A resort-style BTO flat on a budget

Home Type: 5-room HDB flat

Floor Area: 1,300sqft

Text by Olha Romaniuk

In this 1,300-square-foot BTO residence in Bukit Batok, a simple material and colour palette sets a soothing backdrop for a resort-style home that’s accentuated by loose furniture and decor pieces. Designer Aaron Poh from AP Concept worked with the homeowners to achieve an effortless and stylish Balinese resort inspired interior on a budget, relying on simple but impactful design decisions to create a distinct and uniform aesthetic throughout the flat.

“The owners were first-time BTO buyers, and were not really keen on having too many fixtures in their new home,” says Aaron. ”That is why we styled the flat up a lot using loose furniture and paint colour choices.”

Creating an open-concept home was one of the key elements that enabled the BTO unit to feel spacious and open, while connecting the social zones of the flat to one another. Within the living room, a bold choice of introducing ceiling beams to enhance the resort vibe became a feature element that delineated the living area from the dining space and kitchen.

Aside from the beams, the living room was kept simple yet warm and welcoming with a painted wall treatment behind the television console and the use of loose furniture pieces in warm tones. As the owners had a requirement to allocate ample space for their beloved pet guinea pig, the back wall of the living room was dedicated solely to a wide cabinet to house the pet’s 4-foot-long tank.

The kitchen area was kept spacious and open with the incorporation of a large island and a dry pantry to visually connect and extend the kitchen’s boundaries. “Initially we wanted to design the kitchen using all walnut and oak wood finishes, but the owners wanted something a little less overwhelming and so we added an off-white laminate to tone down the wood finishes,” explains Aaron.

The contrasting finishes balance warmth and lightness within the space. A few finishing touches, like the rattan lamps above the island counter, hint at the resort style so loved by the owners.

By connecting two rooms, the designer was able to create a walk-in wardrobe leading directly up to the master bedroom. Built-in closets with doors in tinted reflective finish visually expand the space while concealing the clothes.

The master bedroom was kept simple and modest with just the basic furniture necessities to keep the room neat and uncluttered.

The master bathroom features a welcome splash of colour with the use of green tiles in the shower stall. Warm wood tones on the master and second bathroom’s cabinetry bring in the Balinese resort vibe and allow the bathrooms to project a warm yet soothing feel that characterises the rest of this BTO residence.