Singapore Entrepreneurs Convert HDB Flat Into Boutique Hotel Retreat

Noelle and Gnelle, a pair of entrepreneurs who spent years renting, recently purchased a 2-room Flexi BTO flat in Singapore with one unconventional goal: to transform it into a boutique hotel retreat. Having stayed in enough boutique hotels to appreciate understated luxury, they enlisted interior designers Ruby and Kenny, known as @hellohomebodies on Instagram, to bring that same ambience into their new home.

Design Brief: A Home That Feels Like a Getaway

“Our visitors’ comments usually alternate between ‘How is this an HDB flat?’ and ‘wow, you really went all out’,” Noelle quipped, reflecting the dual reactions the couple often receives from guests. Their brief was straightforward: they wanted every return home to feel like stepping into a boutique hotel, offering a true escape from work as entrepreneurs.

Ruby emphasized the importance of the “coming home” experience, saying, “That’s the reason why we wanted to make the homeowners feel like they’re stepping into a different space at the end of each day.” This philosophy guided the entire renovation, pushing beyond typical HDB aesthetics toward something more immersive and unexpected.

Overcoming Spatial Limitations

The standard 2-room Flexi BTO floor plan wasn’t inherently inspiring, but Ruby and Kenny saw potential. They envisioned a “warm postmodernism meets 70s retro-futurism” aesthetic, aiming to create an otherworldly atmosphere despite the compact size. Classic postmodernism often uses loud colours, but the designers opted to pair playful elements with an organic, tactile material palette.

Ruby’s nearly three years living in Europe and Japan significantly influenced her design approach. Exposure to distinct architectural sensibilities allowed her to craft a style that balances restraint with expressiveness. Throughout the home, retro-futuristic touches are softened by warmth, tactility, and a quiet intimacy, making the space feel both cohesive and inviting.

Kenny described the entryway as enveloping, with wood wrapping around nearly every surface—from cabinetry to walls and ceiling. “From the entrance, the cladded ceiling seems to stretch all the way in, but the line of sight is interrupted by an overhead shelf across the walkway,” he explained. This subtle intervention creates the illusion of depth across the entire unit, a clever trick that makes the modest space feel larger.

Undulating lines throughout soften the flat’s boxy layout, lending a cocoon-like quality. However, Kenny was careful to integrate curves sparingly, ensuring they don’t add unnecessary bulk. “We definitely don’t want that since the unit is already tight,” he noted. Instead, the curves serve a functional purpose: guiding natural movement through the space.

Blending Spaces with Purpose

To dissolve boundaries between the living room, dining area, and kitchen, the designers introduced an open wardrobe plan running the length of the unit. Anchored by a built-in settee and peninsula, the layout merges functional zones seamlessly. Ruby pointed out that these elements “lend a light nod to the squiggles characteristic of postmodernism and Memphis design popularised in the 1980s.”

In the kitchen, matching timber veneer conceals every appliance and fitting, including the sink, eliminating visual clutter and reinforcing the cabin-like atmosphere. This visual discipline allowed the removal of the wall between the kitchen and bedroom, replaced only by an open clothes rack. Natural light now flows freely into the sleeping area, enhancing the sense of openness.

The bedroom is subtly defined by a transition to a custom-built bedhead with integrated shelving, avoiding any disruption to the continuous wood theme. Similarly, the bathroom is demarcated by an angled door frame that creates a recessed, pocket-like effect within the timber-clad walls.

Its French doors echo the mauve laminate used on the peninsula, accented by three circular glass inserts, a final nod to postmodern classicism. “I love how they interact with the light and cast fun shadows during the golden hour,” Noelle said, capturing the playful yet refined spirit of the entire design.