Home Tour: A logistics project manager & ecommerce sales manager’s 5-room HBD in Hougang
Sometimes, it isn’t how much space or how many bedrooms you have, but what you do with it that matters.
By Lynn Tan -
Share this article
Moving from a similar-sized 4-bedroom condominium to a 5-room HDB flat meant that they now have one less bedroom, but this family of five actually feel that they have more usable space now. One of the reasons is because the two balconies and air-conditioner ledge accounted for part of the floor area of the condominium unit. The homeowners - the wife is a project manager in the logistics industry and the husband is an e-commerce sales manager, attribute the main reason to the 5-room HDB flat’s efficient layout.
Credit goes to Yang Minghui, head designer at Luova Project Services. Having designed the couple’s previous home, which they were extremely happy with, they had no qualms entrusting the job to him again. Apart from a rough mood board comprising ideas that they had gathered through Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, the couple left everything else in his good hands.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their mid-30s and their three children
Home: A 5-room HDB flat in Hougang
Size: 1,292 sqf
Interior designer: Yang Minghui, Luova Project Service
Foyer in this 5-room HDB flat in Hougang.
Old HDB resale flat
The 36-year-old HDB flat was completely gutted to accommodate a new interior that would suit the young family’s lifestyle and needs. Only the parquet flooring in the three bedrooms was retained.
A cosy arch with a bench and shoe cabinet beside the entrance foyer serves as a welcome gesture while addressing a very practical need for somewhere to store and to put on or remove shoes.
Living room pantry in this 5-room HDB flat in Hougang.
A pantry on the other side elevates a functional purpose into a design element. It has a similar arched profile, which continues into a feature wall with fluted details that conceals the master bedroom door.
Kitchen's entrance sliding door in this 5-room HDB flat in Hougang.
Feng Shui kitchen design
The kitchen entrance was relocated to face the living room instead of the main door. “I originally proposed a semi-open kitchen, but had to tweak the design and layout based on the Feng Shui master’s recommendations,” says interior designer Minghui. Notwithstanding these constraints, he managed to find a solution that is both purposeful and aesthetically pleasing.
Kitchen was designed according to a Fengshui Master's recommendations in this 5-room HDB flat in Hougang.
Honeycomb tiles line the kitchen backsplash in this 5-room HDB flat in Hougang.
Privacy screen demarcates a work station in the living room of this 5-room HDB in Hougang.
Husband’s man cave
The living room feature wall echoes the fluted detailing beside the pantry, which helps to tie the scheme together. Visually interesting elements abound, both on the floor and on the ceiling. Wood-look vinyl flooring was laid over the existing floor tiles in a herringbone pattern.
Above, a circular false ceiling makes for an eye-catching feature between the living and dining rooms. “The construction was tricky and involved very precise measurement, especially where the false ceiling meets the fluted panelling,” interior designer Minghui points out.
A man cave was something that the husband wanted right from the start and he also preferred to have it in the living room instead of being tucked away. An alcove by the window, adjacent to the living room offers the perfect location.
Toy collection display with LED lights in this 5-room HDB in Hougang.
However, in order to preserve a certain degree of privacy, interior designer Minghui introduced a screen. It is full-height, but does not extend all the way horizontally across the space. It remains open at either end to allow light and ventilation into the living room, while also maintaining the connection between the two spaces.
Master bedroom design
The master bedroom underwent major reconfiguration. The original door and wall were shifted to enlarge the room and create a walk-in wardrobe. Interior designer Minghui managed to incorporate plenty of wardrobe space plus extra storage and a display case beside the door. By cleverly using the built-in wardrobes as a spatial divider, he also managed to carve out a separate sleeping area from the walk-in wardrobe and dressing table, which enhances the privacy.
The renovation took about two months to complete and the family moved into their new home at the end of November 2022. Minghui appreciates the trust that the clients have in him and they couple is thrilled that they now have a bright and spacious new home where the family can grow and the kids can play.