The Chic Home: Peranakan details elevate Bedok Reservoir HDB flat

SINGAPORE – When it came to designing her HDB flat, interior designer Verena Lim from home-grown studio Resistance followed the mantra: “Go big or go home.”

The 33-year-old took the opportunity to try daring colours and ideas that might not be so easily accepted by her clients.

“As a Peranakan, colours are very important to me. I like vibrant colours and loud, exciting spaces. However, they can be overwhelming, so I incorporated relaxing hues such as limewashed walls and ceiling, neutral light grey floor tiles, and wood and rattan wardrobes,” she says.

“With a client’s home, the objective is clearer because you generate ideas based on their preferences and concepts. With my own home, I am bursting with ideas, and there are so many things that I want to try out and play with that I can confuse myself at times.

“There is no one to tell me whether he or she prefers this or that,” she adds.

The 35-year-old five-room flat of 1,367 sq ft was in its original condition, save for a Home Improvement Programme that was carried out by the Housing Board for the bathrooms a few years ago.

The entrance foyer creates an impact from the get-go with floral Peranakan tiles and a pop of blue on the walls. Glass blocks screen off the interior of the home, which Ms Lim shares with her 34-year-old husband Renda Teen, a digital marketing specialist.

The glass block wall offers privacy without blocking off the light entirely and gives off vintage vibes. A circular, porthole-like opening offers a glimpse into the kitchen on the other side of the foyer wall.

“I did not want a run-of-the-mill entrance foyer with a regular shoe cabinet, so I designed an origami cabinet with different angles and used raw, solid ply for the doors to achieve that organic look with ‘kueh lapis’ lines,” she says.

Inserting an airwell in the heart of the home was a bold move that brightened up the interior and gave the flat a tranquil and soothing quality.

The living area feels airy and spacious, even though it is slightly smaller as a result of enlarging the adjacent balcony for the couple to chill out or host friends and family.

The space also houses a gym, with equipment in a wood casing that complements the cane furniture on the balcony.

The sense of bringing nature into the home is further heightened by using full-height glass doors that blur the boundaries between the balcony, the living room and the rest of the flat.

A large table from Island Living, made from solid natural wood painted in black, takes centre stage in the dining area.

“We enjoy using natural things, and appreciate their crevices, indents and imperfections over something that is deliberately made to appear flawless,” says Ms Lim.

A customised dark green sideboard cabinet from ipse ipsa ipsum reflects this ethos with its vegetable-dyed bamboo that produces an irregular green tone. On the walls is an eclectic mix of art in a colourful retro style.

For the kitchen, Ms Lim chose a bright yellow laminate that captures the energy and movement of the space.

“We were inspired by old European kitchens,” she says. Rounded cabinet door edges help to soften the overall look and feel.

Juxtaposed against the yellow hue are Peranakan floor tiles and Japanese earthquake-proof wall tiles used to clad the exterior of buildings in Japan.

Unlike the rest of the home, the master bedroom was intended to be a more restful space with a toned-down palette and plenty of wood. The use of rattan in the wardrobe doors reinforces the Balinese look while allowing ventilation for the clothes.

In the bathrooms, dark green concave wall tiles that resemble bamboo are teamed with iridescent white Japanese tiles that help to balance the composition. The hand-painted washbasin adds a rustic contrast to the smooth and shiny tiled surfaces.

The couple moved into their home in May 2023 after a four-month renovation that cost about $170,000, excluding furniture and appliances.