16 Best HDB (BTO & Resale) Kitchen Design Ideas In Singapore [Updated 2023]
When you are renovating your home, you would want every room of the house to be transformed into beauty and elegance. Of course, this includes the kitchen. A beautifully renovated kitchen offers you a comfortable and functional environment where you can cook and prepare meals efficiently.
When you look at kitchen renovation ideas, you will be able to find a broad array of options. Some are well suited to large ones, whereas others are specifically designed to keep in view smaller ones. Whether you own a big house or a small apartment, you are bound to find many different kitchen renovation ideas from which you can choose the designs that best suit your requirements, kitchen renovation budget and preferences.
If you are living in Singapore, chances are you are living in an HDB flat. Whether you have a small space for your HDB kitchen or a huge area, there are various ways through which you can revamp its appearance. Even in small spaces, if the space is utilised properly, it can lead to a convenient kitchen that not only serves the purpose but does not appear cluttered as well.
Here, we will describe a few ideas which you can adopt to change the appearance of your HDB kitchen. Be it a small one or a big one, we have creative ideas to suit your needs!
#1: Bright And Functional
Having a white-themed kitchen brightens up the whole area immediately. If you have a small HDB kitchen, a white theme will be especially useful since it will make the space appear spacious and big. You can add white cabinets with a light grey or beige backsplash. The floor tiles can also be white or pastel-coloured to match the overall white theme. A white-themed kitchen does require more effort in cleaning, but it presents it elegantly and beautifully.
Also, try to keep the kitchen functional. Only add those elements which are going to be of use to you, so you do not waste any space with unnecessary items. Provide ample room in the form of counters to add maximum functionality. Add a bar and chairs if you have space.
#2: Open Concept Haven
An open-concept HDB kitchen not only takes much less space but is trending these days as well. When no apparent walls are separating the kitchen from the living room, your whole apartment or condo appears spacious and airy.
Below is an HDB kitchen renovated by us, notice how the countertop can be utilized for dining purposes as well. This open concept looks stylish and elegant as well as provides the added functionality of dining without taking up any extra space.
This is probably the most common type of HDB kitchen design especially for smaller homes and studio apartments. It takes relatively lesser space. Because of its open concept, it does not appear congested even though it covers less surface area.
It also allows more light to enter the kitchen which would not have been possible had it been a conventional one. This kind of design is especially useful if you have small kids. It allows you to keep an eye on your surroundings while you cook.
However, this design also has the disadvantage that all cooking smells and odours spread to all areas of the house. This can be countered by placing the stove near a window or exhaust fan. Alternatively, you can install a cooker hood over the stove. This will be bad as much cooking smell as possible from above the stove and throw it outside. This is an important step that should not be missed while designing such an open-concept kitchen.
#3: Add A Kitchen Island
One of the best ways in which you can add style and elegance to your HDB kitchen during renovation is to add a kitchen island. You might be concerned that it will take extra space, but the functionality and ease that it offers are worth the extra space taken.
You can utilize the island for sitting and dining. There could be shelves incorporated on the island that will serve storage purposes. The countertop itself can be used in various ways during meal preparation. If you have a bigger kitchen, you can invest in a large island and have the sink fitted in it.
The larger island will mean more storage space as well as for other purposes. Thus the benefits of an island are endless. Even if you have a small space, you can add a smaller island; it does not necessarily have to be a big one. This will make your HDB kitchen look stylish and classy.
In the case of a smaller kitchen, you can even have a kitchen peninsula that is attached to a wall. Use kitchen stools on their sides and make the best use of them. Consider the following renovation project by us. It has a peninsula which helps increase the functionality of the HDB kitchen.
A kitchen island is one of the most elegant and feasible design options available when you want to renovate your old kitchen or design a new one. An island kitchen allows you to have maximum storage space while still providing enough space for meal preparation.
In this kind of design, you have a counter in the middle of the HDB kitchen in which you can add all sorts of compartments according to your choice. You can add cabinets, ovens, stove, and wash basin all on this counter. Based on the area available, you can choose a bigger or smaller island.
