Knowing exactly what you want and having an eye for design certainly helps when you intend to do the interior designing of your home yourself.
Possessing both, naval architecture graduate Jay Chia was able to see through his six months' long renovation of his 604sqf one-bedroom apartment that cost $50,000 in total, including furnishings.
This view from the kitchenette shows how he recompensed for the lack of storage space with a customised full-height TV console that doubles as a display cabinet to showcase home accessories and books.
He also bought 1000 pots of artificial plants from Ikea and displayed them in the supporting frames he built, creating a green wall in the patio. Initially wanting to use real plants, he settled on artifical ones as he travels often for work.
As interior space was extremely tight, he took the liberty to extend the living area of the home into the semi-outdoor patio. Coasters and tableware are from H & M Home, Zara Home and abroad.
While he kept the rest of the bedroom fuss-free, he framed a Marimekko fabric and positioned it over the head of the bed as a headboard-cum-artwork.
The deep blue tiles of his bathroom were taken from a swimming pool project that was shelved at the last minute. Jay counts himself lucky because he really loves their colour.
Yet another homeowner-DIY interior designer with an architecture background, Clarence Tay and his partner conjured the look of their home on their own, spending $100,000 including furnishings in renovation works of their three-bedroom HDB flat.
The striped feature walls of the living and bedrooms complement, rather than clash with, the striped upholstery of the sofas. Made from textiles they acquired from travels to Sri Lanka, the thin stripes of the sofa and cushion covers go well with the thick, dark stripes on the walls.
Wanting to achieve a restful atmosphere in the house, lighting was kept dim for a cosy ambience.
On Clarence's study area sits one of his most prized possessions, a Timothy Oulton lamp in the shape of a curved ruler.
Find the lamp at www.timothyoulton.com
The master bedroom is a picture of symmetry, except for the concrete pedestals that hold hardwood-base lamps.
For the boutique hotel-inspired bathroom, they chose a hexagonal marble floor tiles that form a 'feature floor'. The bathroom also has two entrances - one from the kitchen, and another from the bedroom.