Beautiful HDB home renovation ideas in Singapore for all budgets

Getting the keys to your new house is thrilling and nerve wracking all at once. You’re finally a proud homeowner, free to do up your very own home in any way you want; you’re also potentially saddled with more financial woes, not least because of renovating your dream home.

We’re here to tell you your home will be glorious regardless of budget. For inspiration, here are some of the most beautiful HDB home renovations in Singapore from affordable to luxe.

What you need to know about HDB renovations

Renovating your HDB flat comes with a price, but how much the entire gig sets you back is dependent on a variety of factors, not least how extensive the reno works are, and how big your flat is.

With price hikes and inflation, the average costs of renovating a flat have also correspondingly gone up – where the average prices of HDB renovations used to be approximately $20k, you are looking at more than $30k for the full works these days.

Carpentry and hacking works are infamous for how much they add to the final bill; it’s also influenced by the cost of the materials which you choose for your dream home. Hidden reno costs like bathroom and lighting fixtures, plus furniture and all the small items that make a home, a home, are also going to add up. If your pockets don’t run so deep, taking out a personal loan such as the GXS FlexiLoan is one way to defray some costs in that moment.

The extent of your reno works also determines how long the process will take – it can last anywhere from 10 weeks to 6 months, depending on what kind of remodelling you want to undertake. Don’t forget to factor in things like peak seasons and public holidays, which will also affect the length of your HDB renovation – it’s wise to include some wiggle room for delays. In any case, ask your interior designer how long it’ll take and what to expect.

– Budget renovations under $40k –

1. Fluted feature walls & rose gold finishes – $10k

Image credit: Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

Even if you’ve got a tight budget, it doesn’t mean you won’t get to beautify your home. The kitchen area of this 3-room resale flat in Chai Chee was transformed into an aesthetic space with a fluted pink feature wall, complemented with a similar fluted table base of sage green and marble top.

Image credit: Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

It’s a cafe-style corner in the home that brings life to a simple white-and-grey kitchen.

Image credit: Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

Laundry day doesn’t have to be sian day when you have a rose gold, ceiling-mounted drying rack that also serves as a statement piece in your connected service yard. Not only does the colour match the fluted wall, but it also adds a touch of luxe that accessorises the space.

2. Hello, Kitty – $20k

Image credit: Design 4 Space

Ringing in the till at just $20,000 is this Hello Kitty-themed HDB flat – far from being a garish pink, white and red space, this is tastefully done up in shades of cool, pale pink with complementary neutral tones. There’s no mistaking the Hello Kitty theme here, with the huge kitty’s head forming a feature wall behind the television console.

Image credit: Design 4 Space

This is balanced out with the otherwise clean lines and colours in the rest of the house – a built-in cabinet in the living area sports muted brown laminates, while the dining wall is demarcated by a wall mural of pale grey tiles.

Image credit: Design 4 Space

The otherwise muted palette provides room for pops of colour: hits of candy pink in the living room, as well as glossy pink cupboards in the elongated kitchen, set off with marble laminates on the upper cabinets, and black sink fixtures for an overall cohesive look.

3. Rustic, cosy glam – $35k 

Image credit: Comfort Home Interior

There’s rustic, and then there’s rustic glam – this vintage 3-room flat in Kampong Kayu nailed all that, and here’s what they did for $35,000. If you have the leeway to, find out which walls you can knock down – they expanded the living and dining areas by hacking one bedroom and framing the entry to their home with a wide archway.

Image credit: Comfort Home Interior

Mismatched chairs, vintage furniture and creeping vines give the space a lived-in, cosy look that blends old and new, while the deep green half-painted wall creates an optical illusion of space and height.

– Average renovations above $40k –

4. Modern Peranakan vibes – $40k 

Image credit: The Local INN.terior

Skip the Japandi vibes that everyone’s going for these days, and consider looking to your roots – case in point, this do-over that pays homage to old Peranakan shophouses.

The eye is first drawn to the ventilation blocks, a distinguishing feature of old shophouses, lined above the windows. Again, we see the use of a duo-toned wall behind the sofa, painted emerald green on the bottom half, which provides a visual contrast to the wood and rattan elements in the rest of the space.

Image credit: The Local INN.terior

In the bathroom, the same green is featured as vertical tiles which provide the illusion of height in the room, while the Peranakan bowl-inspired sink is allowed to shine against the understated wooden vanity and bronze fixtures.

5. Industrial bachelor’s pad with Batcave vibes – $55k

Image credit: @alchemists_design via Instagram

Bruce Wayne fans, this is for you. The industrial bachelor’s pad screams distressed moody, and it’s clear to see why, with its raw, bold finishing. You get cement screed walls and a monochromatic black theme that emphasises the industrial feel of the apartment.

