Over the past year or so, we’ve been seeing more and more maximalist homes filled with colourful, eclectic decor with lots of personality. Yet, there’s something so comfortable about the familiar – minimalist homes with neutral colour palettes. An antithesis to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, minimalist homes serve as oases of calmness.
One local interior design firm that has perfected their minimalist game is Tidplus Design. Take a peek at their Instagram feed and you’ll find post after post of enviable homes that make us want to renovate our places, stat. Here are 5 dreamy Singaporean homes with neutral colour palettes that caught our eye.
1. Nurul Aini’s terraced house
Image credit: Tidplus Design
For us Singaporeans, Nurul Aini is a familiar face. The TV presenter and actress, who’s a mother of 3 kids, currently lives in a 3-storey terraced house. “They’re very experienced, and they know exactly what I want,” she says when asked why she chose Tidplus Design to design her home.
Despite being renovated in 2018, her house looks just as modern as the day it was completed. That’s the thing about minimalist homes – the timeless design doesn’t go out of style.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
As someone who cooks daily, Nurul wanted a kitchen that could be kept neat and tidy with minimal effort. Hence, she and her ID picked out white carpentry and a marble countertop that could be wiped down easily. It also served to brighten and open up the kitchen, which happened to be rather narrow compared to the rest of the house.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
One design tip we gleaned from Nurul Aini’s home is to have lots of built-in storage to hide away clutter. She shares a walk-in wardrobe with her husband, and her side of the room is partially lined with mirrored cupboards that open up to reveal a collection of clothes that could last one for multiple lifetimes.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Her husband’s side, however, has an open-concept cupboard since his sartorial choices are a little more pared back.
2. Melissa C Koh’s modern luxe farmhouse condo
Melissa C Koh, who started blogging at just 15 years old, is a staple in our local influencer scene. She’s known for her polished fashion sense and favours neutral colours in her outfits, and her distinct style is replicated in her home decor choices.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
In late 2021, Melissa and her family collected the keys to their current condo. They worked with IDs at Tidplus Design, who moved away from their usual monochrome look to incorporate softer tones of taupe and gold. Coupled with touches of rattan and warm wood, the end result was a part-modern luxe home with farmhouse elements.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
The bathroom is decorated with gold fixtures and marbled walls that transform a formerly utilitarian space into a dedicated one for relaxation.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Another key design point to note is the archway that visually separates the living room from the dining area. Arches have been making a comeback lately, and this is a timeless and elegant way of incorporating the trend into your home.
3. Airy HDB Resale 5-room with a barbershop
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Up until the last decade or so, when bigger windows started becoming the default, HDB flats were notorious for being gloomy. Since HDB windows were typically on the smaller side, it was difficult for natural light to stream into the flat.
That’s a problem that IDs have to tackle when overhauling older resale flats, and in this case, we were blown away by how Tidplus Design transformed a dingy 5-room resale flat in Jurong into a light-filled, open-concept living space. The liberal use of white was key in making the place look breezy and fresh.
Open-concept kitchen next to the entry foyer.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Upon stepping in, you’ll notice that the foyer is decorated with cheery Peranakan-style floor tiles, which sets the stage for the rest of the house. Lush plants line the entryway, welcoming visitors into the home.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
This resale flat came with a balcony, which was separated from the living room by a sliding door. Though nifty, it blocked off natural light and defeated the purpose of having a balcony. To counteract that, the sliding doors were taken down. And to take the open concept even further, the wall that separated the foyer from the kitchen was also taken down.
There’s even a waiting bench outside the home barbershop.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
To the right of the living room lies a unique barbershop decorated with a red brick feature wall and dark steel elements. The room feels distinctly masculine and separate from the rest of the house despite it only being partially enclosed. Yet, the barbershop doesn’t look out of place – in fact, the minimalism of the living room serves to anchor the maximalism of the workspace.
According to the homeowner Fadli, who has curly hair, it wasn’t easy finding a professional who knew how to work with his hair texture. Hence, he took matters into his own hands by picking up hairstyling and practising on willing family members.
His hard work soon paid off and, through word of mouth, what was once a hobby soon blossomed into a passion side project. In order to accommodate his growing clientele, Fadli converted one room in his resale flat into his own barber shop. This way, he gets to work on his clients from the comfort of his home on days when he’s not working his day job.
