Singapore celebrity stylist Neo Li Rong’s minimalist HDB flat

SINGAPORE – Fashion stylist Neo Li Rong likes trying new things. In the 38-year-old’s words: “I can be Balenciaga one day and very clean-girl the next.”

The Singaporean, whose clients include home-grown singer JJ Lin and Malaysia-born actress Jesseca Liu, did not hire an interior design firm to overhaul her four-room HDB flat in Marine Drive.

Instead, she got a contractor from Kim Teng Furniture to install custom cabinetry and bought the furniture from online shopping platform Taobao.

The serene, minimalist design of the 947 sq ft unit evokes the style of American reality television star Kim Kardashian and her family. “I want to have a minimalist life. I do not want a lot of things. Less luxury, more cool.”

The flat originally had just one bathroom. Ms Neo had the three bedrooms converted into two and added a second bathroom. Apart from the master bedroom, the guest room doubles as a workspace, filled with clothes and styling props.

She chose a silver-and-white palette to create the illusion of a larger space, with chrome finishes and trimmings. The door to the common bathroom, for instance, is in chrome laminate. The walls are painted in the Sail White shade from Nippon Paint Odourless.

“Buy furniture you can take out and move with,” she says. “Some of my cupboards are from Ikea.”

The living area and foyer are the first spaces guests see when they enter. At the foyer is a boxy shelving unit lined with luxury items like perfume bottles and handbags.

Like the rest of the home, the living area is decked out in pale tones, with textures to create balance. The plush On the Rocks sofa from Italian brand Edra contrasts with the tiles from Singapore supplier Hafary. Instead of a conventional television, Ms Neo uses a projector to save space.

“I had a hard time finding the right sofa, as I wanted it to be a centrepiece,” she says. “You have either a coffee table or sofa as a centrepiece, so I went with the sofa.”

In front of the sofa are the doors to the bedrooms. Behind it is a custom plywood storage unit with an off-white laminate finish by Kim Teng Furniture, the cabinet’s curves adding softness to the space.

Ms Neo ditched a conventional kitchen layout, as she rarely cooks. She went with an open-concept space and a 5m-long island with a sintered-stone slab. The island extends into a dining table that doubles as a workspace – a standout spot with its mismatched chairs.

Beneath the island’s surface are built-in cupboards, dishwasher, microwave, air fryer and coffee machine. The stove is integrated into the countertop. There are no hanging lights and the fridge is curtained off.

“HDB ceilings are pretty low. I didn’t want anything on the ceiling, so I got a built-in island,” she says. “I just press a button and my hob comes up.”

The master bedroom is uncluttered and devoid of unnecessary furniture. The queen-size bed and base are from Taobao and topped with silk sheets. On both sides of the bed are floor-to-ceiling pendant light fixtures that resemble conical sun hats.

Ms Neo chose a fluted-glass panel for her master bathroom, as it is easy to maintain. “If it’s clear glass, you need to clean up the water and condensation every time. This is more practical. I’ve got a robot to do all the other cleaning.”

As a final tip, she reiterates the importance of waterproofing tests in the bathrooms.

“I wanted cement tiles, but after I purchased them, I realised they easily absorb water,” she says. “I did the tile selection on my own, but I wish I had left it to the professionals.”