Home Tour: A couple’s $55,000 Taobao-style 4-room HDB BTO in Yishun

In an era where home furnishing costs can spiral out of control, one couple’s Taobao furnished home stands as a testament to creativity and smart shopping. Married couple Joy Fang, and Daryll Nanayakara, had the satisfaction of building their love nest themselves - and saving a lot of money along the way - by cleverly sourcing most of their furnishings from e-commerce site Taobao.

$55,000 Renovation

Their journey of creating a budget-conscious yet stylish home led them to spend $55,000 renovating and furnishing their 4-room Build-To-Order flat in Yishun. The transformation included removing four walls to create an open-plan kitchen, dining room and living room space - a thoughtful modification designed with their “Singapore Special” dog in mind, ensuring their furry family member had plenty of space to roam and play.

The 93 sqm flat reveals the couple’s intuitive approach to design, where spontaneity meets style. Their creative decisions, such as incorporating a striking turquoise wall in the living room and installing eye-catching aquamarine subway tiles in the kitchen, emerged organically during the renovation process, adding character to their Taobao furniture-filled space.

Comfortable and practical home design

The couple’s contrasting perspectives on their home’s aesthetic add a charming layer to their story. “We just wanted it to be comfortable and practical. We’re quite chill people,” says Mr Nanayakara, a civil servant, with a relaxed smile.

His wife, however, had a more specific vision in mind. “Well, I wanted a laid-back, New York-loft kind of feel,” says Ms Fang, who found her decorating inspiration through countless Pinterest browsing sessions. To which Mr Nanayakara playfully responds, “I don’t know what that means.”

Taobao furniture finds

Now proud parents to a baby girl, the couple has proven that creating a stylish home doesn’t require breaking the bank. Their furniture selection represents a smart mix of sources: statement pieces like their dining table, sofa, and bed come from online furniture store Castlery, while practical items such as an armchair and kitchen trolleys are from Ikea.

However, the heart of their home’s character comes from their carefully curated Taobao furniture finds, including elegant lamps, statement mirrors, modern bathroom fixtures, versatile side tables, comfortable poufs, distinctive chairs, plush rugs, practical shelves, a sophisticated dressing table, and even a ceiling fan.

Affordable furniture from Taobao

The decision to embrace Taobao furniture came after extensive research at local stores, where they discovered significantly higher prices for similar items. Ms Fang, a freelance writer, particularly prizes their Taobao bookshelves, which have become a focal point behind the dining table.

“To buy something similar in Singapore would have cost three times the price,” she notes proudly of the three shelves, which totaled about $900 including shipping.

Cons of Taobao furniture shopping

The journey of creating their Taobao furnished home wasn’t without its challenges. “The only drawback to shopping for household furnishings on Taobao is that you have to assemble everything on your own... and they don’t come with manuals,” Mr Nanayakara explains. Fortunately, his background in design and technology classes, combined with a network of equally handy friends, made the assembly process manageable.

Tips for Taobao furniture shopping

Ms Fang emphasizes that successful Taobao furniture shopping requires dedication and attention to detail. “Use specific search terms like ‘Nordic style’, which yields some of the best results - it gives you all these Pinterest-looking things,” she advises. Her pro tips include thoroughly reading reviews, comparing prices, and choosing established shops. She also recommends using third-party sites like SGshop to optimize shipping costs and highlights the advantage of having basic Mandarin language skills for vendor communication.

Beyond the considerable cost savings, their Taobao furnished home represents something more meaningful. As Mr Nanayakara reflects, “All I know is that doing it ourselves, and being able to look at these things and know that we did all of it together, give me a sense of satisfaction. It was fun building this apartment. We enjoy coming home to it.” Their story showcases how thoughtful shopping and personal involvement can transform a standard HDB flat into a deeply personal sanctuary that reflects both style and savvy.

This article was first published on The Straits Times.