keeping things raw

The homeowners’ love of natural materials guided the transformation of this 46-year-old flat.

- BALVINDER SANDHU

it can be tough to move into an old home and make it your own – especially one that is 46 years old and has never been renovated before. But the couple who owns this flat was determined to turn it into a space that they were comfortable in and could also change easily in the near future.

“Our three-room HDB flat was built in the 1970s; it needed a renovation as there were cracks in the old terrazzo flooring, carpentry that needed to be overhauled and walls that needed to be plastered over,” they share. “We were set on this home being our forever home and thus it needed a massive reset.”

They worked with Roy Zhuang and Edmund Yap from Insight.Out Studio, giving them the following keywords as a guide – ‘warm’, ‘raw’ and ‘natural materials’. “We didn’t want a style that was too specific and mainly picked design elements that were to our taste. We avoided picking a particular theme so that we could easily redecorate our home if and when our design preferences change,” they add.

The refreshed look is clear as soon as you walk through the pink front door. The design team chose this unique colour for the home’s entrance because it contrasts with other paint colours in the house. It also blends in with the home’s overall vibe.