Transform Your Home Into A Modern Farmhouse

Inspired by cosy Airbnb homes they once stayed in, this family transforms their home into a modern farmhouse.

- Isabelle Tow

Space 4-room HDB flat

Location Serangoon

Reno period Eight weeks

Home to A family of four

Budget $95K

Since the Covid pandemic hit, there has been a noticeable uptick in homes being remodelled in the image of favourite holiday destinations. Be it Parisian, Moroccan, or Balinese-inspired, during this extended drought of travel, people have been gravitating towards more personality-led interior styles as they spend the bulk of their time at home.

Partaking in the trend is this family of four whose home is a 4-room HDB flat in Serangoon. Wanting to enliven its tired, 30-year-old space, owners Eric and Michelle looked to the cosy Airbnb homes they had stayed in the past for inspiration. Designer Colette Tsai of The Interior Lab identified their favoured style as the modern farmhouse—laid-back interiors composed of neutral tones that combine sleek modern trappings in a country-inspired setting.

Before a drop of paint could touch the walls, however, the layout of the home needed to first be reconfigured. Since open communal spaces are a key feature of the modern farmhouse, the designer deemed it imperative to recreate this in the home. Once relegated to the south-west corner of the flat, the living room is now at the literal heart of the home, sharing the space with a fully open-concept kitchen.