Home Tour: A French husband & Singaporean wife’s $200,000 Mid-Century renovation for their 5-room HDB in Bedok South
After spending around $200,000 on renovation and custom teak carpentry, the homeowners transformed their Bedok South resale flat into a warm, mid-century modern-inspired home.
By Sng Ler Jun -
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After years of renting in Singapore, French-born Eric Tollemer and his Singaporean wife Sue Yeo finally found the home they didn’t know they’d lose and then miraculously got back. Their newly renovated 5-room flat is teak-lined, terrazzo-floored and full of soul, all of which are framed by a distant view of the sea.
Who Lives Here: A family of three
Home: A 5-room resale HDB in Bedok South
Size: 1,323 sq ft
Interior Designer: SHE Interior
Theirs all along
The home wasn’t initially available, or so the Tollemers thought.
When homeowners Eric and Sue arrived to view this 5-room HDB resale unit in Bedok South, the realtor informed them, almost apologetically, that someone had already placed a deposit earlier that afternoon. “We were pretty bummed, because we loved it,” Eric recalls. “It was very sunny. The sea was like turquoise. We were like, oh my god, this is a perfect place.”
They left disappointed but kept searching. Another similar unit on a lower floor seemed like a practical choice. They placed a deposit for that. Then, just a day before the final paperwork was to be signed, a call came through.
“(The realtor) told us that (the unit) we liked so much is back on the market,” Eric says. Without hesitation, they forfeited their earlier deposit and secured the home they had first fell in love with. “We told her on the phone, we will take it.”
The apartment, though structurally sound, was in dire need of an overhaul. “There was no aircon, the electricity had to be redone, and it was run down,” he remembers. He told his wife, whom he had first met at a friend’s barbecue party, that they could redo the space from scratch.
A Living Room for the Audiophile
Anchored by a worn red rug and caramel-toned leather sofa, the living room is where Eric’s personal design stamp is most visible. The entire wall is lined with custom teak cabinetry, crafted by a local carpenter and teak supplier, and made to house a rotating selection of nearly 400 vinyl records and 400 CDs. “This feature with all the records and the sound system were important to me,” he shares.
On either side of the flat-screen TV are shelves for books, a Buddha statue, and audio components, reinforcing the music-first philosophy of the space. A warm palette of wood, white, and slate grounds the interior without feeling heavy.
“We wanted (our home) to be very bright. There’s a lot of white, natural wood, and slate or black colour,” Eric says. The Tollemers kept this colour scheme congruent throughout the home.
The original terrazzo flooring, a rare sight in newly built HDBs, was kept intact. “A lot of people, many of whom are in their forties and fifties, like that we kept the terrazzo,” Eric muses. “It reminded them of their childhood.”
Flushed at the end of the living room, the former balcony has been seamlessly integrated into the space, marked by wooden floor tiles and offered a clean visual flow. In the day, the family enjoys a distant view of the East Coast from their 22nd-storey perch. “It looks amazing, man. The sea is just right there,” Eric says. The space also doubles as a gear station for Eric and his teenage son, who were packing for a hiking trip to Darwin during the visit.
Dining Space
What was once a bedroom now serves as a dining room; the walls hacked and partially opened to expand the space. A custom teak table stands at the centre, surrounded by matte black chairs, while a well-worn rug offers a comforting texture underfoot. “We wanted to maximise the common space,” Eric explains.
The Tollemers engaged SHE Interior to spruce up their home, but they didn’t leave much to chance. Having a clear vision from the start, they provided the designers with a detailed brief to follow. “We had a clear idea of what we wanted in terms of design, colour and the mood board,” Sue says. “Seeing the home transform tremendously, especially with the view that made us fall in love with the unit, it was just truly a very, very satisfying.”
To preserve structural integrity, they retained a segment of the wall, cutting out geometric open shelving (in wood, no less) that now forms a visual bridge to the living area. It’s one of several choices that reflect Eric’s desire for cohesion over complexity.
Son’s Bedroom Design
Julien Tollemer, 14, has a bedroom that reflects his personality and interests. Custom white built-ins showcase his anime figurines, manga, LEGO kits, and books, a playful contrast to the home’s otherwise pared-down aesthetic.
While the overall layout was designed by his parents, Julien took the lead on deciding what went where. “I just let them decide most of it, but where I want to put my items, that’s where I come in,” he says.
A pre-built gaming rig anchors one corner of the room, where he rotates between games, such as Minecraft, Roblox, and Valorant. “I play a bit of everything,” he adds.
Moving to Bedok South has also made daily life easier. “The view is nicer, my school is nearby, and there are lots of hawker centres,” Julien, who is a secondary two student, notes. While he’s often out at school or playing football, most of his downtime is spent here, surrounded by everything he enjoys.
Master Bedroom Design
The master bedroom is a contrast to the rest of the home: clean, white, and deliberately understated. Entry into the room is through a simple walk-in wardrobe, with built in cabinets lining the short passage that opens to the bed and a soft wash of natural light.
“Everybody designs their home according to the way they live and the way they relax,” Eric says. “And for Sue and I, this really works.”
There are a few embellishments: a simple abstract painting above the bed, black-and-white family portraits on a recessed ledge, and a soft rug underfoot. However, the room still retains the home’s signature asset: that view.
Now just a short walk from Sue’s mother and surrounded by familiar hawker centres, the family has settled into a home that feels both intentional and effortless. “I used to hate working from home. Now I love it,” Eric says. “I love sitting here.”