Imagine a raw industrial home interior, one that captures all the patina and rough textures of concrete and rebar within an HDB. Now picture a home inspired by a zombie apocalypse, infused with a heavy dose of millennial nerd culture icons—this is the essence of a $70K post-apocalyptic HDB reno in Canberra.
Looking like it could easily be the set of a local Walking Dead-style show, this home blends an unapologetic personality, upcycled materials, and a surprising amount of practical features into a truly unique home renovation—a perfect inspiration for those looking to break free from the typical cookie-cutter HDB design.
Post-apocalyptic underground bunker aesthetic
Image credit: Er Studio
A defining feature of this home would have to be the abundant use of concrete and cement screed. But, what sets it apart from the usual brutalist-style home is how they’ve handled the textures here. Some walls are smooth, while others, such as the structural beams, have been given an additional plaster treatment to create that rough-hewn look.
Rebar extends out from the dining table, further adding to the already rich textures found in this home. When asked, the homeowners said it’s actually not at all uncomfortable to walk over the resulting metal bumps; they quickly got used to it after moving in.
Image credit: Er Studio
The DIY shoe rack by the entrance is one of many examples where the homeowners creatively sourced for materials on a budget. It is made with surplus PVC pipes sourced from a construction site, which the homeowner sawed and kept them together in a hexagonal shape with a ratchet tie.
Image credit: Er Studio
The home leans heavily into the post-apocalyptic theme, heavily utilising repurposed material such as wooden palettes used to lift up the sofa and old metal barrels functioning as a coffee table.
Image credit: Er Studio
The homeowners work as a safety inspector and engineer, and these occupations have served to influence the design of the home as well. This goes beyond just the industrial-inspired red cabling that lines the walls and ceiling; they’ve also installed an emergency stop button specifically as a switch for their home projector.
As part of the post-apocalyptic theme, the homeowners purchased a metal feature wall art from Etsy to complement the zombie-themed video game series Resident Evil logo done by graffiti artist Slac Satu.
Another graffiti by Slac Satu
Image credit: Er Studio
A unique fire extinguisher dining table with indoor herb garden
Image credit: Er Studio
They’ve carried the grungy, industrial-oriented design into the dining area, with a cable tray overhead that looks as fitting here as it would in a factory. The dining table, fashioned from a fire extinguisher cabinet, serves as an eye-catching custom piece, doubling as a fun focal point and conversation starter.
While weathered materials play a significant role in creating the aesthetic, they have also led to unexpected savings for the homeowners. For example, the yellow dining chairs were purchased from a shop that was closing down. They managed to get 20 chairs for just $200, which were then de-rusted and varnished to preserve their patina.
There are other aspects of the homeowner’s lives that shine through here too, such as the caged ship lamps lining the cable tray as an homage to the homeowner’s stint in the navy. These are paired with beautifully distressed copper lamps hanging above the dining table, which were bought in Hong Kong for about $250 apiece.
Image credit: Er Studio
Image credit: Er Studio
Facing it is a shelving area made entirely out of old, heavily distressed wood. The feature was originally envisioned as a small herb garden complete with grow lights, but the homeowners eventually used it as storage.
In addition to being much cheaper than buying brand-new materials, the use of heavily distressed wood, like that used here, makes replacements easy and inexpensive when needed.
Image credit: Er Studio
Compact but functional steel kitchen
Image credit: Er Studio
The kitchen itself is surprisingly minimalist, once you look past the heavy textures of the cement screed and the vibrant colours of the plumbing and cables.
The homeowner believes in keeping everything visible, as cabinets can encourage hiding items out of sight, which often leads to them being unused. Similarly, the extensive use of stainless steel is not just a stylistic choice but also a practical one, selected for its antibacterial properties, making it an ideal material for the kitchen.
Image credit: Er Studio
Industrial toilet out of resident evil
Image credit: Er Studio
This home comes with a unique bathroom entrance design, with a working alarm light for letting people know that someone is inside. This decision, amusingly, is borne out of the homeowner’s experiences living in their previous home.
They had a few too many incidents of people hurriedly trying to open the bathroom door without knowing that it was already occupied, resulting in the locks frequently breaking.
Image credit: Er Studio
A noticeable feature is the fact that the original doorway leading to the bedroom was hacked away, resulting in a distinct outline of raw concrete left behind by the door. This was kept by the homeowner as it felt like it matched the theme of the home and added to its overall grungy character.
Image credit: Er Studio
Bedroom behind a hidden door
Image adapted from: Er Studio
Like all secret underground bunkers in comics and stories, there needs to be an even more secretive private chamber. And so, the mural of the couple isn’t just a wall, but rather the secret entrance to their bedroom.
Image adapted from: Er Studio
The bedroom still has all of the hallmarks of the raw industrial vibe that the rest of this post-apocalyptic HDB reno embodies, but the rough, decidedly masculine exterior is noticeably softened with sheer fabric forming a canopy around the bed. The metal pipe shelf, built for $1K, continues the same everything-on-display philosophy seen in the kitchen design.
The door also doubles as a shelf.
Image adapted from: Er Studio
Office study that doubles as an “armoury”
Image credit: Er Studio
Jokingly referred to as the “armoury”, the office study in this post-apocalyptic HDB reno is as much a workspace for the couple as much as it is a hobby area. Red accents from the furniture used here complement the giant red cabinet, which itself evokes the look of cabinets for fire hoses.
Image credit: Er Studio
Inside the cabinets are archery equipment, storing the bows that the homeowners bring on hunting trips out in Australia.
A $70K post-apocalyptic raw industrial HDB reno
The ambitious renovation process led the homeowner to consult with 15 to 20 different interior designers before finding the one who truly aligned with the vision for the home. He feels deeply grateful to have worked with someone who adhered strictly to the design concept that was set out.
For those of you with similarly bold plans for your next home renovation, consider seeking out an interior designer who is willing to bring your ideas to life as closely as you envision them.
Read more articles here:
- A spacious ryokan-inspired resale flat in Tampines
- A multi-split level minimalist home with lush indoor gardens
- An interior designer’s $130K 5-room HDB resale flat renovation
Cover image adapted from: Er Studio
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