The Chic Home: Couple’s warm and earthy BTO flat in Tampines

SINGAPORE – After a five-year wait, Mr Nigel Yong, 32, and his wife Shairah Sidhu, 31, finally collected the keys to their four-room, 1,001 sq ft Build-To-Order flat in Tampines.

The couple – he is a marketing and communications manager at Volkswagen, while she is a social media manager at Singtel – engaged interior designer J.T. Wong from At.om Designs.

Their chosen “organic industrial” style looks sleek but feels warm, with earthy tones reminiscent of the baked clay used in ceramics and pottery.

Ms Wong incorporated raw textures and elements of nature, such as plants, to tie the look together.

The couple, who share the flat with their cat, wanted the master bedroom to be integrated with the adjacent bedroom to create separate sleeping and wardrobe areas within an enlarged master suite.

The new sleeping area is now entered through an archway that makes the space resemble a cave.

The bedroom next to the living area was removed to make way for a communal dining area, so the living and dining areas now appear as a single seamless zone, with the furniture arrangement and beams overhead visually dividing the space.

Mr Yong and Ms Shairah initially wanted full cement flooring throughout the flat, but eventually opted for cement tile flooring for a similar look without the maintenance issues.

Crossing the threshold, visitors are greeted by a wood-textured laminate feature wall with groove lines that conceal the door to the household shelter.

A few standout pieces of furniture and decor anchor the spaces.

Ms Shairah’s favourite is a colourful, framed print by Goa artist Richa Kashelkar. The artwork is placed on the floor, casually propped up against the dining area’s wall.

The two bathrooms have their own distinct designs.

The master bathroom features grey wall tiles with a subtle stone-like texture.

The bottom half of the common bathroom’s wall is cladded with glossy dark green tiles and cement screed on top to distinguish it from the rest of the home.

The couple moved into their new home in November 2021. The renovation took three to four months and cost about $42,000, with about $20,000 for furnishings, appliances and other decor.