Home Tour: A nurse & teacher couple’s $30,000 renovation for their 5-room DBSS in Ang Mo Kio
We follow the journey of how this minimalist flat has evolved into its current maximalist look over the years to reflect the changing tastes and lifestyle of its owners.
By Lynn Tan -
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Who Lives Here: A nurse and teacher, their two young daughters and two cats
Home: A 5-room HDB DBSS at Ang Mo Kio Street 52
Size: 1,206 sq ft
Interior Designer: Black & White Haus (Formerly Black & White House Studio)
Yusri Ithnin and Meliza Mohd Salim’s house hunting journey began in early 2010 following their engagement. Like many couples, they ideally wanted to be able to move into their new home immediately after getting married.
However, due to the waiting time for BTOs and the hefty Cash Over Valuation (COV) for resale flats, which were beyond their budget as they were also saving for their upcoming wedding, they did not harbour high hopes of being able to get a flat before their wedding that was set for November the following year.
Being able to eventually land a unit from the sale of balance flats was nothing short of a miracle. With the TOP slated for January 2011, it meant that they had over 10 months to renovate and get the home ready in time for their big day.
The unit that they purchased is from HDB’s Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS). The 5-room HDB flat cost them $578,000 at the time and came complete with floor finishes, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fittings. They did not do any hacking and the kitchen and bathrooms were untouched except for the master bathroom door, which they replaced for better access. The rest of the works were mainly false ceiling, carpentry and painting.
The homeowners drew interior design inspiration from the French classical Haussmannian style.
Interior design evolution
They engaged Black and White Haus (formerly Black & White House Studio) to help them with the interior design back then.
“We drew inspiration from the French classical Haussmannian style complete with a fireplace, wainscoting and ceiling cornices,” shares 54-year-old Yusri, who is a nurse. He and his wife, a teacher who is 44 years old, are also fans of neo-classical, black and white interiors. “The lines, symmetry and geometric patterns bring a sense of orderliness to a space,” he adds.
Over the years, the black and white theme has gradually evolved after bouts of repainting and refurbishing, along with the addition and removal of various pieces. What started out as something that was more minimalist now takes on a maximalist look as a result of changing tastes and lifestyle considerations.
“While I appreciate the cleanness of minimalism, it is hard to maintain especially with young kids and pets. Besides, I much prefer the depth and layered effect that maximalism offers,” he admits.
A welcoming entrance foyer in this 5-room HDB DBSS flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Entrance foyer
The cosy entrance foyer is a welcoming gesture for guests and it is a space for leaving bags, keys, umbrellas and hats. A curated arrangement comprising a mirror, table lamp, art and some books complete the look.
Maximalist interior design underscores the living room in this 5-room HDB DBSS flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Living room
If there is one space in the home that blows you away, it is the living room. In typical maximalist fashion, there is plenty to take in- from the mirrored ceiling, mirrored coffee table and mirrored arches to the faux fireplace and mantelpiece.
It comes as no surprise that he is a fan of using mirrors in living spaces. “I find them particularly useful in visually amplifying spaces and reflecting natural light,” he says.
The living room is lined with a mirrored ceiling.
Mirrored Ceiling
What is unexpected though, is that the entire mirrored ceiling is a DIY effort, which homeowner Yusri jokingly refers to as “one man’s cost conscious attempt at creating the illusion of a high, see-through ceiling”.
It took him five months of labour, working on it after work and on his days off, standing on a ladder and craning his neck looking up, reminiscent of how Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.
He admits that the result is not perfect, but it is a DIY project after all and it is something that he is willing to accept. And all it cost him was his time and $500 for the materials. A small price to pay for a feature that has paid off big time if visitors’ reactions are anything to go by. It has even been featured in a feature in The Straits Times back in January 2012.
The TV feature wall has been disguised as a fireplace.
Faux Fireplace Feature Wall
Instead of a regular television console, it has been disguised as a fireplace. The television screen provides the “fire”.
Although the position of the television set is lower than usual, homeowner Yusri finds it more comfortable viewing from this angle. The faux fireplace conceals all the cables and equipment, while the mantelpiece above provides the perfect place for his turntable and personal memorabilia. It is flanked by two mirrored arches that were added to give a sense of depth and the impression that there is more room behind the faux fireplace.
The living room layout has evolved over the years. The current arrangement has The Cat’s Meow sofa from Caracole, and an assortment of chairs including Out with a Flair, also from Caracole, and a Paramour two-seater arranged at an angle to the faux fireplace.
Holding these pieces that cost thousands of dollars together is a mirrored coffee table that Yusri found on Carousell for just $50. The layout may be rather unconventional, but Yusri finds that this creates a larger usable area and makes the space feel less congested. His strategy to pulling all these off is through a process of editing.
“I think clutter can work in small doses as long as they are balanced out with adequate breathing space,”
The dining room is also homeowner Meliza's work space.
Dining room
The dining room also doubles up as Meliza’s workspace. Once again, this adopts an atypical orientation where the alignment of the dining table is skewed relative to the space.
View of the living room and dining room (in the background).
But this was done for good reason to enable opportunistic television viewing while working. Topping it off is an off-centered chandelier that heightens the quirkiness further.
The master bedroom doorway is angled perfectly for privacy.
A bookshelf in the master bedroom for avid readers.
Master bedroom
As avid readers, the couple’s bedroom is also their reading sanctuary. They introduced a bookshelf into the bedroom a few years ago to accommodate more tomes in the comfort of their bedroom.
A Chanel interior design themed reading room.
Reading room
The reading room has even more mirrors to maximise the “visual real estate”. It has a black and white theme that Yusri DIY-ed to make the room look more glamorous and “Chanel-esque”.
Renovation cost
Homeowners Yusri and Meliza spent about $30,000 on the renovation. Here is a cost breakdown of some of the items:
- Electrical fittings and installation: $2,000
- False ceiling and plaster work: $3,000
- Painting and wallpaper: $3,700
- Entrance foyer shoe cabinet: $1,650
- Living room mantelpiece: $2,700
- Wainscoting: $2,900
- Display unit: $4,000
- Bedroom bay window seats: $1,400
- Balcony wood decking: $5,600
2 Months’ Renovation
The renovation took about two months to complete and the couple moved into their new home in November 2011, right after their wedding. 14 years on, the couple still enjoy their home. “We still love the timeless appeal of the original design. With the maximalist upgrades, we love it even more,” says homeowner Yusri.
With the DBSS scheme discontinued since 2012, the supply of these units are limited to the resale market. It comes as no surprise that the couple’s unit is currently valued at $1.2 million and they have expressed that they might consider moving if there is a suitable offer. “Provided that the next home that we move into will not be a significant downgrade in terms of livability and accessibility,” he expresses.