Khaw Xin Lin spends $100k on farmhouse-style renovations for Punggol flat

Why retire to that dream farmhouse on the outskirts of a different country when you can do that here every day?

In a recent episode of #JustSwipeLah, host Seow Sin Nee visited actress-influencer Khaw Xin Lin's renovated HDB flat in Punggol, now sporting a warm farmhouse aesthetic.

The renovation set her back $100,000, she said in a separate interview with 8Days.

At that price, 29-year-old Xin Lin got what she wanted and more — her flat has a clean, wooden theme that she was very proud to show Sin Nee.

"The style of this apartment is a modern Scandinavian farmhouse, because I like this type of cosy feel," Xin Lin said. "Walking into the house I'll feel, 'Wow, I'm home!'"

The entranceway of her home is lined with wooden cabinets, but the flooring, in particular, stands out.

White hexagonal tiles spread out from the door for about 1.5m, before transitioning to wooden flooring.

Xin Lin explained that these white tiles would make cleaning simpler, especially in the high-footfall area around her door.

"The white ones are tiles," she explained, "so when we're wearing our shoes, [the tiles] are more dirt-resistant."

Understanding her decision, Sin Nee chimed in: "When you want to clean, you can just wipe the tiles directly and scrub it and all that."

Past the entranceway, the drawers, cabinets and even the blinds are primarily light wood colours with white, while the sofa is a cosy mottled dark brown.

The chairs, mirrors and plants are all beautifully arranged to "make the home more Instagrammable", Sin Nee commented, adding that the entire space is like Xin Lin's workplace as an influencer.

The crossbeams, which most homes usually keep white, are noticeably covered with laminate to make them look like wooden beams. Similarly, a lot of surfaces are also covered in wood-grain laminate.

Xin Lin's favourite place at home

Surprisingly, her favourite place at home isn't the living room, dining room, workspace or bedroom — it's her toilet.

She clarified: "The master bedroom toilet has a bright theme and also one of my favourite decor designs — I would say it's my favourite one in the whole apartment."

The large, custom-made mirror in the toilet is the biggest draw for her and part of the reason for this is because Xin Lin is a beauty vlogger.

"For now, [videos] should mostly be done in the living room first, but slowly, they'll be done here," Xin Lin told Sin Nee as they inspected her master bathroom.

As to why she's not immediately using it, she answered cheekily: "It's because I want to slowly reveal my home [to my viewers]."

Her husband lost

Everyone will have different tastes, even if they're a married couple.

Xin Lin explained that her husband, 30-year-old Lim Hao Jie, originally wanted their home to be decorated primarily black.

Ultimately, they came to an agreement — they would have the farmhouse theme throughout the home except for Lim's studio where he works.

The studio room, painted in darker tones with nearly opaque curtains, stands in great contrast to the rest of the home.

Most noteworthy, however, is the fact that the door is neither fully pitch black nor fully wood-themed — it's both.

The door laminate facing the interior of the room is black but the other side fits the rest of the home in theme.

"So it's give-and-take, half-and-half," Sin Nee observed. "But it can also be seen that it's still mainly your call."

Turning to the camera, Sin Nee added: "She won."

1 bed, 2 blankets

Xin Lin's husband's preferences can also be seen in their master bedroom.

As they were looking at their bedroom, Sin Nee noticed that the big bed has two separate blankets.

Said Xin Lin: "One for each of us, otherwise, my husband will say I'm snatching the blanket away. And we also have a bolster each, so we won't fight for it."

A honey-sweet home

Throughout their tour of Xin Lin's home, a familiar yellow bear could be seen lurking all over the place: Winnie the Pooh.

Xin Lin, a huge fan of the honey-loving bear, has placed multiple plushies and Pooh paraphernalia all over her home.

Aside from the plushies on her bed, there is a plushie on the bathroom sink's tap, on various shelves and in a basket under a desk.

"You can vaguely see its shadow in every corner of every room," Xin Lin said.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com