Home Tour: $200,000 Renovation for this man 1-bedroom walk-up in River Valley (Tiktok trending)
This bachelor pad beautifully articulates its extensive design brief with cleverly tweaked nostalgic details, every colour in the light spectrum, and a party mode that rivals the coolest clubs.
By Asih Jenie -
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This bachelor pad makes a splashy welcome. Next to its black-grilled door is a wall finished with bronze stainless steel. On it is a yellow metal sign with black uppercase letters that says: Club Zion. Below it is an astroturf welcome mat with a pair of flip flops made from the same material. And above, hangs the majestic Aria lamp, designed by the legendary Zaha Hadid for Italian lighting brand Slamp.
That’s just a little taste of what’s inside.
Homeowner Kong Chek Yong, a bachelor in his 30s who works in digital advertising, is an outgoing introvert. He listens to all kinds of music and is a fan of the club aesthetics. “But I don’t club much, and I prefer smaller parties and gatherings,” he shares.
A (pre-pandemic) frequent traveller, he has visited 151 countries to date and stayed in numerous hotels with unique interiors. His favourite is W Hotels. Chek Yong is also a design aficionado who favours retro designs from the 50s-70s and appreciates nostalgic, new-old and upcycled items.
Read more: See Chek Yong's old 4-room HDB flat from 2017 here!
Chek Yong had distilled his long wish list for his bachelor pad into a 159-slide design brief before he went shopping for an interior designer. “I think I spooked some of them away with my requirements,” he recalls.
A one-woman practice, Do.Design Studio, stepped up to the plate. Studio founder Yiap Yi Yun worked on Chek Yong's previous home – a retro industrial abode that cost $84,000 to renovate featured on Home & Decor years ago – under another company before setting up her practice in 2019.
Yi Yun, together with creatives Lee Wei Lieh of Very Small Exhibition and Eugene Yip of Onlewo – Chek Yong’s friends who took on the mantle of lighting designer and kitchen and bathroom consultant, respectively – tackled this complex brief with an equally complex, beautifully articulated design that is Club Zion.
AT A GLANCE
Who lives here: A bachelor in his 30s
Home: A 1-bedroom walk-up apartment in River Valley
Size: 946 sq ft
Interior Design: Do.Design Studio
Dining area
A major reconfiguration of the walk-up apartment’s original floor plan eliminated a bedroom, took the balcony area indoor, and moved the bathroom all the way to the back to create an open social space comprising living, dining and kitchen areas.
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Living room
Like a bonafide hospitality establishment, the new home has a tranquil mode for rest, relaxation and work, and a party mode for hosting and playing. It also has every colour in the spectrum, courtesy of the lighting, finishes and furniture.
Dressed like a quirky New York loft the living-dining area juxtaposes exposed brick with contemporary designer items like Moooi’s Meshmatics chandelier, Ligne Roset’s Ploum sofa, and Timothy Oulton’s Globetrekker coffee table.
Table floral arrangement is by Jade Zhou of Shade and Hue Flora.
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Neon light decorations
Wei Lieh’s full-height neon installation of a dragon mid-flight inspired by W Hotel Shanghai’s presidential suite, presides over the living-dining area. A projector and retractable screen turn this area into a cosy theatre.
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Industrial beams
Decorative beams on the wall add an industrial flair; its angled placement is echoed by the base of the Timothy Oulton Iceberg dining table in the dining area.
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LED Walkway
Next to the entrance is the glossy black walkway fitted with colour-changing LED stripes that leads to a multifunctional space.
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Study area
Formerly the balcony area, it hosts the gym, a carpeted sitting area that doubles as extra sleeping space, and the study, all demarcated from each other via different elevations that cleverly accommodate structural beams while serving as extra storage space.
The dichroic windows, metallic wall tiles, neon signs, and disco ball are on standby to turn on the room's party mode.
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Home gym
The gym corner is elevated to provide extra storage space and display shelves for Chek Yong's CD collection.
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Stainless Steel Tiles
Stainless steel wall tiles custom-ordered from China pairs well with neo industrial switches from British brand Buster + Punch. Together they reflect the changing colours of the surroundings.
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Family
Chek Yong (right) and his Malaysia-based parents who stay with him during the pandemic.
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Window grille
Fitted with yellow glass block and the apartment's original decorative grille, this wall next to the study is the only white surface in the house.
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Open shelving
Open rack displaying Chek Yong's knick knacks, memorabilia and book collection.
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Timothy Oulton's Infinity Mirror
The only bedroom in the house has no direct access to the outside – being flanked by the LED walkway on one side and the walk-in wardrobe on the other – but it makes up for it with a huge one-way mirror overlooking the flexi-space and tranquil lighting.
Verpan's VP Globe pendant light and Timothy Oulton's Infinity Mirror add a visual interest.
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Bedroom
It is a restful space finished with timber, exposed white bricks decked only with a few key items. The smart glass display case overlooks the walkway.
The adorable cushion is a gift from a former neighbour whose dog loves Chek Yong.
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Walk in wardrobe
The walk-in wardrobe next to the bedroom has a green colour palette and neon green plastic curtain commonly used in cold storages.
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Futuristic interior design theme
The kitchen has an outer space theme, featuring a futuristic material palette dominated by dark blue and bronze shades.
The custom-made kitchen island features a Silestone top and sculptural brass base. “That’s the most challenging item to craft in this house. The base alone was welded from 30 different parts,” says Yi Yun.
It was designed as a tribute to Chek Yong's father, who works as a mechanic.
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Chimney Hood
The apartment's original oversized chimney was painted blue and installed with LED lights to resemble a UFO.
The blue Smeg fridge was an out of stock limited edition that Chek Yong hunted for a time and found as an ex-display piece for an event at the Smeg office.
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Designer Tableware
Chek Yong curated all the tableware to match the outer space theme. His collection includes pieces from Diesel x Moroso and Seletti.
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Curved Cabinet
The curving cabinet, metallic wall and accessories lend a futuristic touch and reflect the colour and light beautifully.
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Bathroom
The same outer space theme also applies in the bathroom, which juxtaposes futuristic shower fixture and blue light with red light and vintage grille that looks like it could be taken from a Wong Kar Wai movie set.
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$200,000 Renovation
The six-month renovation cost $200,000, excluding the new furniture and accessories, most of which Chek Yong bought during the Black Friday sale in 2020.
He has no regrets for going above and beyond to realise his pad. He plans to live in Club Zion for at least 30 years.
After all, he says, we are less mobile these days, so he might as well create a home that can provide the excitement of the places he loves, and shares it with his loved ones.
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Photography by Vee Chin, Art Direction by Kristy Quah. This article was first published in 2022.