At one side of the counter, you can even place seats or stools to convert it into a dining area. The kitchen island is ideal for small kitchens. This type of design not only looks very attractive and elegant but also provides you with maximum storage space. This helps you declutter your area and keep the kitchen counters clean and speckless.
#4: Focus On The Flooring
Although the main emphasis of a kitchen interior is on its functionality and where everything is placed, the floor is just as important when it comes to its interior design. If the remaining elements of the kitchen have been designed immaculately, but the floor fails to match it, the whole space will look like a disaster. Ideally, the floor should be tiled in very light colours so it can help make the area look spacious.
The floor tiles could match the colour of the backsplash tiles or be a shade darker or lighter than it. You can even opt for wooden appearance and texture tiles to match the other elements of the kitchen interior design. Again, the options in the case of flooring in a kitchen are limitless.
#5: Use A Scandinavian Theme
A Scandinavian theme can be considered one of the best ideas when it comes to HDB kitchen renovation. Scandinavian interior design features very light-coloured elements, simplicity, and a decluttered space. Keep things simple by installing plain, white shelves and cabinets.
Avoid open shelves as they can make the space look cluttered. Keep maximum things stowed away in storage so that there are minimum items on the countertops. Of course, you can add a bit of colour to the kitchen to add some element of excitement. This could be in the form of dark-coloured kitchen appliances or a countertop of a dark colour to offset the remaining light-coloured elements.
#6: Experiment With New And Exciting Tiled Backsplash
When you think about keeping things simple in your HDB kitchen, it applies mostly to the cabinets, counters, and the floor. However, this does not mean that you cannot add an element of surprise and excitement to some parts of the kitchen during renovation.
One such way you can add a bit of trend and pop is to use unique patterned backsplash tiles. These tiles can be used in the form of patchwork or other geometrical patterns to create eye-catching designs.
An example is displayed in the following image of an HDB kitchen renovated by us. Notice how different shades of brown and gold tiles are installed to create a unique fan-tiled backsplash. This design not only adds a different character to the kitchen’s design but also offers beauty and elegance.
#7: Use Cool And Serene Color Themes
Choose cool, deep, and serene colours for your kitchen to create such beautiful interior design themes that are bound to catch the attention of anyone who enters. The use of cool colours helps you enjoy the process of meal preparation and cooking, so it does not feel like a burden to you.
A perfect example of such a kitchen is displayed in the following image where the space was renovated by us. The cabinets and shelves are of a deep and calm shade of blue, whereas the countertop is white. This perfectly balances the colour theme through the added use of accent and recessed lighting. The floor and walls are of ash grey colour, which further complements the whole design.
#8: Maximize The Use Of Available Vertical Space
Another important and useful idea during a kitchen renovation is to maximize the use of vertical space, so the space looks decluttered and spacious. This can be in the form of full-length cabinets and shelves. You can place the dryer on top of the washing machine to use this vertical space.
The various kitchen appliances can also be stored and fitted in the vertical shelves of the cabinets. This is what has been done exactly in the following renovation done by us. Maximum vertical space has been utilized, which makes the HDB kitchen look spacious yet functional.
#9: Kitchen in a Longer, Narrow Space (Galley Kitchens)
A galley kitchen is where you have a long space but it is not very narrow. It can accommodate fittings on both long walls of the kitchen making the fittings parallel to each other.
When you have limited space, that too in a long rectangular shape, you have to design it accordingly. This means utilizing as much space for the kitchen accessories as possible while still leaving enough space to allow people to move around freely.
One design option in such a case is to have a single wall kitchen. All the necessary items i.e. stove, cabinets, washbasin, storage areas for refrigerator and washing machine, all this stuff is pitted against one wall.
This will allow all the other walls to be completely empty, thus providing a spacious outlook. You can incorporate cabinets all the way up to the ceiling in such a design. This kind of small HDB kitchen can tend to be quite dark because of its structure and design.
You can have a big window on the longest empty wall to allow for maximum light to enter this small kitchen. It will also help in ensuring good ventilation in the HDB kitchen. You can further add spotlights on the ceilings, above the stove, and inside cabinets to tackle this issue of less light. You might also consider adding more appliances.
