$75,000 Parisian-meets-Mid-Century renovation for Singaporean couple’s 5-room HDB on Champions Green
“The style concept we wanted to follow was Mid-century Modern and French/Parisian.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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A captivating home is not just about surface-level aesthetics. It goes beyond that; small design celebrations and the attention to detail that captivates one.
That’s precisely the situation that unfolds within this Parisian-chic-inspired abode, home to a cool millennial couple in their early 30s, who were very much inspired by the apartments you see in the City of Love, along with Mid-Century Modern touches.
For the couple, they are not so much interested in the latest trends as they are in things that resonate with their personalities. This includes the likes of travelling, which is very obvious, the more you wander around this stylish home.
With its new herringbone floors (the original floors were ripped up and completely replaced with these throughout the entire home), antique-inspired furniture pieces paired with modern ones, neutral tones, and natural colours, you really do feel as if you’re stepping inside a Parisian home.
Who Lives Here: A Singaporean couple in their early 30s
Home: 5-room HDB
Size: 1,216 sq ft
Interior designer: Edmund from Insight.Out Studio
Comprising three bedrooms and two bathrooms, the homeowners wanted to focus mainly on the kitchen and dining area for their home renovation.
“We felt it was a unique design challenge because we had a very long open kitchen and were trying to find ways to ensure the design is seamless yet functional,” they say. “We also specifically wanted a unique island counter!”
For this, they turned to interior designer Edmund from Insight.Out Studio to work with them on the home design.
“He is patient, approachable, sincere, never pushy and responsive. He was the first interior designer we spoke to during our research process, and we eventually circled back to him!”
The couple were drawn to the property as it was the first Woodlands BTO after many years. Also, being close to their family was important. These two factors are what sealed the deal for them.
Tres Chic Closet and Vanity
Hacking down walls to combine two separate rooms into one single space, the result is a dreamy closet and vanity area that holds its own alongside the primary.
“A single sliding door is included to then more cleanly partition out the master bedroom area,” the homeowners explain.
This space feels glamorous, in an old-school, Belle Époque sort of way, with its theatre dressing room mirror, Mid-century chest of drawers lined with perfumes, and fashionable, low-slung designer-like chair (slightly reminiscent of the Transat Chair by Eileen Gray).
A rattan and leather chair (from Taobao) adds to the Mid-century-esqueness of this room. The wavy-framed mirror from Shopee is another lovely design touch. Opposite the vanity setup is a set of floor-to-ceiling custom-made cupboards. The carpentry works feature an arched indent and are finished off in laminate.
Master Bedroom Design
Even the master bedroom is filled with beautiful design touches that echo the home’s overall running theme. Scallop-shaped overhang reading lights (from Taobao)...A custom-designed (by the interior designer) and built, dark wood king-sized headboard with side tables to go with the Mid-century feels…A curved bed base from BEDANDBASICS…
Nothing is mundane.
There’s even a mini projector next to their bed, gifted to the couple as a housewarming gift from friends.
Black, White & Green Kitchen
Black and white kitchens are synonymous with France; whether it’s for checkered floor tiles in the countryside or in the overlay of a Parisian kitchen. The design of this kitchen has gone straight for that vibe, adding a touch of deep, earthy green for an elevated, unique appearance.
Kitchen islands are all the rage these days, but again, theirs is different, with thoughtful design details. Inspired by looks they had seen on Pinterest, the couple wanted an island with a round ball pillar beam holding up one side of the island.
The customised island is made from sintered stone, with carpentry works done on this wooden leg. Underneath is the same dark green flecking a set of storage drawers.
Opposite the island, the top cabinets are an olive green, whereas the bottom cabinets–as well as the ones around the fridge–are a charcoal black with a texture overlay.
Inspecting close corners, the bottom cabinets (beneath the stove) boast gold mermaid tail-shaped handles. White subway tiles from Hafary were incorporated for the kitchen backsplash.
The only room in the house without herringbone flooring is the kitchen, featuring the HDB’s original floor tiles.
Semi-Open-Concept Dining Area
Whilst the kitchen and dining areas are part of the same space, there is a glass recessed door between the two areas, creating separation when needed.
“We can close the doors when doing heavy cooking,” tells the couple.
The eight-seater dining table (a Taobao find) is directly in front of the island. This piece of furniture also has wavy-shaped features, as seen in the table legs. The Mid-century rattan back chairs are the same as the vanity table one in the master bedroom
The Foyer Design
A brown laminate-finish structural wall with a ribbed glass centre and a light trim around the glass was added for privacy reasons.
“If our main door is open, it allows our living room area to retain privacy,” details the couple.
This space is also reserved for their shoe business.
The foyer leads to the dining area, and also within this entrance is a set of cupboards with an arched mirror front, leading to the bomb shelter storage room.
Black and white diamond tiles as well as the vintage ceiling pendant light hint at the home’s French interior design awaiting you within.
A Cosy Living Room
The living room is connected to the dining area and is the perfect size for this couple.
With their caramel leather couch (from COMFY Furniture) and French-vintage standing lamp (from Taobao), you feel transported to Paris.
An Open-Concept Gym
Separating the living room and the gym is a partitioning wall, and the top half of this structure comprises glass fluted windows that open and close between the two areas.
This is where the homeowners do their workouts and yoga.
It feels sectioned off, but still open, and is a smart way to play around with the floor space that they have in their HDB.
Primary En Suite Design
Entering the primary en suite bathroom from the master bedroom, you’ll see a shower, toilet and vanity. The bathroom sticks to the home’s neutral colour palette, using black and white Hafary tiles for the floors and light and dark gray stone finish large format tiles for the walls.
The vanity is constructed from sintered stone with an integrated sink build.
For these homeowners, their first-ever home renovation went by in a blur. A memorable occasion, it was still, at times, a little stressful (naturally), but everything turned out as planned.
“We definitely learned a lot around the bits and pieces of the reno process (from designing our first home to understanding how appliances work to coordinating the entire project with our interior designer)...” the homeowners say. “It is definitely something you will only learn when actually going on a home renovation journey.”