The Chic Home: Antique-infused aesthetic for bachelorette’s Bukit Batok HDB flat

SINGAPORE – Home owner T.C. Tan bought this 786 sq ft, two-bedroom resale Housing Board flat in Bukit Batok for its proximity to her parents’ residence in Choa Chu Kang.

Ms Tan – who is in her 40s and an administrator in the education sector – brought in freelance interior designer Yichun Lee and a contractor to realise her vision: a colonial-era look inspired by Raffles Hotel Singapore and Seven Terraces in Penang.

The flat was almost 30 years old when Ms Tan bought it. It had a long, rectangular layout in which the two bedrooms ran parallel to the living space and the kitchen, with a storeroom separating them.

After renovating the place – it cost $55,000, excluding fixtures – she moved into the flat in December 2014 and spent the following years perfecting it.

The front door is reminiscent of a black-and-white bungalow with its dark-stained timber steps, oversized planter and scissors-style metal gate. Entering the flat, visitors are greeted by antique furniture and black-and-white accessories.

Ms Tan curated the architectural details and fittings herself, including the doorknobs, wrought-iron window grille and the retro-inspired filigree above the doors, which she ordered from Taobao.

Throughout the home, white walls contrast nicely with the darker flooring. The lower half of the walls features wainscoting detail, while the upper half is dedicated to decorations. Classic art, an old-world map, travel souvenirs and plush textures like velvet, woven jute, sheer curtains and faux fur add charm to the living room.

Ms Tan removed the old storeroom, and replaced it with storage walls in the kitchen and an L-shaped banquette bench with a storage base, enlarging the dining room and giving it a cosy look.

One bedroom has been converted into a study that would not look out of place in a television show set in the Regency era.

It features chinoiserie wallpaper and pastel-coloured furniture, including a pink scalloped chair and a blue bookcase with brass hardware. The plywood dollhouse is an old find from Cotton On Kids and the solid wood desk is from Taobao.

“Sometimes, you just need to wait for the right pieces that speak to you,” says Ms Tan. “I’m not sure it is possible to fully furnish a home within a few weeks. But that’s part of the fun, to curate and contemplate how a single accessory can change the look and feel of a space.”

She brought over a now-discontinued Ikea four-poster bed frame from her childhood home, which she has combined with an antique carpet, chandelier and mirrored night stands.

The crown jewel of the flat’s design is its large bathroom.

Accessible via a double door from the bedroom, it features a free-standing bathtub and hexagonal black-and-white mosaic tiles from Hafary. This was made possible by merging the bedroom’s en-suite bathroom with the adjacent common bathroom, which now hosts a shower and toilet area that is also accessible from the yard. 

Although Ms Tan is happy with her flat, she is playing with ideas such as replacing a wingback chair with a swing, or converting the common room into a gym or yoga studio. 

Her tips for home owners planning their renovation: “Start with a broad vision to get the main renovation and fixtures right, then take your time to outfit and furnish the space. It may take a few iterations to perfect the look – or, if you are like me, it is constantly a work in progress to refresh the space and keep it updated.”