Owning a landed house is a lofty goal for many, and it’s something that Raymond and his wife finally achieved after years of living in condos and HDB flats. What made this real estate upgrade all the sweeter was that Raymond is the founder of the interior design firm Free Space Intent, and this was his opportunity to design his first and his own landed home.
@uchify.sg As though a party villa in Bali ✨🕺💃 Total reno cost: $750K 🔗link in bio for the full feature🔗 #sghome #hometour #sgreno #landedhome #interiordesign #tiktoksg #fyp
A $750K landed home reno
When approaching the design of his new home, Raymond followed the adage of “happy wife, happy life”. She wanted a break from all the colourful and retro themes of Raymond’s signature style.
Raymond and his wife.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
However, what they both shared was a passion to expand their garden, especially since they had a lot of space to play with in their new corner terrace unit. So they decided to go all in on that idea and turn their corner unit in Sengkang into a lush villa with tons of landscaping. Almost as though it belonged in Bali.
Since the house had good bones, they also didn’t need to completely rebuild the home. Instead, they spent around $750K refreshing the interior and exterior of the house so that it stayed cohesive with the neighbouring terraces but still remained unique.
Lush landscaping outdoors & an aquarium indoors
One of the perks of owning a corner terrace unit is the outdoor corridor that runs the length of the house from the front to the back. This was one of the main draws for Raymond and his wife, and they decided to fill this space with planters, hanging ferns, and tons of greenery.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
But to ensure that all the plants can be appreciated even from indoors, Raymond made one big transformation to the house: replacing the walls with glass windows and doors. This also brought tons of natural light into the house.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
Raymond and his wife’s green thumbs did not stop when they entered their home. A concept he emphasised during our chat was how he had always wanted to “bring the outdoors inside”. This was achieved not only with the landscaping outside but also with an aquarium in the middle of the house.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
The aquarium is parked right next to the live-edge dining table to demarcate the separation between the living and dining areas. However, the glass walls and foliage inside the aquarium also make the transition between the spaces feel not as defined, ensuring that the whole first floor feels like one big room.
Colour-changing LED lights for party vibes
Image credit: Free Space Intent
The thing about natural light is that it’s only available when the sun is up. As dusk falls, Raymond’s house turns into a vibrant space with a multitude of smart LED lights embedded into every nook and cranny.
Apart from the statement chandeliers hanging from the lofted ceiling, Raymond had LED strips from Vlux Lighting installed into coves halfway along the walls and along the ceilings. Their colours can also be changed at Raymond’s whim and the house can be transformed from a serene retreat in the day to a party house at night.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
But this doesn’t mean that every lighting fixture here is meant for the “vibes”. In the dining room, a series of floral-esque lamps that are same-same-but-different provide crucial task lighting so diners here don’t have to squint just to see if they’ve picked up a fork or a spoon.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
A man cave for him, and a bag closet for her
Image credit: Free Space Intent
With the amount of space available compared to their former flats and apartments, Raymond wanted to ensure he and his wife both have their separate spaces for their hobbies. For him, it’s a collection of figurines, collectibles, and vintage toys.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
His man cave is located on the second floor with a view that overlooks the living room downstairs. Each figurine has been given a spot in the glass cabinets lit up with LED strips so their every detail can be observed in clarity. He also has a collection of old records that can be played on his record player for the vibes.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
As for his wife, she wanted a space where she can display her own goodies, a.k.a. her collection of luxury designer bags. To do that, he carved out a mini loft in the master bedroom and designed a private space for his wife’s prized possessions.
For efficiency, the walk-in wardrobe and vanity are located at the bottom of the loft.
Forest-themed wallpaper in the bedrooms for a jungalow mood
Image credit: Free Space Intent
Adding to the whole aesthetic of bringing the outdoors into the interior of their home, Raymond outfitted the bedrooms with forest-themed wallpaper.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
Each bedroom was given a different wallpaper design to spruce things up, like you’re walking in a different part of the forest depending on which room you go to. Despite the difference in details, the bedrooms all had one thing in common: a half-green wall that made the house’s interior feel consistent.
Image credit: Free Space Intent
It also helped that Raymond’s son is a lover of the outdoors as well.
A landed house in Sengkang with Bali vibes
Image credit: Free Space Intent
We’ve seen a rising number of homeowners who have taken up the mantle to design their own HDB flats or condos. And then you have Raymond, an interior designer who had the privilege of being the creative mind behind his landed house in Sengkang, and his first one at that, too.
This came with a whole set of new challenges, requirements, and a budget that could renovate an ordinary HDB flat multiple times over; Raymond also told us that the final renovation cost ended up being 50% more than what they had initially budgeted for.
To ensure that they didn’t exceed a renovation cost of over 1 million dollars, Raymond and his wife had to compromise and balance out their needs and wants. But since they moved in back in November 2022, they have yet to have any regrets or complaints about their new digs. “It’s almost quite perfect for me!” Raymond said.
Check out other cool homes in Singapore:
- An HDB terrace house with a zen rock garden
- This $33M Sentosa Cove home looks like a Balinese resort
- Inside a multi-generational Good Class Bungalow
Cover image credit: Free Space Intent
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