This kind of design leaves just enough space in the middle to move about conveniently. The advantage is that there is enough storage space in the form of cabinets on two parallel walls.
However, if you have a lot of cabinets especially if they go up to the ceiling on both sides, it will create an outlook of very overpowering and congested space. In that case, it is a good idea to install cabinets that go up to the ceiling either only on one side or if both sides are to be used, then not to fit tall cabinets. Your stove and oven can also be fitted along the cabinets as built-in items. This will help conserve the space further.
#10: Beautiful Breakfast Counters
Incorporating a small breakfast counter in your HDB kitchen can help give it a new and refined look. A breakfast corner or counter can be added in any type of kitchen whether it is an open-concept or a conventional room.
This breakfast counter can be of any material of construction e.g. wood, aluminium, PVC, metal, or fiberglass. It can be attached directly to a wall or placed in the middle of the kitchen depending on how much space you have.
If it is attached with a wall, it can easily seat people on one side of the counter. In the case of a counter in the middle of the kitchen, it can seat people on all of its sides. If you have a small kitchen and no specific breakfast counter, you can easily transform one of the kitchen counters to serve the purpose of a breakfast counter.
Just buy a couple of stools or chairs which can be placed beside the counter. It can then be used as a table when you want to have a bite to eat or drink coffee.
#11: Different Shaped Kitchens
If you have other kinds of kitchens which are either L-shaped or U-shaped, you can also design your kitchen accordingly so as to utilize the space as much as possible while still allowing the space to appear spacious.
In the case of an L-shaped kitchen, it is a good idea to have the stove and sink on one wall whereas the other wall can accommodate the washing machine as well as serve as a working counter.
This design helps conserve space while still allowing you to move around conveniently. In the case of a U-shaped kitchen, you have more storage space. You can have the stove on one wall, the sink on the second wall, and the washing machine on the third one. This design is quite user-friendly as it offers ample storage space with everything in your reach.
These are some of the design ideas which you can adopt while designing your kitchen or renovating it. You can either choose a design as it is or you can mix and match the different ideas to come up with your unique design according to your preference, style, and the amount of space you have for your kitchen.
#12: Open Concept kitchen with a twist
We have discussed the open-concept kitchen design as being one of the most popular ones in Singapore. However, there is a disadvantage with this design that all the cooking odors and smoke fill the rest of the home as there is no barrier to stop them. What if there could be a way to achieve the open-concept design to some extent and keep away the odors, smoke, and grease to the kitchen? The answer is: Yes! There is a way in which you can enjoy both these advantages; this HDB kitchen design style is discussed below.
As can be seen in the following image, we see an HDB kitchen that looks like an open concept design at first sight. However, you would notice that there is a glass partition and glass door that separates the kitchen from the dining area and living room. This wise and innovative idea allows you to see beyond the glass on both sides to give the illusion of an open-concept plan. However, since the kitchen area is enclosed in between the partitions, all its noise, odors, and smoke stay inside without traveling to the rest of the home. Therefore, because of these glass partitions, this HDB kitchen and living room area looks airy and spacious without the disadvantage associated with an open plan layout.
#13: Add an extended kitchen island
Another innovative and creative interior design idea for an HDB BTO kitchen is to extend the kitchen island in the form of a dining table. If you have a big enough space, then a tip to design a unique kitchen space is to create a large kitchen island. Now, that might not be a very feasible option to create. However, with this idea of placing a dining table right next to the island, you can achieve the look of a large island. And since the dining table is portable, you can easily change its position whenever you want a different layout of your kitchen and dining area.
As an inspiration, consider the following interior design portfolio of an HDB kitchen with an open-concept layout is a spacious area. As you can see, there is a dining table added in extension to the kitchen island. If you take out the dining chairs, this table would serve as a large island and could be used for meal preps and cutting just like an island. However, since it creates a much larger workspace, it allows multiple people to work seamlessly in the kitchen. This is the perfect idea for when you are having guests over; you can initially use this table as an island during meal preps and then place back the dining chairs when it is time to eat!
