Home Tour: $150,000 Colonial-style renovation for a 5-room HDB BTO in Yishun

This unique 5-room BTO flat in Yishun belongs to a couple with an interesting art collection. The homeowner, who is in his 50s, designed the home sans an interior designer. “I call this look Colonialism in Memoriam. It was inspired by the movie Hunger Games and the 80’s song Rock Me Amadeus. After putting together a series of unique, ultra-modern and classic-style accessories, I created an art gallery-like design,” he says.

Asian-themed art gallery

Throughout the home, Asian-themed artwork dominates the carefully curated collection, creating a powerful dialogue between past and present. The living room, serving as the heart of this art gallery interior, showcases a sophisticated palette of white, Tiffany blue, and grey tones.

Dining room centerpiece

Here, the centerpiece artwork “Colonialism In Memoriam” commands attention, while thought-provoking graphics and artworks exploring themes of love, war, and death are strategically placed throughout the space, each piece contributing to the larger narrative.

Dark tones in kitchen

Moving from the bright, contemplative atmosphere of the living room, visitors discover a dramatic shift in the dining and kitchen space, where darker tones create an entirely different mood. This intentional contrast in this Yishun BTO flat demonstrates the homeowner’s understanding of how color can shape experience and emotion within a space.

Easy kitchen maintenance

The practical considerations behind these design choices reveal the homeowner’s thoughtful approach to creating a livable art gallery interior. The darker scheme in the dining area serves a dual purpose – offering both easy maintenance and creating an intimate ambience perfect for evening gatherings with friends, where conversations about art and life can flourish late into the night.

Gold and blue home interior scheme

Throughout the home, mixed metal elements create a sophisticated interplay of textures and reflections, with gold and blue emerging as the dominant accent colors. These metallic touches add a layer of luxury to the art gallery interior while maintaining the space’s contemporary edge.

Gold bathroom fittings

In a brilliant display of attention to detail, even the HDB-provided water closet has been transformed into an art piece of its own. A custom gold-finished cover conceals the tap while maintaining its functionality, demonstrating how practical elements can be elevated to match the home’s artistic vision.

Fengshui wheel

The master bedroom entrance holds particular significance in this Yishun BTO flat, featuring an artwork that merges spiritual symbolism with colonial aesthetics.

“The fengshui wheel with a modernised colonial touch,” the homeowner explains, pointing to three floating bottles in the piece, “represents greed, anger, and obsession – the three main sins in Buddhism.” This thoughtful integration of spiritual philosophy with artistic expression adds another layer of depth to the home’s narrative.

Study room with walk-in wardrobe

In the study cum walk-in wardrobe area, the art gallery interior concept continues with an expertly curated selection of unique pieces. The space is bathed in black and blue tones, accented with touches of gold, creating a calm atmosphere that encourages reflection and contemplation.

Turning the corridor into a gallery

Even the corridor becomes a gallery space, with carefully selected artwork that maintains the home’s thematic consistency.

$150,000 renovation

This remarkable transformation of a standard Yishun BTO flat into an art gallery interior required an investment of $150,000 for renovation and furnishings. The result is a home that challenges conventional design norms while creating a deeply personal sanctuary where art and daily life intertwine seamlessly.