How This Dad Transformed His 45-Year-Old 5-Room Haig Road HDB Resale With $70,000
This homeowner had no idea that his DIY home design journey would eventually steer him toward a career in interior design
By Lynn Tan -
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Many interior designers end up working on their own homes at some point in their careers, but for Dominic Leong, director of Homely Matters, things happened the other way around. While he was working at a non-profit organisation, he decided to take on the interior design of his own home personally and work directly with various subcontractors.
38-year-old Dominic, his wife, Tay Wei Ling, who is 36 years old and works as a manager in a non-profit organisation, and their four-year-old son moved into their new home in March 2023 after a three-and-a-half-month renovation over the Lunar New Year period.
When their friends came over to visit, they were all amazed by the results and even more impressed when they found out that it was achieved with a budget of just over $70,000. They asked Dominic whether he could help design their homes and that was how it all began.
He picked up 3D drawing skills using his SkillsFuture credits and learnt the principles of interior design, including how to set up an interior design firm from Ula Burgiel, a luxury interior designer based in London. “I did my first project in December 2023 and have completed 15 projects to date,” he says.
Who Lives Here: A couple and their young son
Home: A 5-room HDB resale flat at Haig Road
Size: 1,238 sq ft
Interior Designer: Dominic Leong, Homely Matters
Haig Road HDB
As the second owners of this 45-year-old Haig Road HDB flat that was still in its original condition, homeowners Dominic and Wei Ling agreed that an overhaul was long overdue in order to transform the old flat into a vibrant family home tailored to their needs and which caters to their love for hosting family and friends. Walls were hacked, the layout reconfigured and the flooring, windows, doors, carpentry were all replaced. Nothing from the existing interior was retained.
$70,000 Renovation Budget
“We set ourselves a budget of $70,000 and we wanted a timeless design that does not follow the trends that every Singapore home was doing,” he emphasises.
Living Room Design
The previous owner had purchased the corridor area directly outside the main door, which allows for a little foyer space. With the hacking of the existing kitchen walls and levelling of the balcony floor to become part of the living room, Dominic was able to create a long, rectilinear dining and living space. These three areas - the entrance foyer, dining and living rooms were intended to be one large, open space within the home that can accommodate sizeable gatherings.
Off-white linen features prominently in the living room, from the sofa to the Scanteak daybed. The couple deliberately designed the living room without a television as they wanted to focus on quality family time over meaningful conversations. The LG StanbyME television comes in handy as it allows them to move the unit around the home. “This flexible solution seamlessly aligns with our dynamic needs, whether it is to entertain our son during mealtimes, as a cosy cinematic experience in the master bedroom, or a shared viewing session with family and friends in the living room,” he shares.
Dining Room Design
The dining room is surrounded on two sides by white cabinets, a white refrigerator and white pantry unit that allows them to blend in with the walls and recede into the background. A 2.6 metre wooden sideboard from Soul & Tables occupies the third wall and complements the wooden dining table and chairs.
“I learnt about the ‘Rule of One’ from Ula Burgiel, which is about keeping to one type of wood, fabric or metal in the interior. I like oak wood, so as far as possible, I tried to keep to an oak tone for all the wood colours in the home,” he explains.
Kitchen Design
The kitchen may have been downsized due to the reconfiguration, but to begin with, the old kitchen was also larger than what the family of three needed. Moving the refrigerator and pantry beside the dining room not only frees up space within the wet kitchen, but also allows the smell of coffee to permeate the whole house. The new kitchen may be smaller, but it has a functional layout and built-in cabinets at the top and below the kitchen counter.
A new storeroom has been added where the old dining area was. This was essential as the home did not have an existing storeroom. The family affectionately refers to this as their “mini garage” as the generously sized room is almost as big as a standard bedroom and it is where they stash strollers, car seats, toys, clothes and more.
Reading Room
The space outside the bedrooms have been transformed into a “serene oasis for reading and playing musical instruments”. A sofa and bookshelf in one corner provide a comfortable reading nook.
A high table and stools in front of the window offer a different setting for reading, drinking coffee or working from home, accompanied by a view of the Joo Chiat neighbourhood.
Homely Matters Interior Design
Dominic named his design practice Homely Matters because to him, every home matters. “We did not want to just build a nice-looking home. We wanted to create a home that works for our family in terms of our habits, daily usage and flow.” And this philosophy of personalising the living spaces to mirror the client’s evolving needs and lifestyle is something that he applies to every project.
This article was first seen on Home And Decor.