Designing joy

In late 2022, Kevin and Jaclyn moved into an executive apartment in Tampines, transitioning from a four-room BTO flat in the same estate. Seeking an ideal space for their children to play, they transformed a dark, partitioned apartment into a warm, welcoming home. Their renovation journey, shared on Instagram @eastside_wallflower, balances aesthetics with functionality, catering to both their introverted needs and their kids' playful energy.

Tell us about yourself. 

Hello everyone. We’re Kevin and Jaclyn, parents to a 3-yearold boy and a 6-year-old girl. In end 2022, we moved into a 37-year-old executive apartment (EA) in Tampines. This is our second family home.

Can you share with us your home selection journey? 

Our first home was a four-room BTO flat in the same estate. We had many happy memories there, but we always knew we wanted a bigger, brighter space for our kids to be able to run around and play. After the flat’s MOP, we spent around three months going for flat viewings that met our criteria – either a five-room flat or an EA, in Tampines to be near our parents and within walking distance to a primary school.

When we stepped into this apartment, we were put off at first because it was filled with walls of built-in cabinetry and random partitions to demarcate spaces. The narrow corridor to the rooms thus felt very dark and unwelcoming. We figured the hacking costs alone would be astronomical. But as unit met our three main criteria, we eventually decided to go for it, knowing that it would need a complete overhaul to transform it into the home of our dreams.

How did you both decide on the style and theme for your flat? 

Both of us are introverts and look forward most to a warm and welcoming space at the end of a long day. With this in mind, choosing colours and textures became straightforward – nothing that would assault our senses! We went with earthy tones like oak brown, slate grey and sage green, connecting and contrasting them with raw, natural materials like concrete ventilation blocks and textured tiles.