4. Luxury condo-style 3-room BTO
Image credit: Tidplus Design
If we didn’t tell you that this is actually a 3-room BTO in Woodleigh, you’d probably have assumed that this was a luxury unit in a high-end condominium. Take it from us – unexpected structural elements, including rounded wall corners, will elevate the look of your house.
3-room BTOs have a reputation for being small, yet this flat feels anything but, thanks to the huge windows lining the living room. A light-coloured wooden floor further opens up the look of the house. And to create a cohesive look throughout the space, Tidplus Design made use of a neutral colour palette with black and gold as accent colours.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
We’re particularly taken with the 2 arched recessed nooks in the living room. One is taken up by a huge TV and console, while the other was turned into a cute little reading nook.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
The streamlined theme continues in the kitchen, where glossy wall tiles reflect light and brighten the area. Clever built-in carpentry and tailor-made countertops maximise the limited floor space in the kitchen, transforming it into a haven for enthusiastic home cooks.
5. Off-white minimalist condo with a hidden drink bar
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Interestingly, this minimalist condo belongs to a customer who has worked with Tidplus Design twice, which is a testament to the quality of their work. If not, why would they come back for a second time?
Tidplus Design first worked with the client in 2017, when they designed her first home in Pasir Ris. This current condo is located in Hougang, and the renovation process went even smoother than the first time since Tidplus Design was already familiar with their client’s aesthetic sense and lifestyle needs.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
“I decided to go with Tidplus Design because I am comfortable working with Kai, and she was the only ID who gave me creative ideas on how to make my space functional – like moving the position of the sink to create a kitchen peninsular with an attached dining table,” she says.
The client initially approached a few other ID firms but ultimately settled on Kai from Tidplus Design again.
“Kai completely understood the vibes that I envisioned for my space and provided ideas on how to enhance the design. What was meant to be a monochromatic minimalist home is also luxurious and sophisticated – and I am really pleased with that!”
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Function was at the forefront of the design process, and this is evident when you look at the storage solutions that seamlessly blend in with the minimalist decor.
Just look at the entryway of the home, which is lined with built-in cupboards and a nifty recessed nook where frequently worn footwear can be neatly kept within easy reach. The cupboard is lined with a strip of LED lights that not just illuminates the contents of the shoe nook, but also adds dimension and a touch of glamour to the entryway.
Walk further in and you’ll be greeted by an open-concept dining area that’s blended with the kitchen. A set of cleverly disguised doors open up to reveal a minibar that houses – amongst other things – a coffee machine and drinkware for easy access
Image credit: Tidplus Design
The bedroom adjoins a spacious home office that’s free of distractions. The sleek room features a long table placed right in front of full-length windows, and we can just imagine ourselves basking in soft sunlight while having a productive WFH day.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Like the rest of the house, this room has floor-to-ceiling cupboards – you can never have too much storage space. The all-white cupboards also serve to bounce light off its surfaces, illuminating the room even further and making it look more spacious and inviting.
Image credit: Tidplus Design
Dreamy Singaporean homes with neutral colour palettes
The world outside may be chaotic, but your house doesn’t have to be. Minimalist homes with neutral colour palettes are not just peaceful, but they’re also timeless and won’t look outdated even 10 years down the road.
In order to turn your dream home into reality, it’s always good to work with IDs with a proven track record of happy customers. We also recommend seeking out IDs that specialise in the style you want. Not only does it mean that they have all the know-how, but it also ensures that there’s maximum alignment between your vision and the ID’s expertise.
If your dream home is one that will withstand the test of time, be it in terms of aesthetics or workmanship, Tidplus Design is a good choice. They offer complimentary, non-obligatory consultations and quotations so that you can get an idea of the costs involved before you hire them. And for peace of mind, all renovations come with a 1-year warranty starting from the handover date.
The firm has also received rave reviews in the areas of design, attention to detail, seamless service, and lead times that are shorter than you’d expect. For first-time homeowners who don’t know where to start, these are invaluable points to take note of.
Design your forever home with Tidplus Design today
Cover image adapted from: Tidplus Design, Tidplus Design, Tidplus Design, Tidplus Design
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