The appeal of an open-concept BTO renovation is obvious: fewer walls, more floor space, and a home that feels less restricted.
An open-concept BTO can make a compact flat feel significantly more spacious, but removing walls also means giving up privacy and committing to a very different way of living.
For Fiona and Shao Wei, the decision to remove the walls was a natural one. Having previously lived in a rental where they often kept the doors open, they were already used to spending most of their time together in one shared space.
But turning a standard BTO into a studio-style apartment involves more than just removing walls, with HDB rules determining what can be hacked and practical considerations around renovation approvals, air-conditioning, cooking smells and how you’ll use the space.
Here are some tips to consider before hacking down those walls.
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“White flat” vs. DIY “open-concept”
HDB introduced the “white flat” concept in the October 2024 Kallang-Whampoa BTO exercise.
Unlike a conventional BTO, these flats lack internal partitions separating the living and bedroom areas, giving homeowners a large, contiguous space to configure as they wish.
This means that white flat buyers do not have to hack away any existing bedroom walls. They start with the open layout and can decide how much separation to create during renovation.
Conventional BTO flats come with an intended room layout, and creating a studio-style home means finding out which walls can legally be removed, getting the necessary approvals, and paying for the demolition and subsequent renovation works.
Rules & restrictions: How much can you actually hack?
HDB requires homeowners to obtain prior approval and use certified workers before demolishing or hacking walls, including partial demolition.
That means the first step should not be to ask your contractor to start hacking. Get the proposed layout checked, and establish exactly which walls can be removed before you commit to the design.
HDB’s renovation guidelines cover everything from electrical to building works, and newly built flats also have a three-year restriction on removing bathroom wall and floor finishes.
You should definitely assess whether all this extra red tape is worth drastic alterations to your BTO layout.
For Fiona and Shao Wei, however, the decision to remove the walls was relatively straightforward.
“Nope (hacking was not a difficult decision), we really enjoy having a large, spacious unit. It makes it very comfortable for two.”
The couple already knew they preferred having a large, shared space rather than separate rooms, and felt the open layout would suit the way they lived together.
Is an open-concept flat the right fit for your lifestyle?
A studio-style home looks good in floor plans because it gives you one large, uninterrupted space. Living in one is another matter.
For Fiona and Shao Wei, the transition was relatively easy because their previous home had separate rooms, and they usually kept the doors open so their cats could move freely around the home.
This gave them a pretty good preview of what open-plan living would feel like before they decided on their BTO layout.
“There’s no real private space, but we never saw that as a problem.”
In fact, they found that the open layout makes entertaining easier because there is more room for people to spread out.
The right fit depends on how you use the space. If you spend most of your time together, separate rooms may simply be unnecessary. But if you work different hours, need quiet or want somewhere to retreat to, having enclosed rooms can make a bigger difference.
There is also the kitchen to consider. With fewer physical barriers between the kitchen and the rest of the home, cooking smells and grease can travel further.
The couple worked around this by keeping the kitchen enclosed, but installing a door that can be opened up when they want the space to feel more connected to the rest of the home.
This gives them the flexibility to leave it open during everyday use, and close the kitchen off when they are cooking to keep smells and grease contained.
How to demarcate different living spaces in an open-concept home
Removing most of the internal walls does not mean the couple left the entire flat as one undivided space.
They used a combination of furniture and a glass block wall to demarcate different areas while keeping the home visually open.
“There are little corners of decor that would not have been possible if all the walls were still here. It would have looked too cramped.”
This is one of the advantages of having a larger uninterrupted floor area: you can decide where different functions go, instead of being constrained by the position of existing rooms.
A dining table can mark the transition between the kitchen and living area. A sofa can create a boundary around the lounge without blocking the space. Rugs, lighting and storage can similarly signal that one section is for relaxing while another is for eating or working.
The couple also did not try to make every part of the home follow one strict interior style.
“I think slowly, we’ll change and swap out the decor.”
They also left room for the home to evolve over time, rather than trying to lock in every design choice during the renovation. By adding furniture and decor gradually, they can change things.
