Home Tour: $230,000 Renovation for a couple’s HDB Executive Apartment in Serangoon
Entrusting the design of their forever home to a firm that has worked on multiple projects for various members of the immediate family proved to be the right decision.
By Lynn Tan -
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System engineer, Tan Chee Kian, and his wife, Joey Choo, a director for APAC Live Content, embarked on their home renovation journey well-prepared. They approached a handful of interior design firms armed with a comprehensive deck of slides that included specific information on their budget, design requirements for each room, timeline and mood board. There were even suggestions on which walls to hack and relocation of doors.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their mid-40s
Home: A HDB executive apartment at Serangoon North Ave 4
Size: 1,571 sq ft
Interior Designer: Design Zage managing director, Zhuo Jin Hai
Design Zage
The couple eventually engaged Design Zage, who has become their family designer of sorts having worked on their family home prior to moving to this executive apartment, as well as homes belonging to Joey’s mother and siblings. “I think engaging an interior designer is like going to the doctor. You need to trust that the designer is going to work with you to create your dream home and make it come true,” says Joey.
In their mid-40s, the couple plan for this to be their retirement home. Besides factoring in elder-friendly features, they also wanted a modern, contemporary and timeless design as they do not see themselves renovating again in the next 10 to 20 years, if possible.
Design Zage managing director, Zhuo Jin Hai, took all of these into consideration when coming up with the design proposal. “We focused on spatial flow, material selection, carpentry design, along with furniture, fixtures, lighting and soft furnishing to create a spacious and airy atmosphere,” he says.
Entrance Foyer
The entrance foyer is a welcoming space that conveys a sense of openness as you cross the threshold. This is due partly to the removal of the kitchen wall to the right of the entrance and a large, mirrored backdrop behind the bench seat on the left. The built-in carpentry provides plenty of shoe storage space, an open shelf for keys and even a drawer for socks.
Wet & Dry Kitchen
Respecting the couple’s preference for open-concept dry and wet kitchens, Jin Hai had the kitchen wall demolished. In its place, he introduced a kitchen island with a sintered top that provides additional counter and storage space. As the couple often hosts family and friends, the island seamlessly integrates meal preparation and socialising.
“The island also serves as a visual divider, creating distinct living and kitchen zones without compromising on the overall fluidity of the space,” he points out.
Access to the common bathroom used to be from the kitchen. Relocating the bathroom entrance to the living room, concealed within built-in cabinets and shelves, helps maximise the efficiency of the kitchen space and layout.
Living Room
An existing column between the living room and study was cause for concern as the couple wanted an open-concept interior. Jin Hai’s solution was to disguise the column as part of the fluted panels of the television feature wall. Behind this wall is a dedicated home office as Joey works from home. Having it away from the bedroom allows her to separate her work and personal lives.
Home Office
The home office faces the dining area, which was originally a balcony in the HDB plan. Slide-and-fold glass doors offer the flexibility of enclosing the home office when Joey is at work, or opening the two spaces when desired. The use of glass also allows natural light from the dining room window to filter into the home office.
Chee Kian shares: “We love our dining area. When our interior designer suggested a 1.8-metre table, we were uncertain as to whether the space would allow for it, but he proved us wrong. This is now our favourite place in the house. I love how it overlooks the city skyline with a tiny glimpse of the Singapore Flyer from afar.”
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom and adjacent bedroom have been combined to become one larger room incorporating a new walk-in wardrobe and dressing table, and a separate sleeping area. There is storage aplenty, with built-in cabinets, drawers and bag display compartments fully utilising every corner.
Master Bathroom
The attached master bathroom is spacious and modern with its combination of off-white marble and grey terrazzo tiles. A hotel-style shower seat checks all the boxes for aesthetics, functionality and elder-friendliness.
$230,000 Renovation Budget
The 27-year-old apartment went through a complete overhaul that included hacking of walls, layout reconfiguration, carpentry, as well as electrical, lighting, ceiling, plumbing and tiling works, costing about $230,000 including furniture and furnishings. It took about four months, including a one- to two-week break during the Lunar New Year period, and the couple moved into their new home in May 2024.
They love how the design turned out. Joey comments: “This is a home, not a showroom.” They were also pleasantly surprised by how spacious their home is. “We just hosted a family gathering of about 50 guests in the house with catering set up and everyone still had room to talk and mingle,” Chee Kian says.
For interior designer Jin Hai, this reflects Design Zage’s philosophy of crafting tailored and personalised design solutions for clients that foster a sense of belonging, connection and comfort. “We deliver what we promised,” he emphasises.