#14: Bar-style kitchen
With lots of new and interesting ideas for HDB kitchens that one encounters in magazines and interior design portfolios, people are always on the lookout for creating a unique and interesting look for their HDB kitchens. One idea that can easily be implemented in the kitchen of an HDB, BTO, or a condo is a bar-style kitchen. This kitchen style is easily achievable and does not require a big increase in your kitchen renovation budget. In this kitchen, you create a bar-style sitting along the kitchen island or peninsula while the rest of the kitchen is at one side. As can be seen in the following image, there is a kitchen peninsula on top of which is a hanging structure to place inverted glasses and other items just like in a bar. This creates a unique and innovative ambience in the kitchen.
Another view of this kitchen is shown in the following picture. This image shows how a separate kitchen area has been designated on one side of the bar/island. This keeps all the cooking and washing processes away from the eyes as you enjoy light conversation and have a drink while sitting on the bar-style kitchen island.
#15: A slightly hidden open-concept kitchen
Now let’s face it. Everybody loves an open-concept kitchen but sometimes one feels that there should be a bit of a communal space but the cooking, preparation, and washing aspects of a kitchen should be hidden from view. If you have a traditional kitchen with walls, all these processes are kept hidden but the open-concept effect is also unachievable in such a design. The solution to this problem is to create an open-concept kitchen with a slightly hidden kitchen part so that you can enjoy the best of both the concepts.
To see this design in action, consider the following image of an HDB kitchen that has been designed in an airy and spacious manner. As you can see, the kitchen has an open concept with a kitchen peninsula and chairs next to it. However, right behind the peninsula is not the cooking or washing station; that part is on the right side which is practically hidden from view of anyone sitting on the peninsula or the living room. This helps create a spacious vibe while still concealing the messy part of the kitchen.
#16: A dark-themed kitchen with a few pops of color
When thinking about choosing a particular interior design style for an HDB kitchen, often one sees ideas that revolve around a white or other light and pastel colored- themes. While there are many advantages of choosing a light color theme for a kitchen including making it appear more spacious, airy, and bright, this in no way means that you cannot choose dark colors for your HDB kitchen. Of course, you will have to add just the right kind of lighting to enhance and accentuate the dark color at all the right places. But once it is done, the dark colored HDB kitchen will shine in all its glory like no other.
An example of this can be seen in the following HDB kitchen interior design portfolio where black color has been chosen for the cabinets, shelves, backsplash, and even the walls. Only the floor is kept in a lighter tone to create a slight contrast, otherwise everything else is black. The floor features light gray marble tiles that add a touch of class to the kitchen and also helps to further enhance the dark hues. However, with spotlights, indirect lighting, and accent lighting, the kitchen appears aesthetically mesmerizing and strikingly beautiful.
Another view of this open-concept black HDB kitchen shows how colorful chairs have been chosen for the dining space to break the monomity of the dominant black color. Since the dining table is an extension of the kitchen’s island, it is also black. Therefore, the multicolored chairs add that much needed pop of color while also helping to uplift the blackened appearance. Again, spotlights, track lights, and direct lighting further emphasize the accents in the space to create a highly modern, elegant, and contemporary HDB kitchen.
Creating New Dimensions with Tile Selection
Kitchen tiling work is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to designing a kitchen! What you need to consider is that the size, shape and even the texture of the tiles that you choose make a huge difference to the overall finish of a kitchen interior design. There is no end to the types of tiles out there and if you were ever to walk into a tile showroom, you would find yourself often spoilt for choice. Matching your kitchen wall tiles with your carpentry is more than just a game of choosing complimentary colours, here are a few tips for you to select the perfect tiles for your kitchen:
1. Tiles with large form factor (60x60cm).
Ever walk through the lobby of a luxury hotel? Notice how the tiles on the floor are much larger than those that you would commonly find at home? Well, this is because tiles with larger form factors exudes a more luxurious façade. It gives that additional illusion of space and yes, ask any designer and they would agree that space is indeed luxury when it comes to designing luxurious home interiors.
