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achh
Hdb 5 rooms flat with modern Japanese inspired interior
Before vs After : Entryway Transformation with Adjustable Wooden slat
102
- Japandi
- HDB (Resale)
- ~1,200 sqft
- 3 br
- Couple Living with Kids
Hi again! Today I’m sharing more details about our entryway makeover — before and after. 🏡✨ This resale flat was actually in pretty decent condition when we got it, as we mentioned before. But since the layout and design style didn’t really match what we were going for, we decided to do a full overhaul — almost everything had to go! 😅 It took some effort, but seeing the space now — more open, clean, and welcoming — we’re really glad we went all in 
There was a lot of hacking work involved — not just cosmetic changes. We also had to rewire the entire house and plan out a new data line setup to fit our current needs 
Since we’re a family of four, we also have quite a bit of stuff — so we included a lot of carpentry to make sure there’s a place for everything. 🧺👟 We really took time to plan what to store where, and even considered where lights and switches should go to make daily life easier. 
For the flooring, we were actually inspired by the Japanese genkan concept — that little step-down area where you remove shoes before entering the home. 👟 We loved the idea, but we didn’t want to lower the floor, as we were worried water from town council’s corridor floor washing might seep in. So instead, we used a different tile colour to subtly mark out the entry area — practical and still gives that visual separation we wanted. 🧼💡 
Since the tiles we chose didn’t come with corner pieces, our tiler had to custom-cut the tiles to match the shape nicely. Really appreciate the effort! 
To save some cost, we didn’t hack the existing tiles in the living area — just worked around it. But to be honest, that did cause some issues later like chipped tiles from partial hacking. If we could do it again, we might have just gone ahead and re-tiled the whole space for better finish and consistency 
The existing DB (electrical riser) cabinet is now neatly covered with a custom door that has a mirror front — both practical and helps open up the space visually. 🪞 Right next to it is our shoe cabinet, planned to fit our family’s daily needs while keeping the area clutter-free. 👟 
As we also wanted a bit of privacy between the entryway and living area, we incorporated an adjustable pine wood slat divider. 🌿 
This divider gives us that sense of separation without fully closing off the space — and because the slats are angled, natural light still flows through, but people standing at the entrance can’t directly see anyone relaxing on the sofa. ✨ 
It’s one of those small features that makes a big difference in how the space feels — open yet private, functional yet warm. 
Bonus — this whole divider is fully foldable, so if one day we need to move things like a new sofa or mattress in, it can be opened up completely. Practical meets flexible. 💡 
We really tried to make this area as functional, warm, and future-ready as possible — and we’re super happy with how it turned out! 💛 Thanks for following our little reno journey.
9 May
