Home Tour: $70,000 Renovation for a director & lawyer’s 3-room HDB in Ang Mo Kio

Homeowners and art enthusiasts Adrian Chan and Ryan Su had initially wanted to engage an internationally acclaimed luxury interior design firm for their 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio, but was rejected partly because the home is too small and also due to the pandemic. While they lament how special it would have been if the firm had taken on a commission to design a 3-room HDB flat, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Being in the creative fields - Adrian is the director of The Ryan Foundation, a non-profit organisation that promotes arts awareness and develops art projects to build communities in Singapore and internationally, which was established by Ryan, who is a lawyer, they see interiors as an extension of their interests, so they chose to self-design their home.

They came up with the concepts and ideas and got an interior designer to take care of the technical aspects such as the measurements. They supervised the renovation themselves and also sourced for materials and furniture. 

Who Lives Here: Two art enthusiasts
Home: A 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio
Size: 883 sqf (converted from 82 sqm)

Mid-Century Modern Interior Design

The pair entertain frequently and the home is intended to be a beautiful space to host guests. “We wanted something eclectic and that would reflect our personalities. We also wanted something colourful and with the most fabulous furniture and furnishings,” says homeowner Adrian.

They were inclined towards a Mid-Century Modern interior design style tempered with the exotic that celebrates their maximalist personalities and also with a touch of the tropics that reflects the geographical location of the home.

Home Art Gallery

Interestingly, although art can be found all around the home, they happened by chance and were not premeditated. Most of the pieces displayed in the home were acquired after they moved in in 2022.

“I feel that art and furniture are extremely difficult to buy for a space. One cannot find things under pressure and when one needs them immediately. One must collect always and we always have our eyes peeled if we come across interesting pieces of art and furniture, whether for this home or the next. We even have a separate storage for furniture that we have acquired, waiting to fill spaces that suit them,” shares Ryan. 

What you see within the home is just a fraction of their collection, which includes not just art, but also sofas and light fixtures. A lot of the art works are in climatically controlled storage. As the flat does not have a lot of wall space, they decided to focus on art that relate to the tropical environment and to Singapore, in terms of its landscape and flora.

Jimmy Ong Singapore Artist

One example is Jimmy Ong’s Gardeners’ Journal that comprises five charcoal drawings of tropical plants. The black and white drawings provide a contrast with and stand out against the colourful interior.

“This series was actually made for the rooms in a hotel and when the hotel was renovated, we think they disposed of all the artworks without knowing their value. We found them in a junkyard in their original frames. We were beyond the moon as we have always wanted a Jimmy Ong in our collection,” Adrian explains. 

Living Room

The layout of the home was completely reconfigured. The old kitchen is now their master bedroom as it was the largest room within the existing layout and they did not need it for cooking.

What was formerly the master bedroom has been converted into Ryan’s study, which is now connected to the new bedroom via a hidden door.

Although the 3-room HDB flat dates back to 1979 and was in its original condition even after over 40 years, Adrian and Ryan were adamant about retaining the terrazzo floor tiles. “They form the essence of the home and it is just morally wrong to destroy perfectly good tiles,” Ryan points out. Where the front bedroom walls had been hacked, they had to replace the existing terrazzo with mother-of-pearl tiles made of real seashells that complement the cameo shade terrazzo. 

The living room is a nod to the modernist movement with Le Corbusier’s LC3 armchair, Gerrit Rietveld’s Utrecht armchair and a sofa in the curved form of the Utrecht armchair around a Charlotte Perriand Table á Plateau. A wool floral carpet from Missoni brings everything together and makes the space feel like a garden in full bloom. 

Marble Dining Table

Made from one single piece of Rainforest Green marble from India, the dining table is as large as could be brought into the home and is perfect for entertaining large groups. Its beautiful undulating and textured surface make for an unusual dining experience, complemented by ceramic plates and bowls by Hans Chew, a ceramic artist and potter renowned for his freeform and organic style.

Thrown into this eclectic mix is Adrian and Ryan’s collection of Portuguese and Asian crockery and glassware, along with deliberately mismatched LC7 and Hola 367 chairs by Le Corbusier and Hannes Wettstein respectively. 

Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, a custom-made bed by Danovel sits against a Gucci wallpapered backdrop.

Walk In Wardrobe

As fashion lovers, the walk-in wardrobe naturally received a lot of design attention. The standalone, metal corrugated structure strikes a monumental and monolithic presence that is visible from the living room. 

Study Room

Ryan’s study reflects his Thai-Chinese roots with wallpaper by French brand Ananbo specially imported from Paris depicting the colonial imagination of scenes along Thailand’s Chao Phraya river. Having lived in Paris, it also captures their love for French design and interiors.

The parquet flooring in the study deserves special mention with its unique and rare texture in a sea blue oak wood. Blue velvet wallpaper on the ceiling completes the blue theme designed to facilitate deep concentration and for its calming effect. 

$70,000 Renovation Cost

The excitement leading up to the completion of the renovation was palpable and they could not wait to see the end result in real life. “The anticipation was extremely challenging and created a lot of anxiety,” Adrian admits. It all finally came together after several months’ renovation with limited manpower during the pandemic, at a cost of about $70,000. 

On combining colours and prints in the home, Adrian advises: “Do not be intimidated by clashing patterns and colours. They often work very well together.” He and Ryan always have colourful fresh flowers such as orchids in the home, which really help to elevate the space and the mood. “Better still if they are displayed in the most beautiful pots and vases,” he adds.