WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL SECTIONS TO RENOVATE IN YOUR HDB?
By Arnold Goh | Back To Articles | 13 October 2020
So, you’ve gotten your keys from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and are eager to renovate your new home. You spend countless hours online poring through Pinterest and other interior design related Instagram accounts to find what suits your taste.
But alas, your floor area is limited, and so are your funds, so how do you narrow down your renovation so that you can have a reasonable amount of what you want in your home versus what you need? Well, the answer is simply to think ahead and try to visualize what your lifestyle will be like in this home.
List down all the requirements and design style of your new home with your partner
If you’re married or planning to get married, sit down and discuss with your partner/spouse how will your lifestyle change moving forward, and what sort of character do you both have? Will still be cooking as frequently? Will you be hosting guests? Are you an introvert that prefers to hide under the sheets and spend your entire weekend just binging on NetFlix? If you’re the kind that loves to have friends over at your home, perhaps one of the key areas which you may wish to prioritize renovating would be your living and dining area. If your floor area allows it, you may also wish to add an island where guests can sit around and mingle over food and drink instead of around the television. And if you’re single and owning your first home, it also helps to list down your priorities and requirements.
Do you spend a lot of time cooking? Then perhaps the kitchen should be one of the prioritized areas for renovation.
After you’ve narrowed down the lifestyle and character aspect of the home renovation, then comes the aesthetics. This is where all your nights of saving and pinning your favourite designs get to be shown off. Are you the kind who prefers a Minimalist interior? A cozy Scandinavian? Or are you the bachelor that digs a rugged industrial style? Whichever your preference, these design styles will also affect the way you renovate your home. For example, the concept of Minimalism is not simply about keeping the aesthetics clean, but also affects your lifestyle – it would be contradictory to adopt a minimalist designed home only to fill it with lots of unnecessary décor, furnishing and knick-knacks.
A minimalist home would not truly be minimalist if it were to be filled with unnecessary décor and clutter.
By narrowing down what your priorities are, then followed by the aesthetics, you can better optimize your budget to create a home that not only complements, but is also an extension of your lifestyle and character. Most of us at least give some priority to kitchen renovation as this allows us to be self-sufficient and be able to prepare meals in the comforts of home. However, don’t neglect the other areas which you might spend a lot of time in as well, such as your bedroom. The right form and functionality does wonders for your resting pad, and can help you take on each day with renewed vigor.
All in all, having a clear understanding of what your lifestyle and character is will help your interior designer design a home that works to complement you. Some of our clients have even come up with a bullet-point list of keywords that describe their lifestyles – basically the more details you provide, the better your designer is able to turn your house into your home.
