SINGAPORE \u2013 When married couple James Loh and Crystal Yeap, both 40, first viewed their four-room flat in Bedok in July 2023, they immediately knew that almost every wall in the home would have to come down.<\/p>\n
Keeping the original floor plan from 1984 would have left them with a living room measuring 29 sq m, which the couple felt was too small for their lifestyle and preference for larger communal spaces.<\/p>\n
They eventually removed the majority of walls in their home. While the decision left them with only one bedroom, it increased their communal living area by nearly 60 per cent to 46 sq m.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Singapore, homes feel like they are getting smaller and smaller, so having ample, comfortable space at home is something we appreciate,\u201d says Loh, the creative director of commercial interior design company HeatherGrey Studio.<\/p>\n
They are part of a growing group of Singaporean home owners rethinking conventional floor plans and hacking walls to create layouts that better suit their needs and lifestyles.<\/p>\n
Between 2019 and 2025, Alexis Tan, director of boutique interior design studio Alexis Interior, has seen a more than 50 per cent increase in the number of clients willing to depart from the original layouts provided by the Housing Board (HDB).<\/p>\n
\u201cI think home owners are getting younger and more curious about what they can do in a space of their own. People are also getting more resourceful, so they have been getting inspiration from potential designs online,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The trend has also been reflected in public housing design. In October 2024, HDB introduced an open-concept option<\/span><\/a> known as the White Flat layout under its Crawford Heights Build-to-Order (BTO) project in Kallang-Whampoa.<\/p>\n These beamless flats are delivered without walls separating the living and bedroom areas, giving home owners greater flexibility to configure the space based on their preferences. According to HDB, around four in 10 buyers at Crawford Heights have opted for the White Flat layout, with the project expected to be completed by September 2029.<\/p>\n A rendering of a White Flat layout by HDB for flat buyers who would like greater flexibility in configuring the living spaces within their flats.<\/p>\n PHOTO: HDB<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Buyers who choose a White Flat receive a price reduction of $6,000 for a three-room flat and $8,600 for a four-room flat. Those who do not opt for the concept are provided with a default layout that includes bedroom walls.<\/p>\n In public housing flats, load-bearing walls cannot be removed and home owners must obtain the necessary approvals from HDB before any demolition works can begin.<\/p>\n The approval process typically takes between one and two weeks, although early submissions are recommended to account for unforeseen delays, says Tan. The cost of removing walls varies widely depending on the extent of the works and the materials involved.<\/p>\n Older flats tend to be built with brick and concrete walls, while newer BTO flats typically use drywall partitions. Brick and concrete structures require more labour and care to demolish, making them more expensive to remove, while drywall partitions can be dismantled more quickly and at a lower cost.<\/p>\n Tan estimates that hacking works in older flats can cost up to 30 per cent more than in newer flats built with drywall.<\/p>\n Legal professionals Fiona Ng and Tan Shao Wei, both 29, moved into their BTO flat in the Bidadari neighbourhood in November 2025.<\/p>\n To make the most of the 69 sq m three-room unit, they tore down the majority of its walls, transforming it into a one-bedroom studio with just a glass-brick feature wall separating the living and sleeping areas.<\/p>\n \u201cThe glass bricks let light in, so the house looks a lot more spacious. And we really like the aesthetics of the material,\u201d says Ng.<\/p>\n A glass brick feature wall separates the living room from the bedroom in married couple Fiona Ng and Tan Shao Wei\u2019s Bidadari home.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Their decision was shaped in part by their previous living arrangement. Before moving into the flat, the couple had lived in an 83 sq m one-bedroom rental condominium unit for three years, and the shift to a significantly smaller home was difficult to adjust to, says Ng. It became one of the main reasons they decided to open up the space.<\/p>\n Room layout psychology suggests that the perception of space impacts feelings of freedom and mental clarity. Research has shown that increased natural light and ventilation in a home contribute significantly to mood elevation and higher life satisfaction.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s really important to take into account comfort and how you feel about the space. Our flat just didn\u2019t feel as comfortable because we came from a larger space, so hacking most of the walls made sense for us,\u201d says Tan Shao Wei.<\/p>\n The couple, who married in December 2025, are not planning to have children any time soon, making spare bedrooms unnecessary for now.<\/p>\n They intend to revisit the conversation about children in five years, after fulfilling their minimum occupation period \u2013 the mandatory period of time flat owners must physically reside in their HDB unit \u2013 when they may have the option of upgrading to a larger home.<\/p>\n Fiona Ng and Tan Shao Wei hacked down the majority of their BTO flat\u2019s walls, transforming it into a one-bedroom studio with just a glass-brick feature wall separating the living and sleeping areas.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Until then, the open layout allows them to prioritise aesthetics as much as functionality.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the walls are up, there are a lot of limitations when it comes to designing. We need the open space to have corners that do nothing but look pretty. Without the space, we felt like we couldn\u2019t have those corners. Every part of the house would\u2019ve had to be functional,\u201d says Ng.<\/p>\n For Loh and Yeap, the rationale was similar. Without children, they had little use for the two common bedrooms in their Bedok flat, which now function as work-from-home offices within a much larger communal space.<\/p>\n Without children, married couple James Loh and Crystal Yeap had little use for the two common bedrooms in their Bedok flat, which now function as work-from-home offices within a much larger communal space.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The hacking works also allowed natural light from 10 window panels \u2013 six in the living room and four in what was originally a common bedroom \u2013 to flow throughout the home. The result is a brighter, breezier interior with improved ventilation and a near-panoramic view from the living area.