After A $130k Reno & Major Layout Changes, This Apartment’s Master Bedroom Has Been Turned Into A Home Bar

When it comes to big changes in a home renovation, it doesn’t get any bolder than this. We’re not just referring to how this Jalan Besar apartment went from a cookie-cutter condo to a modern chic contemporary abode, mind you.

This 893 sqft two-storey condo is home to a couple that loves to entertain — and what better way to host gatherings than to have your own full-fledged bar at home? That’s exactly what Karen Tan, 39, a senior PR & social manager, and Lendl Chong, 47, an ICT consultant, had in mind when they totally flipped the floorplan of penthouse unit around to accommodate a stylish home bar that could very well pass off as the latest speakeasy in town.

That isn’t the only radical floorplan change in this space — there’s also a living room-turned-kitchen and a kitchen-turned-master-bedroom (more on that later).

The entire home transformation cost $130k, and the sum also covers white goods, furniture and a smart home system. Despite the massive scope of the overhaul, Lendl and Karen handled the two-month-long reno themselves from last July until November, liaising with their contractor and carpenters (they did, however, hire a freelance interior designer to do the drawings).

Never mind that they had to move in midway during the works in October — the lease on their rental apartment was up. “[The noise] is okay. It’s just that we had to clean the house every day, and it’ll get dirty again the next day,” Karen tells 8 Days.

Still, they’re both happy with the final result, which reflects the homeowners' shared love for hosting gatherings, as well as their individual preferences.

For Karen, her penchant for arch design elements can be seen throughout the house, from the sublime archway at the foyer that greets guests as they enter (below), to the photo-worthy light feature installation upstairs.

Lendl, who started brewing his own beer at home during the circuit breaker in 2020, incorporated a cool beer home brewing set-up in the apartment.

“Now that we’re working from home, I try to make beer once a fortnight, especially if we frequently have friends coming over,” he quips.

Home bar

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d just walked into the latest bar in town, rather than someone’s home.

Believe it or not, this space used to be the master bedroom pre-renovation.


A home bar with all the bells and whistles you’d expect at swanky watering holes is the heart of the home and occupies the entire second level.


A sizeable sleek, sultry bar island stands in the centre of the room (it also hides a wine chiller beneath). Behind, a row of beer taps with a bar glass rinsing doodad (understandably, this is a crowd favourite among guests), and full-height shelves of spirits that makes for a great photo backdrop. There’s even a full beverage chiller stocked with non-alcoholic beverages, similar to what you’d find at, say, 7-Eleven. An L-shaped couch and a wall-mounted TV make this a great chillout spot, not only for guests, but for the couple on a day-to-day basis.

The sliding doors to the balcony can be opened up fully to combine inside and outside spaces for larger gatherings (when Covid-19 rules permit, of course).


The sun-dappled adjoining bathroom is clad in grey and white marble tiles and comes with a sunken bath and shower.




Balcony: Before & After

The balcony was given an instant update with a fresh set of floor tiles and minimalistic outdoor furniture and now looks 50 shades of great.



Stairway: Before & After

This is proof that any nook can be made IG- and OOTD-worthy. Simple additions like a bench and a cool mirror installation add a whole lot of oomph to an otherwise overlooked space in many double-storey homes.



Kitchen-diner: Before & After

Downstairs, Lendl and Karen turned the original living room into the current kitchen-diner.


Before: A living room.

Full-height storage cabinets were built in from the kitchen and extend to the hallway from the current kitchen to the rest of the house. This not only smartly utilises the limited — and previously unused — space available, but also keeps clutter at bay.



Master bedroom: Before & After

The existing kitchen was completely gutted out and converted into the master bedroom, decked out with a platform bed and a wardrobe. A wall that once separated the former kitchen and a small study room was also hacked away to make space for a walk-in wardrobe.


Yes, the master bedroom used to be a kitchen.

What about the adjoining ensuite bathroom? No, it wasn’t converted from something else — the bathroom remains a bathroom, albeit one with refreshed finishings.


Photos: Aik Chen/8Days.sg, Karen Tan, Allen Tan