2. Subway tiles: Yay or Nay?
Subway tiles have seen the interiors of many homes in Singapore and the burning question that remains is: Are they even still an interior design trend? The good news is subway tiles are no longer just available in the boring age-old white shade. Spice things up with your kitchen design with subway tiles in shades that you would never have thought of before. Forest green, salmon pink and even the classy black variations of the plain white subway tiles are a breath of fresh air when it comes to choosing tiles. Make sure these go well together with your kitchen cabinetry and you are on your way to making the front page of the next kitchen design magazine feature.
3. Grouting – A Special Tip!
Grouting is the special solution responsible for joining tiles and protecting their edges from wear and tear. More than that, grouting adds the final touch to any tiling work and choosing the right colour of grouting can make or break a design. Grouting comes in many different colours, shades and tones, making it easy to pair with your chosen tiles. Using contrasting or complimentary coloured tile grouts brings out that extra life in your tiles, giving your kitchen a finishing, you never knew it was capable of. An additional tip – epoxy grouting is waterproof and so easy to maintain! Do not be held back by any stains or spills, just a simple wipe with a wet cloth and your tiles will look brand new again.
Types of Interior Design Styles Available You Can Choose
When it comes to designing your kitchen, there are many moving parts and homeowners often have no idea which contractors or handymen to contact first before another one can start on their work.
As such it is often very helpful to hire a top interior design company in Singapore to settle the renovation process for you. With that said, keep in mind the following few pointers when it comes to renovating your kitchen.
Firstly it is important to have a budget
this will include what you need and want to have
seeing if the budget you have allocated for renovating is enough to accommodate your design
think about what you can do away with and what materials you would like to have
for these you have to make a list and back up for if a) you are unable to procure the items/ materials needed to build say the countertop you want b) which material is better and for what purpose
what features can you not have if it causes you to exceed your budget
Second, look for inspirations on how you would like your HDB kitchen to be
the lighting
colour scheme
materials
layout
features
There are many various styles and ways how you can have your HDB kitchen renovated to be.
#1: Minimalist
With the minimalist design, less is indeed more.
Going for the minimalist look and layout is perfect especially when you are living in a small apartment. But it can also be perfect if you just like the clean and little clutter look, the minimalist look ensures that you save space and live moderately with everything kept and left simple.
In achieving the minimalist look, think of glossy marble finishes and bold strokes of black lines. To warm up the look of the HDB kitchen, you can also consider adding wood and warm light around the kitchen to give it a much cosy feel.
A tip to achieving the look is also to just simply scale down the number of build-ins, furniture or decorative features that you think of. This ensures that the design maintains its sleek and clean look.
#2: Scandinavian
Another alternative to the classic minimalist look, the Scandinavian style gives a clean, minimalist yet cosy style.
There are five main elements to creating the Scandinavian style:
1. Having a natural palette such as white, grey and accents of black
Having lighter backgrounds such as white and light grey contrasting certain black elements in the kitchen brings out a very clean and simple look. Not only is it visually light on your eyes, but it also creates a very beachy-villa vibe to your house.
2. Allowing a great deal of natural light in
If you wish to achieve the Scandinavian look, do try to create an open window to allow the sunlight in. The natural light hitting against the pale background of the walls, not only opens up the space and makes it look much bigger and open but it also helps you save electricity by just allowing the natural light from the outside to light up your kitchen.
3. Have lots of wood and plants
These are crucial to warm up the room against the pale background, so be sure to buy potted plants to decorate your HDB kitchen. It also gives you an added pop of colour in your space.
4. Ensure that there are no jarring contrast
Make sure that your appliances and design is not starkly contrasting the pale palette of your kitchen. The lines and items should blend in rather than contrast the entire outlook of the space.
#3: Industrial
Industrial style kitchens are renowned for their spacious layout and functionality. The style usually comprises of say a vertical garden and wooden cabinet to warm up the raw industrial elements such as the deep grey and black background.
There are also elements of tubes and industrial pendant lights that add to the industrial chic. Wood furniture and accents also go well with this style of HDB kitchen, bringing a touch of warmness into the cool layout.
A tip on decorating your industrial style is that you can add a pop of colour here and there in the design, such as red, green, or refurbish the kitchen with vintage pieces.
Choosing the type of design and theme that you want for your kitchen is important as this affects the material that you are going to choose to fit into your theme.
