For many new homeowners, skylights feel like the ultimate luxury—flooding a home with natural light and adding instant wow factor. The catch? A proper skylight system can easily set you back over a thousand dollars, putting it out of reach for most.
Instead of giving up on the idea, new homeowners Stephanie and her partner found an innovative solution to achieve their dream skylight cove for a fraction of the price. While a typical skylight system can cost up to $1,250 for a small light panel, they found a DIY fabric skylight on Taobao for just $70. Paired with false ceiling works, the entire feature came in under $1,500—turning what’s usually a big-ticket reno item into an affordable statement piece.
@stefaloos 🚨$70 not inclusive of led light strip and false ceiling!! #hdbrenovation #sgrenovation #sgreno #diy #homediy
Finding a fabric skylight from Taobao
Inspiration from Hafary.
Image credit: Stephanie
The initial inspiration struck when Stephanie and her partner visited Hafary’s showroom and spotted their huge skylight installation. Since big skylights are uncommon in HDBs, it felt like the perfect way to make their BTO stand out.
Image adapted from: @stefaloos
The 1.6m-wide skylight instantly elevates their home, making the ceiling look higher and flooding the dining area with light. Smart LED strips are fitted beneath the fabric tarp, flooding the space with adjustable light and recreating the skylight effect on a budget.
Before going the DIY route, they did explore professional options. As Stephanie explains, “We did look into specialised fabric skylight installers, but their systems need the false ceiling to be built in a very specific way. If your false ceiling contractor doesn’t prep it properly from the start, the end result wouldn’t look great. For example, some systems require a wooden frame hidden inside the curve just to mount the skylight.”
Eventually, they came across a signboard company on Taobao selling fabric skylights for $70. At a fraction of the costs quoted by local installers, affordability was the motivating factor for the couple.
Keeping the total cost under $1,500
| Item breakdown | Cost |
| 1.6m cove false ceiling done by contractor | $1,380 |
| 1.6m fabric skylight | $70 |
| Smart LED strips | $40 |
| Taobao shipping | $10 |
| Electrical (wiring & installation) | ~$80 per lighting point |
All in, their DIY version cost just under $1,500, including the skylight, false ceiling, lighting, and installation.
By comparison, going the professional installer route would have cost several thousand dollars. Local installers quoted upwards of $750 just for the skylight alone, not including extra works required to modify their curved ceiling.
DIY skylight process
1. False ceiling construction
Image adapted from: @stefaloos
The false ceiling contractor first built the cove structure with a 1.6m circular recess to house the skylight.
Tip from personal experience:
“Plan the false ceiling design early. Make sure your electrician and ceiling guys know you’re adding a skylight so they can leave enough space and wiring access.”
2. Electrical prep
Their electrician prepped the power points and wiring for the lights. As the skylight was placed right above their dining table, the couple decided to go with smart lights for more flexibility. With its versatility, they could easily switch between warm and cool lighting tones depending on the vibe.
Coordination turned out to be the biggest challenge of the entire DIY process. As Stephanie puts it, “False ceiling contractors and skylight installers are usually two different trades, and neither really knows how to handle the other’s work.” The couple had to step in as the middleman, ensuring everything aligned properly.
Tip from personal experience:
“Think about lighting tone. Warm light gives a softer, cosier feel, while cool light mimics daylight. Decide what vibe you want for the room before ordering the skylight.”
3. Ordering & installing the skylight
Image adapted from: @stefaloos
Once the fabric and circular aluminium skylight frame arrived from Taobao, they fitted it into the cove recess to install the light. The Taobao seller provided the aluminium frame and the fabric tarp—the frame was split into 3 separate parts for shipping that had to be reassembled during installation.
However, sizing turned out to be an unexpected challenge. Despite double-checking the measurements, there was a 5cm gap between the fabric and the recessed frame. Fortunately, it was an easy fix after trimming and adjusting.
Tip from personal experience:
“Measure properly before ordering. The skylight frame has to fit the cove precisely. If you’re unsure, you can always order the largest available frame and trim it down in Singapore—it’s easier to cut than to realise it’s too small.”
Building a cove skylight for under $1.5K
While it may sound intimidating at first, Stephanie reassures homeowners that DIY projects aren’t as daunting as they sound. With accurate measurements and coordination, installing a fabric skylight is a clear-cut process.
For under $1.5K, they achieved a fabric skylight that not only floods the room with light but also makes the ceiling look higher and the home feel more refined. It turned out to be a “totally worth it” purchase, showing how luxurious design elements like these don’t always have to be a hefty investment, with the help of DIY.
For more home DIY inspo, read these other articles:
- These homeowners spent only $6K renovating their 5-room integrated HDB flat
- This Singaporean DIYed all the arches in her home for less than $150
- How to transform your ugly HDB BTO toilet bowl into an atas one for less than $30
Cover image adapted from: @stefaloos
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