Modern nostalgia

Lecturer's modest but elegant HDB flat is a celebration of her family's heritage and childhood home

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The owner of this four-room Sunset Way resale HDB flat lived in it for nearly two decades before deciding to renovate in 2024.

An educator who goes only by Ms Mush, she spruced up the 1,120 sq ft unit with keepsakes and gifts from her late parents, as well as her personal touch: a growing collection of cheeseboards. The space is shared with three cats and a helper.

When she moved into the place in 2006, she did not do much due to budget constraints, she says. She kept the terrazzo flooring and spent money only on essentials like rewiring. It was only in 2024, after her mother's passing and the sale of their 50-year-old family home, that she decided it was time for an overhaul - in a way that would remind her of her former home.

This became the guideline for the months-long renovation by AR-Kee Design Studio, which cost Ms Mush $130,000. She collaborated with a young architect introduced by a fellow lecturer.

The result is a deeply personal space that defies trend or template. Though some have casually described the home as "Peranakan", Ms Mush is quick to correct this. Her heritage, she says, blends Thai, Indonesian and Singapore Malay roots.