A BTO with room for work, pets and play

Along Upper Aljunied Road, this four-room BTO flat has been reconfigured into a warm and highly personalised home that makes room for work, rest and everyday playfulness within a modest footprint. Designed by Maed Studio for a young lawyer couple and their two rescued pets, the apartment responds to work-from-home needs in a way that feels relaxed rather than rigid, with spaces shaped around the couple’s easy-going personalities and routines.

The starting point for the redesign was the couple’s unusual request for two separate study pods within the living area. “As both of the homeowners frequently attend online meetings and calls during work hours, they needed individual spaces that could provide a degree of privacy while still allowing them to remain connected within the same environment,” explains designer Katherine Lee of Maed Studio. Rather than treating the workspaces as formal office rooms, the design integrates them into the communal zone through softer materials, playful detailing, and a more fluid spatial arrangement. 

To support this way of living, several non-structural walls from the original BTO layout were removed to create a more open and adaptable interior. The once compartmentalised plan now flows more naturally between spaces, allowing light and movement to travel freely across the home. This openness is most evident in the living area, where custom sliding doors fitted with circular textured glass panels conceal the dual study pods behind. When closed, the doors provide subtle separation; when opened, the spaces merge seamlessly into the larger living space.

Throughout the unit, materiality is used to soften the compact proportions of the home while introducing moments of texture and personality. Mosaic tiles become a recurring feature, wrapping existing HDB kerbs, niches, and transitional edges throughout the apartment. “More than five different mosaic tile finishes were carefully selected and customised for different areas, adding subtle colour variation, texture, and a handcrafted quality throughout the home,” describes Katherine. “These small details became moments of character that quietly tie the spaces together.”

The dining area is conceived less as a formal room and more as an extension of the living space. Vintage furniture, collected artworks, and playful décor create an environment that feels lived-in and personal. Adjacent to this, the kitchen has been opened up by removing the original walls surrounding the service yard, improving circulation and maximising usable space. Stainless steel countertops with integrated sinks lend the kitchen a clean and utilitarian edge, while satin-etched glass backing introduces a softer visual contrast.

In the private spaces, the material palette becomes quieter and more restrained. The master bedroom adopts a calmer atmosphere, with minimal detailing and muted tones. In the master bathroom, mirrored cabinetry composed of three different mirror finishes helps bounce light deeper into the space while subtly enlarging its proportions. The common bathroom takes on a warmer and more playful character, designed to feel like an extension of the home rather than a purely functional zone.

Across the flat, these small but deliberate gestures shape a home that feels deeply personal and comfortably informal. Through careful spatial planning, tactile materials and thoughtful detailing, the design supports the couple’s work routines, everyday comforts and easy-going way of life.

Maed Studio
www.instagram.com/_maedstudio_

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