House Tours: Industrial-themed HDB flats inspired by cargo ships and ports

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The designers at DistinctIdentity were approached by the owners of this 1,100 sqf four-room HDB flat in Tampines which was in dire need of a makeover.Their speedy eight week job cost $45,000 to execute. 

Set against a green wall is a custom-made TV console and a series of crate-like cabinets of varied heights, seemingly arbitrarily arranged. Finished in metal and wood-lookalike laminates, the cabinets house audiovisual equipment, footwear and knick-knacks. 

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Opposite the green wall, what looks like an incomplete brick wall forms another point of interest. 

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The tidy dining area also features the same brick and green wall elements. 

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The kitchen has concrete-screed surfaces and laminated cabinets with rugged wood textures. 

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Stretching across the width of the bedroom is platform, done up in concrete-screed-lookalike laminate that hides several storage compartments. Floor-to-ceiling wardrobes, which occupy two adjacent walls, offer more storage space. 

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Influenced by the surge of industrial-inspired cafes of late, the homeowners of this 1,184sqf five-room HDB flat in Punggol asked their interior designer Kelvin Teo, of Space Sense, to adapt the theme to their home.

Dark wood-lookalike tiles cover the floors, while terracotta brick veneer and the barn door-like wainscoting clad one living room wall. Breaking away from the industrial look is the brown chesterfield sofa from Locus Habitat, which anchors the area. 

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Upon entering the home, your eyes will immediately be drawn to the massive shoe cabinet which is designed as a container. The largeness of the cabinet is needed to store over 100 pairs of stilettos and sneakers. 

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Masculine and sleek, the monochromatic kitchen boasts a backsplash of subway tiles and exposed piping that conceals lighting cables. 

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The walk-in wardrobe is the result of converting one of the bedrooms for this purpose. 

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Kelvin toned down the decorative elements in the bedroom and utilised a quiet and even palette to create a restful sanctuary. Renovation took nine months and cost $82,000, not including furnishings and fixtures.