Inside a $500K hotel-inspired DBSS flat transformation

Slowing down is the one thing Hengky, founder of interior design firm, Reborn Interior, rarely gets to do. Between managing projects, meeting clients, and chasing details, his hours are constantly spoken for. Together with his partner, a private banker, they travel often and are drawn to the finish and comfort of high-end hotels. This five-room DBSS flat is their own – a private retreat where luxury is the rule rather than the exception.

“We love the comfort and detail of a good hotel, and we wanted to come home to that same sophistication and relaxation every day,” says Hengky. The flat reflects this vision through a cohesive language of premium materials and precise detailing, carried seamlessly throughout the home while preserving its original footprint.

The home was originally a standard five-room DBSS unit, with four bedrooms and an enclosed kitchen — functional, but far removed from the open-concept, hotel-inspired retreat the couple envisioned. The kitchen walls were hacked first, opening the cooking area to the living and dining spaces so the flat reads as one continuous volume. To create a more luxurious master suite, one common bedroom was combined with the master, making room for a walk-in wardrobe. Another common room adjacent to the living area was also opened up to become a gaming room.

The grandeur begins from the foyer, where a backlit Pandora marble slab casts a warm glow alongside a stainless-steel water ripple feature. Beneath it, a wall-mounted bench reinforces the clean, sculptural aesthetic, its supports concealed within, to create a seamless floating form.

In the living room, a full-height marble feature wall forms the backdrop to the TV, illuminated from within and softened by warm wood backing, paired with a custom LV trunk-inspired coffee table in silk accent finishes as the standout piece. A second feature wall in the dining area makes a stronger statement. “We set recessed white marble slabs against darker panels for a piano keys effect,” says Hengky. It anchors a rare Labradorite dining table from Madagascar, its blue and rainbow-hued crystals shifting with the light, beneath a Swarovski crystal chandelier.

The most personal space is the gaming room. “It came from a childhood wish for a room of my own. I hardly game now, so it is really a passion project, a space that shows my love for technology,” says Hengky. Custom carpentry is seamlessly integrated with LED lighting while backlit hexagonal panels add depth and dimension to the space with a starry-sky ceiling overhead that transforms the room into science fiction once illuminated. At its centre sits a Little Red Book-inspired PC the couple built themselves, housed in transparent glass enhanced with RGB lighting and LCDs.

Along the marble walkway leading to the rooms, the master bedroom embraces the feel of a luxury hotel suite, complete with a floating bed and LED waterfall lighting. To enlarge the spaces, Hengky relocated the bedroom entrance and merged it with an adjacent common bedroom to create a spacious walk-in wardrobe. Centred around a Versace Medusa floor tile, the walk-in wardrobe is staged like a luxury boutique. Dark cabinetry is softened by warm LED strip lightings while an open concept pole system showcases the homeowners’ designer collection. Mirrored panels that enhance the sense of space, and a dedicated dressing nook featuring an oval backlit mirror adds a touch of glamour. Separating the wardrobe from the bedroom are synchronised glass doors, completing the hotel-suite experience.

Beyond glamour, materials were chosen with daily life in mind. Sintered stone surfaces and large-format tiles minimise maintenance, while low-formaldehyde carpentry contributes to a healthier indoor environment. Smart home systems have also been seamlessly integrated throughout the home, bringing added convenience to daily routines.

More showcase than workspace, reflecting the couple’s minimal cooking habits, the kitchen is finished in glossy surfaces, with a sintered stone counter and backsplash. Sleek and understated, it extends the home’s luxurious aesthetic while remaining practical and easy to care for. For consistency, both the common and master bathrooms feature marble tile designs, glossy on the walls and matte underfoot for added grip, finished with a one-piece Italian basin, wall-hung toilets, and gold GROHE fittings that reinforce the home’s refined, hotel-inspired character.

Bringing the design together is the walkway, where the room doors are clad in the same marble as used on the television feature wall, allowing the entrances to blend seamlessly into the design. “We used heavy-duty hinges to carry the weight of the slabs while keeping the wall looking unbroken,” says Hengky. Completed over the course of a year at a cost of approximately $500,000, the flat moves beyond the conventions of a typical HDB layout. Instead, it delivers the experience of a luxury hotel suite that the couple can return to every day, without having to check out.

Reborn Interior
www.facebook.com/reborninteriorsg
www.instagram.com/reborninterior.sg

We think you may also like Boho curves and Moroccan soul