A HDB resale flat in Bukit Batok has been transformed into a modern Peranakan home, featuring customised furniture and intricate tiling.

The owner of the house, Gary Goh, told Mothership that he decided to adopt a modern Peranakan theme in memory of his grandmother, a Peranakan who took care of him and brought him up.

Goh, who is a financial consultant, explained that the interior was conceptualised by him.

However, he also got the help of local craftsmen, such as rattan specialists and local tiling contractors, who have experience working with Peranakan tiles, to execute his ideas.

Here's a look at his living room and dining area:

The rattan-wood coffee table and TV console were put together by a 70-year-old rattan specialist from Chun Mee Lee Rattan Furniture.

Goh said: "I told him I wanted a table that can basically display my tiles. (I brought my tiles there!) For the TV console, I bought it. But what I did was I asked him to help me incorporate the rattan [into] it."

Most of the tiles in his home were purchased from a tile gallery in Chinatown, and then laid out by a tile contractor, whom Goh said was good for "intricate Peranakan tiling works" having been in the business for 43 years.

What Goh did was to to describe what he wanted in terms of the layout, and let the local craftsmen bring his customised designs to life.

Here's a look at some other parts of Goh's home, which has vintage and Peranakan details, such as air vents:

His kitchen, featuring a repeated floral tile pattern:

Sliding doors with a tile detail leading to a modern walk-in wardrobe:

The walk-in wardrobe:

A dressing table outside the master bedroom bathroom, with a partial glass window separating the spaces:

The bathroom, with a flower basin and bamboo tap:

Copper gold shower with a tile border:

And the entrance to his home, featuring tiled steps:

A "vintage look"

Many of these local businesses have been around for decades, and Goh was hoping to support them during these tough times.

Working with local craftsmen, Goh said that they didn't use computers nor state-of-the-art technology. But through pencil and paper, he could somehow convey his ideas, which resulted in a "vintage look" that he wanted.

Goh said he spent over S$15,000 on the furniture, and tiling work, and the entire process of sourcing and renovating took about four months.

What he spent was "way cheaper" than engaging an interior designer, but the trade-off was that he had to liaise with different contractors and source for the materials himself, which could get "mentally and physically draining".

"Overall, I can tell you that [based on] how I drew and visualised the house to look, they really made my dream come true," he said.

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Top photo courtesy of Gary Goh.