Home Tour: $45,000 Renovation for a couple’s 4-room BTO inspired by a Japan bathroom

For Esmond and Kelly, like many well-travelled Singaporeans, inspiration for their homes comes from their travels. “We went to Karuizawa, and we were inspired by a bathroom there,” says Kelly, referring to a resort town in Japan. Kelly and her husband, Esmond, enjoyed travelling to different parts of Japan and wanted a home that would make them feel like they were back in Japan.

A vision for a grey and wood onsen theme for the master bathroom developed, and they began looking for an interior designer. Kelly, a human resource professional, and Esmond, a marketing professional, contacted a friend, Max, from their university days.

Who Lives Here: A couple in their 30s
Home: A 4-room BTO flat
Size: 1,001 sq ft
Interior Designer: Max Lee and Nicholas Heng from SG Interior Design.

SG Interior Design

At the same time, they reached out to other interior designers to weigh their options. “The other interior designers recommended something they had done before. However, Max and Nic were willing to listen and recommend based on what we wanted,” Esmond says. Max Lee and Nicholas Heng are interior designers from SG Interior Design.

Japandi Interior Design

Homeowners Kelly and Esmond aimed for a Japandi look, opting for light wood and off-white colours. They also wanted storage solutions but didn’t want the carpentry to overwhelm the spaces. Foreseeing that they would hardly cook, the couple were open to a compact kitchen.

The kitchen is fitted with upper and base cabinets in drawers and cupboards of varying sizes. Instead of an island, they opted for a table-height counter with storage. Here, the dining table is placed against it.

Conceal Bomb Shelter

Notably, the household shelter faces the dining area. So, its door is hidden behind a full-height fluted panel door to dress it up. Storage solutions are built on both sides of the door panel, housing the couple’s shoes and miscellaneous items.

Living Room Storage

“When it came to the execution of the project, everything was fully customised to what they were looking for. The television feature was discussed in detail,” interior designer Nicholas explains. The living area, too, is decked out with more storage solutions to one side of the sofa and where the television is. Open shelves ensure that the living area doesn’t feel boxed in.

The carpentry in white and wood provides consistency that gives the home a grounding feel.

Sol Luminaire Lights

The interior design team applied a similar palette in the common bathroom and master bedroom. The master bathroom, on the other hand, features unique wall tiles that imbue an organic feel to the space.

While the couple had initially wanted to purchase their lights on Taobao, Max and Nicholas introduced them to Sol Luminaire for their lighting needs. “They suggested we check it out and chat with the Sol Luminaire team to understand better how the lighting would produce a warm effect and cosy environment,” Edmond shares. “I would say it’s one of the most important factors. It elevates the ambience of the entire home.”

$45,000 Renovation

The interior designers also addressed an interior design detail to the couple’s delight. “They knew we like leisure skateboarding. It wasn’t in the brief, but they proposed hanging racks for our skateboards,” Kelly says.

The renovation took three months and was completed at a cost of $45,000, excluding the furnishings and lighting.