Come journey with us into the homes of HDB residents in this 3-part series, and witness the transformation of their flats into beautiful homes.

Homeowners: Geoffrey and Sian Ching
Town: Tampines
Flat type: 5-room BTO

In the second part of this series, we continue with Sian Ching and Geoffrey’s renovation journey and how they are slowly turning their plans into reality. Get acquainted with the couple in part 1 here.

We heard that you faced an unexpected challenge soon after renovations began?

SianChing: Our renovations began in January 2020, but everything ground to a halt during the circuit breaker period. We could only resume works in July – 5 months after we first started renovating!

Geoff: Our Malaysia-based carpenter also had difficulties entering the country. As such, we couldn’t proceed with the furniture installation even though our furniture was ready. Customised  furnishings and fittings are a main feature of the flat, so our renovation completion date was highly dependent on when we could get our carpentry installed.

Sian Ching: As we both work in the construction industry, we are familiar with the process and know that there’s little we can do to hasten it. We also preferred not to engage another worker to assist with the installation, so we just had to wait it out.

Did you have to tweak your original plans and designs?

Sian Ching: As we progressed,we ended up choosing different materials – such as the laminate for the carpentry. Geoff originally wanted the cabinets in the living room to be black, but I thought the colour was too overwhelming for the space. Instead, we opted for a dark brown laminate which complemented the colour of our sofa.

Geoff: Sourcing for materials and samples was quite a feat. We needed to examine and feel the sample physically before making the final decision. Home owners should research the materials and not limit themselves to those presented by the interior designer. Don’t be afraid to engage your interior designer in a discussion!

Were there other design changes?

Sian Ching: We were looking for a unique bed frame design that would complement the overall interior theme. We couldn’t find it in any store, so we decided to design it ourselves and have it built!

Geoff: We chose a mixture of leather and wood paneling for the headboard, and had it seamlessly integrated with the switches to avoid visual clutter.

Next in this series, we’ll bring you on a tour of Sian Ching and Geoffrey’s fully renovated flat!