6 Ingenious HDB Layouts and Furniture Arrangements to Maximise Space

While your HDB flat isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with square footage, it can still look wonderful yet be tremendously functional when carefully planned. Design ideas and furniture choices go hand in hand in making a small space work. To get you inspired, we plan out 6 practical layouts based on actual HDB floor plans using furniture from French company Gautier.

1. LIVING AND DINING ROOM

Most living and dining rooms are clustered together in an open-plan zone in HDBs. An open concept is great for encouraging light and ventilation to flow through the corners of the home, but it can be tricky to arrange your furniture in. For boxy spaces: [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62634,62635"]   Soften the edges of a boxy layout with a round dining table, which takes up less footprint anyway. You can do away with a coffee table and TV console to make the most of the space. Instead, opt for smaller accessories and storage units like the Artigo couch-end unit that serves as table to hold your cup of coffee and the Artigo wall shelf that only takes up wall space. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62636"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• SETIS OVAL DINING TABLE
• EDITO ARMCHAIRS
• DOMINO SOFA
• ARTIGO COUCH END UNIT
• ARTIGO WALL SHELF

If you have a long-ish layout:   [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62637,62638"] For longer and narrower homes, it’s sometimes difficult to demarcate different zones. If you’re keen to make your living space distinct from your dining area, a room divider does the trick. A tall see-through bookshelf like the Preface Tree divider + bookshelf serves as a great solution, and yet because of its transparent nature, it still allows light and air to flow through. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62639"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• WIGO SOFA
• BREM TV UNIT
• SETIS Y-LEG DINING TABLE
• ARTIGO COFFEE TABLE
• PREFACE TREE BOOKSHELF+DIVIDER

 

2. MASTER BEDROOM

The master bedroom may be one of the bigger rooms in your HDB, but it features some of the biggest furniture pieces you will purchase: your wardrobe and bed. You should plan the rest of your bedroom layout around these two items, seeing as they tend to take up the most room. We like the bed options such as Talmont and Intense from Gautier’s collections, which come with various attachments like bedside shelves and drawers that you can add on to the main bed frame so as to make it more multifunctional. The modular Odea wardrobe range can also be personalised to meet your needs. Choose from various cabinet finishes, closet compartments and types of doors. The 3-in-1:   [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62641,62640"] Your bedroom may be more than for sleeping. It could also function as a home office or a haven to which you retreat to at the end of the day to binge-watch your favourite Korean dramas. If your bedroom is a multifunctional zone, make sure you set aside enough space for each area. Measurements are key here – ensure that furniture pieces aren’t hitting one another and that there’s still ample walking space in between them. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62642"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• INTENSE BED
• INTENSE STORAGE DRAWER
• ODEA WARDROBE WITH SLIDING DOORS
• PREFACE DRAWER DESK
• ARTIGO TV UNIT
• EDITO BRIDGE ARMCHAIR

Build upwards:   [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62643,62644"] One of the forgotten spaces in a bedroom is the area above the headboard. A good way to maximise that space is to include shelves, where you can display mementos or store books. The Talmont bed comes with an overhead bookshelf attached to the main bed. The shelf finish can also be customised to match your bed structure. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62645"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• TALMONT BED
• TALMONT BEDSIDE DRAWERS
• TALMONT BOOKCASE MODULE
• ODEA HINGED DOOR WARDROBE

 

3. KIDS AND TEENS BEDROOM

The bedroom for your kids and teens should be practical, fun and stylish, and it’s a good idea to create a space that will grow with them. A neutral palette is a safe choice, which helps to stand the test of time. But don’t be afraid to use colour in smaller furnishings to inspire joy and creativity. For an adolescent that can’t wait to grow up:   [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62646,62647"] This understated bedroom features all the necessary: a study desk, wardrobe, bookshelf and bed, without feel overly cramped. When choosing furniture, go tall, go lean and make use of forgotten spaces like the corners of rooms. The space-saving Tactil corner wardrobe is a good choice if you want to free up wall space but don’t want to compromise on closet room, while the Dimix compact bed that comes with a desk attachment and underneath storage is great for a clutter-free look. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62648"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• DIMIX COMPACT BED + DESK
• TACTIL CORNER WARDROBE
• TACTIL BOOKCASE
• SETIS FOLDING CHAIR

For a teen that is all grown up: [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62650,62649"] For teenagers, they will want their bedroom to be a bit more customisable. Create nooks and crannies that allow them to stamp their own individuality. Once again, build upwards to free up floor space. The Naunce bedroom collection comes with chest of drawers that can be fitted with a vanity mirror as well as workstations that can be fitted with shelves on the top. We also like the Naunce bed, which features a fabric headboard that your teen can pin up posters of their favourite band or school reminders on. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="62651"] SHOP THE LOOK:

• NUANCE FABRIC HEAD BED
• SCREEN FOR FABRIC HEADBOARD
• NUANCE MIRRORED WARDROBE
• NUANCE DESK
• NUANCE CHAIR
• NUANCE CHEST OF DRAWERS
• NUANCE DRESSING TABLE MIRROR

  For more space-saving furniture, visit Gautier Singapore at Space@Tampines, #01-15, 18 Tampines Industrial Crescent, Singapore (528605), tel: 6908 0880.  

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