Image credit: @alchemists_design via Instagram

The theme continues on into the converted balcony, with the all-black armchair and crate doubling up as a side table. Then, there’s the feature wall of artificial turf that serves as a backdrop to a neon-lit sign – where the neon lights add to the harshness with a pop of colour, the turf definitely lends a slightly softer edge.

6. Retro with pops of colour – $63k

Image credit: Ascend Design

In direct contrast to the all-black flat is this project that’s breathed life into a 4-room Clementi flat. It stands out for the spring and autumnal hues that have been worked into an eclectic retro theme, anchored with shades of yellow.

Image credit: Ascend Design

From the bright yellow arch to the grouting and cabinetry in the washroom – even the sink in the master toilet – the entire house has a refreshing, cheery feel that’s mellowed out by the use of other bold colours and rounded edges. Rather than looking like a toy park, the consistent use of the anchor colour – yellow – has brought cohesiveness to the overall look and feel, with a retro vibe.

– Luxe renovations above $80k –

7. Aesthetic neutrals with curved beams – $83.5k 

Image credit: Roomable/Mesa Haus Studio

Visit any of the newer cafes in town, and you’ll note the prevalence of curved lines and earthy, Kinfolk-style finishings. Bring that into your house, as seen in this 4-room HDB flat in Pasir Ris.

Image credit: Roomable/Mesa Haus Studio

The beautiful touches of deep oak, grey, and copper fixtures are consistent throughout the house, from the kitchen to the bathroom. Similarly, the curves in the beams and furniture are translated to the shower divider with a sinuous curved top and bottom – complementing the mosaic tiles on the floor.

8. Traditional Japanese townhouse-inspired – $100k 

Image credit: Comfort Home Interior

It’s alright if you can’t go to Japan – you can bring Japan into your house, as evidenced by this machiya-style HDB reno. The old, wooden townhouses that you’ll see lining the streets of Gion in Kyoto, Japan have a history dating back to the Heian period of 794-1185. They feature living spaces divided by paper sliding doors AKA shoji doors, timber flooring and tatami mats.

To realise this concept, all the walls in this flat were knocked down. The shoji doors allow the layout of the apartment to be reconfigured at will – opening up or closing off spaces to expand living areas, or create secondary bedrooms.

Image credit: Comfort Home Interior

While the kitchen has modern finishes and appliances, it’s not disjointed in style from the rest of this HDB machiya, thanks to the continuity of the dark wood cabinets and grey backsplash that adds to the moody vibe.

Fund your dream HDB renovation with GXS

HDB renovations come with a hefty price tag that’s for sure, but your dream home doesn’t just have to be a dream: with GXS FlexiLoan*, you can turn them into a reality.

The personal loan means you’re able to access cash within minutes, and you can choose the tenure and repayment date that you are comfortable with. Enjoy low interest rates from 2.99% per annum (EIR 5.65% p.a.), and best of all – zero fees, even if you want to settle the loan ahead of the repayment date, which means interest savings.

*GXS FlexiLoan terms and conditions apply.

To celebrate the first anniversary of GXS FlexiLoan, you’ll stand to win a trip worth S$12,000, furniture or home appliance vouchers, or even a new iPhone 15 with a one-year Singtel mobile bill rebate of up to S$1,500. P.S. Here’s a lowdown on the monthly prize giveaways happening from April to June.

Plus, you stand to receive a $50 Grab voucher when you sign up and draw a GXS FlexiLoan during this period.

Image credit: GXS

For you to stand a chance at winning prizes*, all you have to do is download the GXS app, apply for, and use your GXS FlexiLoan. Customers that get an approved GXS FlexiLoan then simply need to make a drawdown of at least S$3,000, with a tenure of at least 6 months and maintain this loan with at least 50% balance until 17th July 2024.

*Terms and conditions governing GXS FlexiLoan Dreams Come True Campaign shall apply.

Find out more about GXS FlexiLoan here

This post was brought to you by GXS Bank (GXS) in collaboration with The Smart Local to help provide inspo for your dream home. 
GXS is not affiliated with the businesses of The Smart Local, the interior design firms and projects mentioned in this article.  
The GXS FlexiLoan is provided by GXS. GXS holds a banking licence and is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. GXS is a separate entity backed by Grab and Singtel and is not associated with Grab Holdings, Singtel, and their entities.
Photography by Pei Yee Lee.
Cover image adapted from: The Local INN.terior, @alchemists_design via Instagram