 2015.