If you think you have to compromise style for practicality when it comes to adopting minimalist designs, think again. We’ve chanced upon a home in Serangoon which proves that all-white minimalist homes need not be boring.
With practicality, functionality and a kid-friendly space in mind, Winnie and her husband worked with Majestic Construction Engrg to turn their HDB flat in Serangoon into a beautiful minimalist dream. Here’s a peek into the family’s stylish $80,000 renovated abode.
All-white theme with hints of pastel pink
Once you step through the front doors of the home, you’ll be struck by how bright and airy the entire place seems. The home opens up into a white-washed living room that appears tidy and neat without feeling too sterile.
Plenty of natural light streams through the big living room windows. But when the homeowners want to dial it down, they can easily go into shade thanks to their cream-coloured roman blinds.
Thanks to the hanging indoor plants, wooden photo frames and cream furnishings, you’re immersed in a warm and cosy atmosphere. With the goal of making their home as kid-friendly as possible, Winnie and her husband made sure to design a space that would be hazard-free. They kept all electrical wirings hidden and moved all breakables out of reach from their young children.
At the same time, adopting the minimalist approach also meant that they would be keeping plenty of floor space free for their kids to roam around in the comfort of their home.
Instead of your run-off-the-mill shelving, the home owners opted for wall niches to keep in line with their minimalist vision. Not only does it provide ample room for storage, these carved out pockets of space instantly elevate the room’s design in a subtle way without imposing without too much clutter.
Hidden rooms with minimalist panels
At first glance, there’s nothing extraordinary about the white panelled walls opposite the living room couch.
However, a closer look begs to differ. Below the television, the feature wall features mesh panels which conceal the family’s gadgets and TV wires. And if you push on the other panelled walls lightly, they’ll pop out and open to reveal “secret” rooms in the house.
The homeowners have stealthily concealed their kids’ bedroom and the master bedroom within the panelled feature wall. Not only does this create more visual coherency, having doors which pop open outwards instead of inwards allow the owners to fully maximise the space in the bedrooms.
Even better, this prevents curious guests from wandering into their personal spaces when they’re over, guaranteeing the homeowners a tonne of privacy.
Neutral, soothing bedrooms
In the sleeping quarters, the rooms retain a neutral colour palette but also feature wooden elements at the same time. The rattan accented nightstands and the pendulum nightlights work well to add a boho chic element to the room. The scallop-edged, light wood headboard also softens the overall look of the bedroom creating a focal point that ties into the whole neutral, clean theme.
Thanks to the outward-opening design of their bedroom door, Winnie and her husband had more room to install a large closet spanning the entire length of their bedroom. Winnie was particularly ecstatic as this new storage space is bigger than the one at their previous home.
Not to mention, the light brown tone of the built-in carpentry adds warmth to the place, making it more inviting.
Step into the kids’ bedroom and you’re greeted with a calming array of neutral and pastel-pink hues. The spotted wallpaper injects a bit of fun and flair to the room’s design, which is fitting for the owners’ young daughters.
The furnishing and layout of this room lean on the side of a Scandinavian design. Large open windows allow an abundance of sunlight to flood the room, brightening up the area. There’s also next to no clutter in sight so the minimalist atmosphere the owners were going for really shines through.
Bathroom with scallop wall designs
Keeping in line with the scallop pattern theme, the master bathroom is decked out in varying hues of blush-coloured scallop tiles at the bottom wall and plain white tiles at the top. This creates the illusion of a bigger space. At the same time, the scallop detail adds a pop colour to the room and reminds us of an underwater mermaid-themed bathroom.
Plus, the gold accents and showerhead give the bathroom an atas feel to it.
Cosy kitchen and dining area with rattan elements
The dining nook in this home emanates a quaint Balinese cafe vibe with its handcrafted dining table and custom chairs and settee. The wood slats on the table base and rattan detailing on the wooden chairs and floating bench work well together to create a cosy bohemian aesthetic. Simultaneously, the modern pendant lighting above the dining table provides character to the place without overpowering the rest of the decor.
Take notice of the rounded edges of the dining set as opposed to regular sharp ones; this kid-friendly feature was specifically designed with the couple’s young children in mind as well. Good news is that it minimises the risk of any unwanted A&E visits.
The quartz kitchen countertop and light wood laminates used for the cabinets give the entire place a clean and crisp look. The marble backsplash on the kitchen wall creates dimension to the area, providing a luxe feel to the kitchen. While the seamless cabinets without handles accentuate the home’s minimalist theme, the floating wooden shelves add a pop of colour to the place.
Partitioned nursery that was once part of the kitchen
The original kitchen was much bigger, but to make room for the latest addition to their family, Winnie and her husband turned a section of the kitchen into a nursery by building a wall to partition the two spaces.
This bedroom is your typical Scandi minimalist style, from the light colour palette right down to the baby’s crib. The room is mostly furnished with loose furniture so that Winnie and her husband will be able to change them as their child gets older.
Monochrome bathroom paying homage to their first home
The kitchen bathroom diverges from the neutral minimalist palette with its black details. However, this was done on purpose to pay homage to the couple’s previous home.
The theme in their first home centred on a black and white style so Winnie and her husband decided to bring a part of it into their newly renovated place. This was incorporated through the off-white kit kat wall tiles, dotted penny flooring tiles and black shower accents.
While the other other elements of the bathroom scream modern, the spotted mosaic tiling of their bathroom floor is reminiscent of a retro peranakan design. The contrast between vintage and modern adds character and dimension to the space.
A minimalistic, neutral-themed HDB in Serangoon
It’s clear that the homeowners of this beautiful minimalist kid-friendly home have put a lot of thought and effort into making their white-themed home aesthetic, interesting and functional. Their abode exudes clean, cosy and dreamy vibes from the styling right down to the furnishing.
For more design inspiration, check out:
- Muji-themed homes
- 3-room HDB flat renovations under $40K
- Featured Home: Bali-inspired home
- Featured Home: Parisian-themed resale condo
Photography by Doreen Fan.
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