In an era where wabi sabi and Japandi homes dominate, it’s rare to come across a vibrant interior that breaks convention. Tucked away in Tampines Street 42, this 4-room HDB flat is one such gem that breaks all the rules of minimalism and embraces the bold beauty of maximalism.
Here’s what we love about the $80K reno by interior designer Jade from Knock Knock Studio:
Colourful, maximalist open-concept home with obvious room borders
Image credit: Knock Knock Studio
“Happy, funky, bright, cheery but still functional in all aspects.” was what came up when we asked the homeowners about the inspiration behind their home’s reno. Aside from a non-negotiable request for copious amounts of storage, the homeowners left most of the design process in the hands of Jade, their ID, to work her magic.
Image credit: Knock Knock Studio
The end result is a super quirky home that marries both old-school and new-age design elements. Not only is every door in the flat painted a striking colour, but the colour choices for both their built-in carpentry and their furniture give the home playful and young vibes.
Image credit: Knock Knock Studio
We’ve seen a lot of open-concept homes to date, but we seldom see homes that present us with something other than a very seamless homogenous design. In a gutsy move, these homeowners not only preserved, but highlighted the existence of the flat’s old room layout with colourful, prominent borders and different floor tiles.
This was also a purposeful move to mask portions of the original flooring that got damaged in the process of hacking. Image credit: Knock Knock Studio
Peachy pink, polished terrazzo dominates the living and dining room, where square terracotta tiles rule in the kitchen, demarcated by a fine line of blue and white mosaic tiles to add an extra bit of quirkiness to the home.
Wes Anderson-esque bathrooms
Image credit: Knock Knock Studio
The eclectic design doesn’t end there. Over in the master bathroom, it’s full-on Wes Anderson vibes with a palette of saturated colours and clean lines. The use of two contrasting tile colours and pink grout adds to the whimsical vibes, making the bathroom one that you wouldn’t be surprised to find in a funky boutique hotel.
Another notable highlight of the bathroom is its Tangerine orange ceiling that really takes the look from 0 to 100 – a spontaneous suggestion from Jade which the homeowners were happy to roll with.
Image credit: Knock Knock Studios
Though slightly more muted, the common bathroom doesn’t disappoint either with its striking blue ceiling, blue grout lines, and accent mirror. The choice of incorporating visible chrome pipes and shower fixtures add to the old-school appeal of the flat.
Novelty items and other decorative paraphernalia
Image credit: Knock Knock Studios
And while the home colour palette alone is grounds enough to classify it an eclectic wonderland, their collection of decorative paraphernalia is a natural conversation starter. Where did they source that enormous watch and those airplane seats?
Jade revealed that most of the items such as the Swatch Watch were sourced from Carousell and second-hand shops on Instagram. And as for the airplane seats, the homeowners had managed to procure them from a work shoot and lugged them home a whole year before they even purchased this home.
Cute kitchen with retro vibes
Image credit: Knock Knock Studios
Before diving into the design process, the homeowners carefully considered their requirements for their dream kitchen.
Their wish list included:
- A spacious island with seating
- Coloured grout for the backsplash
- A non-marble countertop
- Space for an induction cooker, oven, and water dispenser
- Ample prep space and ample storage
And while they had to forgo certain things such as a cooker hood, the outcome is truly something that ticks most of their boxes. The vibrant coloured cabinets and their contrasting handles, reminiscent of a retro home, add a touch of uniqueness seldom seen in modern homes.
The addition of green metal lockers also help to bring an enchanting old-school charm to the kitchen while providing extra storage space.
An $80K maximalist HDB renovation in Tampines
This avant basic $80k home renovation is proof that not all HDB flats are carbon copies of each other, and with the right ID, you can easily transform your space into a vibrant one that mirrors your personality.
Jade’s tasteful experimentation with maximalist design has resulted in a bold dose of eclecticism, making every corner of this HDB flat unique in its own way.
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Cover image from: Knock Knock Studio
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