‘Lazy minimalist’ flat a forever home for finance executive assistant and her hobbies

SINGAPORE – When executive assistant Catherine was hunting for a new home, an important criterion was that it must be near her mother’s place.

Catherine – who is in her 50s, works in finance and did not give her full name – viewed only three flats before finding the one she wanted.

“This is not my first home, but it will be my last,” she says of the 904 sq ft HDB flat in Hougang.

Her brief to senior interior designer Johnson Ng from Happe Design Atelier included future-proofing the flat, should mobility become an issue in her later years.

“We levelled all the floors for a seamless flow and to minimise tripping hazards,” says Mr Ng.

The four-room flat’s semi-open concept gives Catherine – who describes herself as a “lazy minimalist” – space for everything she needs for her favourite hobbies: her erhu (Chinese stringed instrument), vinyl collection and automatic mahjong table.

The main entrance was repositioned to enclose the former access balcony and create a foyer, with a new wall added nearby to conceal the distribution board box. Windows on one side give the foyer a bright, welcoming feel. Beneath these is a simple low cabinet for her shoes.

A wall by the foyer, complete with LED light strips, defines the path to the minimally furnished living area and gives Catherine space to display her favourite pieces of art. Across from this is a long sofa that spans the length of the living area’s windows.

Catherine had a bedroom by the kitchen removed to create a new dining area, along with a sleek, minimal open kitchen – perfect for her needs, as she seldom cooks. The kitchen island, with its open shelves, is a natural focal point for the space, wrapped around a structural column that could not be removed.

The master bedroom has been split into two zones: a sleeping area and a dressing area with an en-suite bathroom. The spaces are designed around her daily routine, from entering through the concealed door to showering, dressing and resting. The dressing area connects the sleeping zone and bathroom, with the wardrobe doubling as a headboard for the bed.

The expanded master bathroom has a vanity counter and basin. This bathroom was designed with the same minimalist philosophy as the rest of the flat, says Mr Ng. “It features soft, ambient lighting and clean, streamlined details to evoke a calm, spa-like atmosphere.”

The renovation cost about $111,000 and took about four months to complete, and Catherine moved into her forever home in May 2025.