Home Tour: A female business owner’s Mid-Century Modern 5-room HDB on Haig Road

The mid-century modern style is loved for its sleek lines and focus on functionality. Its emphasis on uncluttered spaces, mixing of materials, and nature-inspired colours continues to win the hearts of design lovers today.

Homeowner E.L., a business owner in the design industry, would say that her home is a blend of her two great mid-century modern loves: American mid-century style and Danish mid-century craftsmanship. “I already knew what furniture, lights, and art I was putting together, so the frame of the house had to accentuate and showcase all of those pieces well,” she says.  

Having worked with Three-D Conceptwerke before on the design of her office, E. L. engaged them to design her home, a five-room resale flat on Haig Road. She had already been living close to the area, so she had grown to love the quiet estate with its old-school charm and modern conveniences nearby. 

Who Lives Here: A business owner in her 40s
Home: 5-room HDB resale flat along Haig Road
Size: 1,270 sq ft
Interior designer: Three-D Conceptwerke

Old resale HDB flat

As this flat was more than 40 years old, there were no plans to retain anything. When asked about her brief, homeowner E. L. says, “Firstly, it was structural. I wanted a split between a public entertaining space and private rooms. I also wanted a bigger yet enclosed kitchen since I often cook.”

The aim for homeowner E. L. was to redesign the layout to resolve these two conditions. Dess Chew, principal designer, and Lance Zheng, design consultant, turned to research to get started. “We probed into various case studies to understand her way of thinking, language, behaviour, and how we can map them into this challenging space,” Dess explains.

The unit was challenging due to dark spots in various parts of the home despite having many windows. This was also something that E. L. wanted addressed. Interior designer Dess added that the functionality was also “too systematic” due to the layout, often seen in flats built in the early 80s. 

Hacked HDB walls

So, they removed most of the walls and considered layouts where the visual impact of light and airflow would not be compromised. “We also considered two modes of day and night effects,” Dess explains. Over four months, they reconfigured the spaces, allocating more space to the kitchen and ensuring sufficient private and entertainment space for homeowner E. L. and her guests.

Inspired by old American garages, the customised metal gate gives the home an old-school charm right from the start. It opens up to a path with terracotta tiles on the floor and the outside wall of the kitchen. These tiles demarcate it from the living area clad with cement screed flooring. The living area is kept spare, without feature walls. Loose furniture pieces line the wall for spaciousness.

Mid-Century kitchen design

The same terracotta tiles are used for the common bathroom surfaces and the kitchen flooring. E. L wanted an enclosed kitchen. However, she can also open it up to the living area when she wants, thanks to the newly constructed internal windows. They opted for freestanding hob and oven, instead of built-in ones. Stainless steel countertops were chosen for the cooking area.

Mid-Century Modern Dining Room

The dining area is placed close to the kitchen but nestled away close to the private sphere. Here in the dining area, natural light needed to be improved. The lighting strategy comprises downlights, pendant lights and a table lamp.

Strip lights at the bar add another layer of light. The space enjoys natural light due to the sliding windows that open to the private spaces. The warm wood finish of the panelled wall conveys the mid-century feel that E. L. envisioned.

Mid-Century Bedroom Design

Formerly two bedrooms, it is now one extended rectangular area consisting of the study and bedroom. The furniture along the walls gives this area the same spacious feel as the living area. A lounge chair is perfect for decompressing after a long day with a book.

A sofa sits close to the desk, tucked into a corner where she could work from home comfortably without distraction. With wood panelling on this side, the area also stays consistent with the cosy, warm style of the 50s and 60s.

Mid-Century Furniture

“Original mid-century furniture is the epitome of form following function. They are built to be highly functional and yet, at the same time, carry craft and design values that imbue character and beauty into the house,” homeowner E. L. says.

The interior design was conceptualised to make these pieces shine through the furniture layout and choice of finishes, from finding the right shade for the wood panels and the terracotta tiles to custom solutions. When it came to the kitchen design, the intent was to ensure it was not only modern and functional but also able to fit into the overall aesthetic.

Homeowner E. L. has settled into her home since her move in December 2022. She reflects, “The house was designed to ensure that form follows function, down to every space and every small detail. So yes, it fits my current lifestyle from cooking to entertaining to having a private space to work and decompress.”