<\/p>\n For trade association executive Ben Teo, 35, and educator Evadne Loke, 36, removing the majority of the walls in their 93 sq m four-room BTO flat in Toa Payoh was an opportunity to achieve both spaciousness and privacy.<\/p>\n To shield the living room from the direct line of sight of the main door, the couple created a foyer with a settee at the entrance. With the common rooms removed, their living room floor area increased from 18 sq m to 28 sq m.<\/p>\n For Ben Teo and Evadne Loke, hacking the majority of the walls in their 93 sq m four-room BTO flat in Toa Payoh was an opportunity to achieve both spaciousness and privacy.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The couple lived in Teo\u2019s parents\u2019 five-room flat with their three-year-old son for five years before moving into their own place. With one bedroom wall removed in his parents\u2019 house, the size of the living room was around 42 sq m, which they felt was ideal for family bonding and relaxation.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we had gone with our original living room size, it would have been a significant downsize,\u201d says Loke.<\/p>\n When HDB first announced its White Flat concept<\/span><\/a>, some property experts and designers cautioned that unconventional layouts could affect future resale demand. Teresa Low, a property agent from real estate agency Huttons Asia, however, believes concerns about resale value are often overstated.<\/p>\n \u201cThe common misconception is that hacking walls means lower resale value. While it is true that open-plan or reconfigured layouts will appeal to a smaller pool of buyers, it does not necessarily lower resale value,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She cites a four-room flat in Tampines with extensive hacking works done that was sold at 25 per cent profit in 2023, and a similar case for a three-room flat in Bendemeer sold at 15 per cent profit in 2024.<\/p>\n Low has observed a 30 per cent increase in homes with at least one wall hacked among the resale listings she has encountered between 2020 and 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cOpen-concept homes tend to attract stronger emotional responses than homes with conventional layouts. Buyers who appreciate open-plan homes will love the space immediately because they are larger, brighter, and typically, more unique,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cBut for buyers who prioritise practicality, they may tend to eliminate the property from their considerations very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Thoughtful design can therefore become a selling point, even in homes that have undergone extensive reconfiguration.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think about it, buyers rarely pay a premium on a house for the walls, specifically. They pay a premium for how the space actually makes them feel,\u201d Low adds.<\/p>\n And even if an unconventional layout proves to be a hurdle during resale, home owners who spoke with ST say they are not overly concerned, as the trade-off is often worth it, and walls and partitions can always be reinstated to suit future buyers.<\/p>\n Fiona Ng in the bedroom of her BTO flat in the Bidadari neighbourhood.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a big deal, because in the worst-case scenario, you can just rebuild the walls before you sell it. Otherwise, I think it\u2019s fairly common for young people these days to buy a home and do a complete renovation of the entire place,\u201d says Tan Shao Wei about his three-room flat in Bidadari.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to live here for at least five years, right? So, we would like to live in a place that we like. I don\u2019t think we can make all our home decisions around resale value.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of the original living room in Loke and Teo\u2019s Toa Payoh flat was carved out to create a bedroom for their son, concealed behind a door integrated into the television feature wall.<\/p>\n Part of the original living room in Ben Teo and Evadne Loke\u2019s Toa Payoh flat was carved out to create a bedroom for their son, with a concealed door.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The couple are not ruling out the possibility of having another child, and say their son\u2019s room can be easily modified to accommodate one more.<\/p>\n \u201cOur son\u2019s bedroom has no built-in carpentry. Everything is modular, so we can still reconfigure the room to see how it might be possible to work within the space,\u201d says Teo.<\/p>\n Ben Teo and Evadne Loke are not ruling out the possibility of having another child and say their son\u2019s room can be easily modified to accommodate one more.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Modular furniture, such as shelves and storage credenzas, can act as simple partitions to section areas in an open living space.<\/p>\n At Muji Renovation \u2013 the end-to-end interior design and renovation service under Japanese retailer Muji \u2013 interior designer Tan Ye Ting often recommends installing Muji\u2019s stainless steel shelf units and sliding doors to clients who want modular dividers.<\/p>\n Muji\u2019s stainless steel shelf units can be used as modular dividers that also serve as storage areas.<\/p>\n PHOTO: MUJI SINGAPORE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The downside is a lack of soundproofing, says Tan.<\/p>\n \u201cThere might be less privacy because gaps in between the track system and panels may allow sound leaks. There can also be a higher initial cost, as certain sliding doors or dividers may require custom carpentry work,\u201d she says. Panels can also be acoustically treated, which can add up to 40 per cent more to the base cost of the partition.<\/p>\n Sliding panels or doors can be used to separate living and working spaces but a downside is the lack of sound insulation.<\/p>\n PHOTO: MUJI SINGAPORE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In spite of this, around 70 per cent of people who inquire about Muji Renovation\u2019s services are interested in removing walls, she says.<\/p>\n The shift is palpable, says Low of Huttons Asia, as more Singaporean homeowners prioritise lifestyle preferences over practicalities.<\/p>\n She says: \u201cEvery property has a target audience. While most buyers still immediately assess properties based on their current needs, I find that it is getting increasingly important to help buyers envision how they can live in a space \u2013 reconfigured or not \u2013 to suit their lifestyles.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE \u2013 When married couple James Loh and Crystal Yeap, both 40, first viewed their four-room flat in Bedok in July 2023, they immediately knew…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/picture><\/div>
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