Cost Factors in Kitchen Renovation
Kitchen renovation can be costly, especially with so many different aspects it encompasses such as:
plumbing job
table tops
gas and electricity
appliances
Kitchen Countertops – A New Age
When it comes to kitchen countertop selection, quartz surfaces are often the first option that comes to the minds of many homeowners. However, did you know that there are many more countertop options out there? These provide new age of choices and each type has an advantage of its own.
Sintered and compact surfaces are slowly making their way up the popularity charts when choosing countertop materials and for very good reasons. Having high heat resistant properties, such surfaces make it perfect for use in the kitchen where heat is always present. Moreover, these new surfaces are easy to maintain, and some are even resistant to cracks, scratches and stains.
As with the progression of research and development, sintered and compact surfaces are made available in multiple design finishes, pairing these with kitchen carpentry has never been easier. Consult your kitchen designer for these suggestions and learn more about these newer-age kitchen countertop selections before making a final decision on what to choose to best suit your dream kitchen.
Choosing the right countertop for you:
Granite
Granite is the most common and sort after material to use as a countertop. This is because the materials are relatively easy to obtain and thus making them pretty affordable.
Marble
This material is softer than granite and would require delicate use and greater care. Natural stone as such would require to be sealed periodically.
Concrete
You can customise your concrete countertop, from choosing the finishing of it; smooth, ground, or making it marble-like, to the pigments of it. However, regarding the maintenance of it, it is similar to that of marble where it is advisable to seal them up to four times a year and wax it with a paste every two to three months.
Wood
Having a wood countertop will instantly warm up your kitchen. They are also relatively easy to clean and any scratches can be sanded out. However, be sure to have your wood countertop oiled frequently to seal the surface from any water, which could then damage your countertop.
Laminate
This is probably one of the most affordable countertop materials in the market and it comes in an array of designs and colours. However, the disadvantage of it is that if a hot pan touches the surface, the countertop can be scorched and it might not be as scratch-resistant compared to the other materials mentioned.
It is advisable to consult your kitchen interior designer or kitchen contractor on which option is best suited for you. This not only ensures that you do not exceed your initial budget plans but also that there will not be able to misunderstandings and confusion to your layout and design plan along the way.
Must-have Appliances For Your Dream HDB Kitchen
Everyone dreams of having a perfect kitchen where they can dance and cook. If you're thinking of purchasing appliances that can aid you in upping the ante, here are our thoughts!
Food processor: If you have a small family, you might not necessarily feel the need for a food processor in the kitchen. With a big family or if you want to simplify the task of food preparations during occasions, a food processor is the perfect appliance a modern kitchen can have.
Sous Vide cooker: The sous vide cooker will feed your family with quality food with its modernist technique of cooking. Temperature control is easy, along with quick heating flexibilities that will help you to cook perfectly while maximising on nutrients present in a meal.
Air fryer: An Air fryer is beneficial in numerous ways. It uses a circulation technique of hot air to fry ingredients present from every angle without consuming any oil. Let alone our favourite fried snacks, explore other recipes to air fry for that added crunch! The best part is its easy-to-clean mechanism where no mess, grease or scrubbing of oily pots is needed.
Bluetooth speaker and stand kitchen: To be able to dance and cook, consider a BlueTooth speaker that comes with great sound quality and easy voice controls. Hands-free in the kitchen, because why not!
These must-have appliances for a dream kitchen are our favourites, being affordable, useful and chic.
Find a Reliable Kitchen Interior Designer in Singapore
These are some of the trending interior design ideas which you can incorporate in your HDB kitchen during renovation. According to space availability and other factors, you can make certain changes in them and customize the designs according to your preferences and requirements. In the end, you are bound to have the HDB kitchen of your dreams that is classy, modern, and trendy.
We have been kitchen design specialists since 2012 and have designed hundreds of kitchens in HDB, BTO and condominiums. We also provide renovation services, HDB interior design and condo interior design services for homeowners in Singapore. We have separate packages for kitchen renovations as well in which they create customized designs that exceed the client's expectations. We are also one of the most recommended interior design firms in Singapore. Contact and schedule an appointment with us today and make your dream HDB kitchen a reality!
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