“Minimalist” and “5-room HDB” aren’t exactly words you’d expect to see together. Go too bare in a large home, and you risk it looking cold and sterile rather than calm and inviting.
But even in her spacious, roughly 1,200sqft 5-room BTO, content creator Zina Ng proves that minimalism doesn’t have to come at the expense of warmth or personality.
Rather than keeping the standard layout, Zina reconfigured the space to suit how she actually lives: the front bedroom became a study, while the second bedroom and master bedroom were combined into one large bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe.
From replacing feature walls with living trees to turning an ordinary storage heater trunking into a design feature, here are 6 details we love from her home.
1. Separating spaces using plants & not masonry
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
Most HDB homeowners rely on partitions, half walls, or even different flooring materials to distinguish their foyer from the rest of the home. Zina adopted a more fluid approach.
Right from the entrance, the bomb shelter door is integrated into a curved wall, with additional carpentry concealing it and blending it into its surroundings. These gentle curves repeat throughout the home, creating a natural flow that guides you from one space to the next.
Image credit: @theyanzipalace via Instagram
Zina uses smart placement of plants to mark transitions. A tall Japanese black pine sits within the curved alcove, clearly demarcating the entrance from the living area without adding a full wall.
The choice of plant is also deliberate, bringing a sense of tranquillity and zen that fits right into the space’s creamy wabi-sabi aesthetic.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
That same idea carries into the living room, where the tree becomes part of a feature wall that draws attention to the TV area while introducing a touch of nature.
The TV is mounted flush against the wall, and built-in cabinetry runs along its length, neatly combining storage and display. The single tall tree adds a natural focal point against it.
Paired with the neutral colour palette, it creates a calm, Japandi-inspired aesthetic without relying on decorative finishes. Large, sheer window curtains complete the look, diffusing sunlight throughout the room and enhancing its sense of openness and spaciousness.
2. Living room that turns into a conversation pit
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
The living room maintains the same calm, pared-back look, but the modular couch is what gives the space its soft, inviting appeal.
Rather than a single fixed sofa, the seating is made up of one large sofa body and a moveable “ottoman” that can also be connected to make the sofa longer than its original length. Even the sofa backing, which is magnetic, can be moved around for total flexibility.
Push the modules together to create a cosy “bed” setup for movie nights or family gatherings, or separate and arrange differently when more personal space is required.
The room’s soft ambience is finished off with ripple fold curtains from Everyday Curtains, which diffuse light while keeping the space feeling airy.
The muted, ‘plain’ colour palette running throughout was something Zina and her husband knew they wanted even before they bought the house. This was a shared vision that shaped every decision from the flooring to the furniture.
3. A custom kitchen island with an extendable dining table
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
Like the living room, the dining area prioritises flexibility over permanent bulky furniture or built-in fixtures.
For everyday use, the dining table stays compact, so it doesn’t take up unnecessary floor space. When family or friends come over, the tabletop can be extended to seat more people without any additional furniture.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
The dining table is combined with a slightly elevated kitchen island, creating a streamlined setup that still looks neat when not in use. The tabletop itself is finished in travertine stone, which is heat-resistant, so that hot pots and pans can go straight onto the surface without worry.
A lock beneath the island keeps the table in place, whether extended or retracted, so it doesn’t shift during daily meals or when pulled out for guests.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
The same material used for the kitchen island extends to the countertop and backsplash, creating a cohesive look throughout the space.
It’s a functional choice as much as an aesthetic one, because the surface is durable enough to double as a cutting board, so you’d be able to chop directly on it without needing a separate board.
Zina’s kitchen also features a Samsung induction hob in white, with a slim, minimalist design that blends seamlessly into the countertop rather than standing out as a separate appliance.
Beyond the look, it comes with practical touches like Dual Flex Zone cooking and Wi-Fi connectivity through the SmartThings app, so she can monitor the hob remotely, all while keeping the kitchen’s clean, cohesive aesthetic intact.
4. Pantry feature wall that conceals the storage heater trunking
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
A recurring theme throughout Zina’s home is making every inch count, and that is most evident in the pantry.
Built along the wall between the kitchen and service yard, a long countertop creates the dedicated pantry zone. Full-length cabinetry beneath keeps appliances and kitchen essentials tucked neatly away, maintaining the home’s clutter-free aesthetic.
Zina also hacked the service yard door and fitted the window with wabi-sabi-style roller blinds. Beyond matching the home’s overall aesthetic, the blinds let in a soft, diffused light, keeping the pantry zone bright without harsh glare.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
When entertaining, the pantry also serves as a self-service station where guests can help themselves to snacks and drinks, with the water dispenser conveniently located there.
The built-in setup also frees up valuable countertop space in the main kitchen, keeping the cooking area clear during gatherings.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
The open shelving above the pantry isn’t just for display, either. Besides providing space for decorative objects, it further conceals the built-in cabinet housing the storage heater, making it look like part of the pantry’s design rather than an obvious utility enclosure.
The feature wall also shifts the focus away from the service yard, making the pantry the focal point instead.
The mix of open shelving and concealed carpentry also prevents the wall from feeling too bulky, providing a balance between display space and hidden storage.
5. His & hers gaming room with streamer vibes
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
This is very much a those-that-get-it-get-it moment: some people might be sceptical of a gaming room like this, worrying it ruins the whole vibe of the house, but real gamers know that a dedicated setup is essential for the optimum gaming experience.
Instead of squeezing gaming setups into the bedroom or living room, Zina carved out a separate room with two desks placed side by side. Each setup has its own monitor, chair and accessories, making it a proper his-and-hers gaming corner rather than a makeshift workstation.
The room is finished with ambient LED lighting, which gives it a more immersive, streamer-style look. With all the screens, it can even be used as a work-from-home space.
6. Open-concept walk-in wardrobe with a faux skylight
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
Instead of keeping the second bedroom as is, Zina hacked out a curved entrance from the master bedroom to create an open walk-in wardrobe connected directly to it.
A built-in vanity sits in front of the window to maximise natural daylight, while an almost full-ceiling faux skylight provides softly diffused light throughout the room.
Image credit: Zina Ng via YouTube
The lighting can also be adjusted, making it useful whether she’s filming content or simply getting ready in the morning.
The custom wardrobe features angled carpentry instead of conventional straight-lined cabinets, allowing for easier access and increased storage space while echoing the home’s emphasis on space and flow.
Zina Ng’s 5-room BTO flat renovation
Every space in Zina’s home has been planned around the way she and her husband actually live. Whether it’s the dedicated gaming room or the dining table that can be transformed to accommodate more guests, this minimalist home maximises utility.
Zina has used minimalism to solve practical needs in the home. These choices show that a pared-back home can still work hard for the people living in it, balancing comfort, flexibility, and day-to-day convenience without adding unnecessary bulk.
Read our other home renovation articles here:
- Nicole Chang Min & James Seah’s hanok-inspired HDB flat
- $65K Mid-Century Modern man cave 3-room resale renovation
- $120K Muji showroom 5-room HDB flat
- Charlie Goh’s $120K 4-room condo renovation
Cover image adapted from: @theyanzipalace via Instagram Zina Ng via YouTube
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