House Tour: Architect & banker couple's $150,000 renovation for Bedok South 5-room BTO
Kelvin Wang’s self-designed home is a distillation of great ideas that fit into the grand scheme of things.
By Lynn Tan -
Share this article
Two years before renovations began for this home of registered architect Kelvin Wang and his banker wife, Jocelyn Neo, the design wheels were already in motion. The brief evolved during this time, but they were very clear about some things from the onset.
“The design centres on the use of grey concrete, brown wood textures and the colour black – a neutral palette that’s never out of fashion. We plan to live here for at least the next 10 years, so the design needs to reflect our aspirations, suit our lifestyles and stand the test of time,” says Kelvin.
Who Lives Here A couple in their late 30s
Home A 5-room BTO flat at Bedok South Road
Size 1,215 sq ft (112 sqm)
Interior Designer Kelvin Wang
Both fans of brutalist architecture, they wanted the monolithic and volumetric articulation, the raw textures and patina, and the wabi-sabi philosophy of embracing imperfections to be incorporated. However, they also acknowledged that the brutalist style may not be entirely appropriate for a home.
Registered architect and homeowner, Kelvin Wang
“In its purest form, brutalism can be, well, brutal, devoid of warmth and cosiness. To mitigate this, we incorporated Scandinavian elements such as wood and green to tame the harshness,” Kelvin explains.
Almost all the apartment was completely gutted. Other than the walls around the two bathrooms, all the other internal walls were either demolished or realigned.
The floors were re-tiled or overlaid, the lighting and electrical layout was entirely reconfigured, and drop ceilings were introduced in some areas to conceal services. Furnishings excluded, the renovation cost about $150,000.
Dining Room
The heart of the home is the dining-kitchen area. Jocelyn is a foodie, so this is no surprise. “She cooks, she orders delivery food and she snacks. And when she eats, I eat as well,” shares Kelvin.
That's how the island became a dining table, too. The black and gold Dekton top appears as a large stone slab on top of the carved wood with a tapered base. Its monolithic form is a direct reference to brutalist architecture.
Study Room
As a result of removing the bedroom walls nearest to the dining and kitchen area, natural light streams into the space from the bedroom windows.
One bedroom has become a study Jocelyn uses when she works from home. The raised platform helps to define the space despite its openness. Sliding doors provide privacy when desired.
Large, Communal Space
The living room, the kitchen, dining and study areas blend seamlessly and feel like one large communal space. Kelvin is very pleased with this outcome.
A dark-tinted mirrored wall visually expands the space while The ceilings and walls’ cement textured paint carries through the brutalist theme. The ceiling conduits are galvanised iron instead of the commonly used black PVC pipes.
Kitchen Island
“We could be eating at the island table one moment and working on it the next, or hanging out with family and friends over drinks. The layout allows visual breaks between the island and the study or living area while remaining visually connected,” he elaborates.
"Floating” kitchen cabinets convey a sense of lightness
Master Bedroom
After some reconfiguration of the layout that involved hacking walls and removing or repositioning doors, the bedroom adjacent to the master bedroom is now a walk-in wardrobe.
The master bedroom is an oasis of calm with an elevated platform bed that appears to float.
Curved Ceiling
The ceiling that curves into a curtain pelmet is a unique element that marries the masculinity of the cement-look finishes with a soft, feminine touch.
The curved element also relates to the rounded edges of the plywood panels that conceal the bomb shelter and storage spaces.
Dropped Ceiling
The dropped black ceiling visually connects and elongates the living and dining areas.
Large Format Tiles
Large format tiles minimise the number of grout lines to keep the design of the common bathroom clean.
Fluted Panels
Fluted panels line the rear walls, with stone flower carvings inset into black recessed niches.
The couple moved in just before Christmas in 2021. As with many renovation projects carried out during the pandemic, a lack of workers, production halts, shipment delays, and other logistical issues caused the project to take five months to complete.
Foyer
The entrance foyer is a vestibule between the external corridor and the internal living space. It is accented by Peranakan-inspired tiles with a granulated pebble finish border.
As an architect, Kelvin admits to being his own worst client “because the project is so close to my heart, I tend to get overly involved on-site.”
However, the benefit of designing his own home is that he could formulate his brief and steer the design process towards realising it. He believes he has succeeded in that regard.
Photography Phyllicia Wang. Art direction Kristy Quah. This story first appeared on Home and Decor in 2022.