A Self-Designed Scandinavian Home

As homeowners Lum and Mey bring us around their 3Gen flat in Bidadari, they enthusiastically detail their self-designed home (@the_may_hem) – from the larch wood flooring to the made-to-order shoe cabinet and the adjustable lamp hanging above their dining table.

Surprisingly, neither Lum nor Mey are design trained. “I can’t even really draw well,” laughs Mey.

Join us as these second-timers take us around their self-designed Scandinavian-themed home.

A Second Home for a Growing Family

Lum and Mey’s first home, a 5-room flat in Sengkang, became crowded by the mid-2010s when Lum’s mother moved in, and their 2 teenage sons outgrew their shared room.

The couple began looking around for their next home. While they were not sold on any of the resale options they had seen, they were excited to apply for the BTO projects in Bidadari, HDB’s newest estate at the time.

“I grew up around the Toa Payoh and Bishan area, and thought this would be a great location,” explains Lum. “We were also drawn to the amenities that were planned for the estate, like Bidadari Park.”

Initially, they were unsuccessful in their ballot. However, HDB later called them to ask if they would be interested to book a 3Gen flat, since they qualified as a multi-generational family and there were some flats of this type remaining.

“The officer who invited us to book a flat mentioned that there might not be a lot of flats left,” Mey recounts. “But we thought there was no harm giving it a shot.”

Scandinavian At Its Core

While waiting for the flat to be completed, the couple started conceptualising the design of their new home. They describe it as Scandinavian-inspired, albeit with a unique interpretation.

“I remember reading somewhere that the Scandinavians themselves don’t have a design concept that they call ‘Scandivanian’,” explains Lum. “Instead, what we call ‘Scandinavian’ interior design is really a product of the weather and materials available in the region – the wooden flooring, white walls, and of course, Danish, Swedish and Finnish furniture.”

Lum recounts a validating experience. “A contractor installing our living room shelving took one look at our flooring and asked, ‘Have you lived in Scandinavia before?’. That confirmed that we were on the right track,” Lum laughs. Still, the couple are ultimately not fussed about labels. Lum and Mey acknowledge that their flat also contains mid-century modern influences, pointing to the mixed materials and textures around the home.

The larch wood flooring, wood tones, and unique pieces around the home create an eclectic look

Labour of Love

While waiting for their flat to be completed, the couple poured through ideas on Pinterest and Instagram, researched design references, and pieced together a vision for their new home. Lum even found a 3D rendering website, which helped them visualise how their new home would turn out.

With a clear vision for their new home, Lum and Mey decided that they did not need an ID for their renovation process. “We had the contractor, who installed our kitchen cabinets, manage the different parts of the reno process instead,” explained Mey. “As he has been working in this line for many years, he knew other experienced partners who could do various types of work, like electrical works and tiling works. We got lucky – the whole process went very smoothly.”

Curating Furniture While Staying on Budget

The couple also invested time and effort in sourcing for furniture and furnishings for the home. They sourced their pieces from a range of online and offline stores, and brought in a mix of new and thrifted pieces, helping their home achieve a unique, eclectic look.

“It helps that we don’t play with a lot of colour,” reflects Lum. “Most of bigger pieces are wooden, or come in neutral colours like white, grey, and black, making it easy to match.”

While neutral colours formed the base of the interior design, the couple also incorporated pops of colour into the flat

The couple’s approach to sourcing for pieces combined careful curation with serendipitous finds. They rarely paid the full retail price for their furniture, often deferring purchases until sale periods such as Black Friday.

At the same time, they did not hesitate to buy thrifted or one-of-a-kind pieces that they knew were hard to come by. This balanced approach to sourcing for furniture helped them stay on budget.

Let There Be Light

It’s hard to miss the lamps – both big and small – which are scattered throughout the home.

Neither Lum nor Mey had much interest in lighting before they started planning for their new home, but soon found themselves curating lamps to add a unique touch to the space. While they’ve never counted the total number of lamps, they estimate there are about 20 or so around their flat.

One of their favourites hangs above their living room, made from sustainably-sourced feathers. They admit that the lamp is a dust trap which takes a fair bit of maintenance.

“Generally, we tried to get pieces that strike a balance between aesthetics and ease-of-maintenance. But if we really like something, then we get it and commit to maintaining it,” Lum explains.

“Or sometimes, we just live with a bit of dust,” he admits, sheepishly.

The lamps around the living room add warmth and character to the space

The Family’s Forever Home

A year after moving in, the couple has nothing but positive things to say about their new home in Bidadari. While they are only a short distance away from The Woodleigh Mall, they are looking forward to the supermarket and shops that will be opening in their precinct soon. “Overall, we’re really happy with the place,” Mey says.

Lum sums it all up in one sentence – “We’re unlikely to move again.”

Story by: Wong Li Ying