Home Tour: $100,000 Industrial renovation for a 30s F&B bachelor’s 3-room HDB in Ang Mo Kio
This modern, industrial style bachelor pad is the homeowner’s private sanctuary where he can enjoy his own company and occasionally host small groups.
By Lynn Tan -
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As a bachelor living alone, Dominic Bung had the luxury and flexibility of reconfiguring the two bedrooms and two bathrooms in this 3-room HDB flat solely to his needs. As an F&B owner, a kitchen island was something that he really wanted to incorporate into his kitchen so that he can host and cook for small groups of guests.
He also wanted to combine the common and master bathrooms into one larger bathroom. With this brief in mind, interior architect Gordon Tran from Ovon Design went about transforming this fairly old HDB flat in its original condition into a cosy, modern industrial style home for one.
Who Lives Here: An F&B owner in his 30s
Home: A 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio
Size: 730 sqf
Interior designer: Gordon Tran, Ovon Design
Kitchen island and dining table in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Industrial kitchen design
A wall separating the living room from the kitchen was hacked to create an open-concept kitchen. This allows the space to flow seamlessly from one end of the home, starting from the main entrance, all the way to the kitchen window at the other end. The continuation of the cement-screed wall and ceiling finishes across the two spaces reinforces this spatial relationship.
The induction hob cooker was relocated to the kitchen island in this 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
More importantly, opening up the kitchen also made it possible to introduce a generously-sized kitchen island at the top of the client’s wish list. It runs almost the entire length of the kitchen and two different heights allow it to serve as both a kitchen counter and a 4-seater dining table.
As a F&B business owner, the homeowner wanted a central kitchen island in his 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
“We decided to relocate the hob to the island because Gordon shared with us that he does not do much heavy cooking and thus would not really require a cooker chimney hood. This freed up the counter space along the kitchen wall for other appliances,” interior designer Gordon explains.
Hallway leading from the bathroom to the master bedroom, keeping the master bedroom privately stowed away in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Master bedroom in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Homeowner's study table was positioned right next to his bed in the master bedroom in his 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Cement screed walls run throughout the master bedroom in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Master bedroom design
With the common and master bathrooms located adjacent to one another, combining them into one bathroom entailed hacking of the wall dividing them and reconfiguring the layout of the WC, wash basin and shower.
The two doors were retained - one faces the former master bedroom, which has been turned into a walk-in wardrobe, and another faces the kitchen. This is a practical consideration that allows visitors access to the bathroom from the kitchen without having to walk through Dominic’s private bedroom and walk-in wardrobe.
Dark grey tiles and cement-screed walls in line with the industrial theme in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Industrial master bedroom design in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
The original common bathroom and master bathroom were hacked and merged into one giant bathroom in a 3-room HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
$100,000 Renovation
After a three-to-four-month renovation that involved a total gutting of the flat, Dominic moved into his new home in December 2022. He spent about $100,000 including furniture and furnishings. He says: “I was really pleased that Gordon was able to incorporate an island into the kitchen space and I love the overall blend of colours.”
Indeed, a controlled palette of colours and materials was one of the keys to the success of the interior design. “We kept to a select range of materials throughout the space to keep it harmonious and balanced. These include dark coloured finishes and wood in the cabinetry, rust coloured tabletops, dark grey tiles and cement-screed walls, which are all in keeping with the industrial theme,” says interior designer Gordon.