What about air-conditioning in an open-concept flat?
Air-conditioning is one practical issue that is easy to overlook when planning an open-concept flat. It has one large continuous area, so the system has to be able to handle the demands of cooling the entire space.
Fiona and Shao Wei had an initial setup consisting of two 18,000 BTU blower units with a System 3 compressor, but they found that it was not enough for their open layout. Before moving in, they upgraded one blower to 24,000 BTU and switched to a System 4 compressor.
“It’s true that the aircon setup is a concern. Our initial aircon set-up wasn’t sufficient.”
Once the walls have been removed, the area that needs to be cooled becomes bigger. You should get your contractor or air-conditioning installer to assess the final layout and cooling requirements before you commit to any air-conditioning system.
How much does an open-concept BTO renovation cost?
There is no fixed price for turning a BTO into an open-concept home because the cost depends heavily on how much structural and finishing work is involved.
Fiona and Shao Wei spent just under $60,000 on their renovation, and it was within their original budget. Most of it went towards creating what they described as a “blank canvas” for their home. This included covering the kitchen pipes, boxing up the air-conditioning pipes and boxing up and tiling over the two L-shaped bathroom beams.
Once furniture, appliances and other additions were included, their total spending reached around $80,000.
They also looked beyond Singapore for their furniture. The couple sourced several custom pieces from Foshan, including an approximately $880 sofa, $1,100 dining set and $500 USM-style cabinet.
This was all found in furniture stores through Xiaohongshu, AKA RedNote. They then visited the stores in Foshan and used a third-party forwarder to ship the pieces back to Singapore.
For them, the appeal was not simply the price. Being able to customise the dimensions, colours and fabrics meant they could make furniture that fitted their particular space, instead of trying to squeeze standard-sized pieces into it.
Long-term plans: Future needs and resale considerations
An open-concept home may work perfectly for you now, but it may not work for you five or 10 years down the road.
Fiona and Shao Wei had already lived in a flat with a conventional layout and realised they did not use the separate rooms much. Their current lifestyle therefore made the open plan feel like a natural fit.
The couple also recognise that their needs may change over time, so they have kept the home flexible rather than committing to a fixed look or layout. They can add, remove or switch out furniture and decor as their tastes and needs evolve.
The couple’s approach is straightforward: if they eventually need additional bedrooms, they would rather move than reconfigure the entire home.
“If we ever do need bedrooms, for example if we have a kid, and need a bedroom, we’d move.”
There is also a resale consideration. A highly personalised open layout may suit one household perfectly but be less immediately suitable for another buyer who wants conventional bedrooms.
However, that does not necessarily mean an open-concept renovation is a bad idea. It simply means homeowners should be clear about who the home is being designed for.
Pros & cons of turning your BTO into an open-concept studio
Pros: More spacious, flexible living
- Makes the home feel larger by removing visual and physical barriers.
- Gives you more freedom to decide how different areas are used.
- Works well for households that naturally spend most of their time together.
- Makes it easier to rearrange furniture and change the function of different corners over time.
Cons: Less privacy and irreversible changes
- There are fewer places to retreat to when you want privacy or quiet.
- Cooking smells and noise can travel more easily through the home.
- Different routines can be harder to accommodate without separate rooms.
Hacking is not easily reversible, so more major changes may require another renovation, or a different home altogether.
Should you turn your BTO flat into an open-concept studio?
In conclusion, you should consider the pros and cons of converting your BTO into an open-concept studio before biting the bullet. For Fiona and Shao Wei, the boundaries between different parts of the home are created through how they use the space, rather than relying entirely on physical separation.
This gives the flat a more adaptable layout, where different areas can take on different roles depending on what they are doing. Think about the immediate short-term, as well as long-term considerations before you start hacking down all those walls.
Read on for more home renovations:
- Zina Ng’s minimalist 5-room BTO renovation
- WahBanana co-founder Lingyi’s coastal boho condo
- Jessica Tham’s mid-century modern 3-room condo
- Nicole Chang Min & James Seah’s hanok-inspired HDB flat
Photography by: Vivien Del Valle
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