Zen vibes aplenty: 22-year-old shows off 4-room HDB flat after $61k renovation

Being 22 can be an interesting stage of life — some may be starting work while others are still in school.

Khairun Nisa and Chin Ze Xiang took a route less travelled when they purchased a four-room Bukit Panjang HDB flat.

The couple was actually just 21 when they bought the place earlier this year, at $435,000.

Add another $61,000 to the bill as this was the cost of sprucing up the entire place.

Last Saturday (Oct 29), Nisa took to TikTok to share what their new home now looks like post-renovation. The 59-second clip has racked up over 124,000 views at the time of writing.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@venuhs/video/7159400161129663745?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7135660592895346178[/embed]

Nisa told AsiaOne that she and her husband were going for a "Japandi and tropical brutalism" theme in order to create that "cozy and inviting" feel to the home.

Japandi is an amalgamation of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese rustic minimalism — often focusing on clean lines, bright spaces, and light colors.

On the other hand, tropical brutalism uses concrete, stiff geometric shapes, and spacious interiors to coexist with the softness of nature.

The couple decided on an open-concept kitchen with concrete tiles for the floors and walls. Mood lighting and nature also play a big role in the home.

A feature that stood out was the master bedroom toilet having two shower heads. 

This idea stemmed from a practical standpoint as both Nisa and Ze Xiang shared the shower at their previous home.

"However, sharing one shower head can be frustrating at times to get 'real cleaning' done, so we asked our interior designer if having two shower heads was possible and she said yes!"

For now, the second common room and master bedroom aren't fully furnished.

Nisa explained that they want to first "fully understand [their] lifestyle" before purchasing furniture or decoring the master bedroom a certain way.

If you're wondering, here's how the place looked before the renovation.

Thankfully, there were only minor hiccups and delays throughout the renovation process.

Nisa spoke about how lucky they were to have found an "extremely responsive and responsible" interior designer.

This is why she placed emphasis on having a connection with an interior designer during that first meeting.

"We also made very clear what we wanted in our home and what our budget was, so our interior designer was very accommodating to our needs," the preschool teacher added.

When asked about her favourite room or space in the house, Nisa pointed to how she's grown to love her kitchen.

This actually took her by surprise, as the 22-year-old mentioned how she doesn't know how to cook.

"But I've made a lot of great memories learning how to cook from my husband who is a chef," Nisa quipped.

ALSO READ: Sengkang HDB flat or Scandinavian dream? Homeowner shares useful renovation tips

amierul@asiaone.com

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