When you enter Roy and Ying Hong’s 4-room flat, you feel as if you’ve stepped into a hotel – one that exudes a sleek, sophisticated ambiance, with gleaming marble surfaces.
Everything Marble
“I would describe our home as modern, luxurious and minimalistic. As we wanted to create the hotel vibes for our home, we visited several tile shops and eventually decided on marble to elevate the interiors, as we really liked it,” Ying Hong says.
To create a cohesive look, the couple picked a dining table that matches their marble overlaid floor.
Marble also line the walls and floor of both restrooms, extending the ‘hotel vibes’ and keeping the look of their home consistent throughout.
A pro-tip from the home owners: use soap bottles from the same brand to create a clean and minimalist look.
For contrast, their master bathroom took on a darker marble theme.
Another unique feature of their home is that the typical bomb shelter room is perfectly concealed by a wooden door, with the door doubling up as a shelf for more storage space.
Ying Hong’s favourite part of their home is the entry area, as the overall design of their storeroom and cabinets is seamless.
Keeping Within Their Budget
With the wedding and home renovation happening during the same period, the couple had to ensure that their expenses were manageable.
“Our initial budget was $40,000 but we spent $50,000 in total for our renovation. Although we exceeded our initial budget, we found the prices reasonable. We felt quite fortunate that our renovation journey went quite smoothly, and we are satisfied with the outcome,” Roy says.
The Telegram chat for residents of Ubi Grove was also helpful to the couple during their renovation journey – their water dispenser and toilet LED lights were bought through group buys with fellow neighbours.
“We secured some items even before our renovation started and saved a lot of money from group buys. I’m quite glad that everyone shares many tips in the group chat, even though I’m personally not very active in it,” Ying Hong laughs.
Ticking The Boxes of Their Checklist
When choosing a place to call home, one of the couple’s priorities was to find a place near their parents. The first-time home owners had planned for a BTO flat as it was an affordable option for them. They were also eligible for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of around $25,000.
After attempts to apply for a BTO flat in popular estates, they decided to take a chance during Sale of Balance Flat (SBF) exercise and managed to secure this home in Ubi Grove.
“We prefer somewhere that’s close to an MRT station so we were happy that the Ubi station is a 2-minute walk from our block. We can see it from our living room,” Roy says.
As both Roy and Ying Hong commute to work via public transport, staying near the MRT station has brought them more convenience.
Going the SBF route came with compromises. The previous home owners had opted for items and finishes under the Optional Component Scheme (OCS), Roy and Ying Hong had to sell the pre-selected fittings that did not fit their design preferences. They overlaid the floor in their living room and kitchen, and changed the bowls and sinks in their toilets.
“Even though we have a lot of carpentry done for the kitchen and walk-in area, most of the cabinets are empty because we know that we will have more things in the future, and we might have kids as well,” Ying Hong shares.
To plan ahead for the future, the couple catered space to further refine their home for their changing life needs as they continue to enjoy their hotel-inspired home.
