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Over the past decade, host and part-time Love 972 DJ Karyn Wong had got so used to living in small spaces that when she moved into her 1,000-sq ft four-room BTO flat in the east in April, it took her some time to adjust to the spacious unit.

“The first month after I moved in, I kept thinking, ‘OMG my house is so big.’ I just couldn’t get used to the part where I needed so many steps to get from one room to another. It was so tiring,” laughs Karyn, who recently gave #JustSwipeLah a tour of her new home. In case you’re wondering, it takes about 10 steps to get from the piano in her study to the kitchen. Yes, she counted.

For four years, Karyn, 34, shared a utility room with her then-boyfriend in his family’s three-room flat in the east. She was working as a flight attendant and it was closer to the airport than her own home in the west.

There was only space for a single bed, which they shared(!!), and a small cabinet in the utility room, and she had to downsize her “bursting wardrobe” to fit into two small drawers. 

To give you an idea, this is how a three-room flat utility room, which is slightly bigger than an HDB flat bomb shelter, looks. To call it a tight squeeze is an understatement.

"Thinking back, life was unimaginable. Before I moved into the utility room, I was very wasteful, constantly buying new clothes ‘cos I used to run my own fashion blog shop and my motto in life was not to repeat clothes. So having to go from that to wearing the same basic pieces all the time was a struggle. I was envious when I saw other girls in beautiful clothes and would always complain to my boyfriend and break down,” she tells 8days.sg. 

After the couple tied the knot in 2018, they rented a 355-sq ft one-bedroom condo, where they lived for five years.

“Things were slightly better after we moved into the condo, but I still had very little clothes,” she says. It helped that Karyn was then working in public relations at a hotel and could keep her office wear there. It also provided laundry service.

So, you can imagine how thrilled she was to move into her brand new $552K flat after being “cooped up” in small spaces for so long. 

“I can finally display my clothes (previously kept in vacuum bags in the storeroom) and have a working space to practise my keyboard. Previously, when I wanted to record music, I had to set up [equipment] and by the time I was done, I was so tired, so I rarely did my music stuff,” says Karyn.

Minimalist home to suit their fuss-free lifestyle

Karyn’s “OCD” husband is big on decluttering and keeping things neat and organised. Over the years, his minimalist ways have rubbed off on Karyn and are reflected in the interior design of their new home.

Open, clean and decked out in warm wood and light tones, the apartment exudes zen, Japandi vibes. The transformation took six months and cost around $60K (excluding furniture) as their BTO flat came in a blank slate, without additional fittings.

Being advocates of sustainability, the couple tried as much as possible to furnish the flat with items from their previous home or second-hand pieces. They were also mindful to only get the essentials so as not to clutter the space. It helps that they are fuss-free and “lazy when it comes to decorating”.

One of the rooms was hacked to create a spacious living area that is filled with natural light. Part of the space is used for Karyn’s work studio where the multi-hyphenate, who is also a busker, films her covers and recordings.

As she wanted a signature backdrop for her videos, she commissioned an artist to paint a pink - her favourite colour - mural for her studio. The artwork cost around $450.

“I wanted a backdrop that speaks to me and reminds me of the things that I love and am passionate about. You can see a lot of hearts ‘cos I believe in putting in heart work in everything I do. The spiral designs represent rainbows, which I love, and there are music clefs. This mural is very meaningful to me,” shares Karyn.

Kitchen

The kitchen was designed by Karyn’s engineer husband, who loves entertaining. They added an island for additional counter space, and it also doubles up as their dining table. 

“He likes to make sushi when he entertains so he designed the island like an omakase counter where the guests sit around it. He can prepare the sushi at the counter space beside the sink then turn around and serve it at the table,” says Karyn.

Master bedroom

You’d be forgiven if you thought the master bedroom is still a work in progress. But no, that’s all to it. No TV or bedside tables, just a queen-sized bed and lonesome artwork, which the couple can’t decide where to display, in the roomy space.

Why so sparse? 

“We’re not allowed to watch TV in the room, and there’s no bedside table ‘cos there’s no need for it. We can just place our things on the floor,” chuckles Karyn. “If we need one in future, we’ll buy it off Carousell. We want to keep the bedroom simple ‘cos it’s just meant for sleeping."

The adjoining wall between the master and guest bedrooms, which is used as their walk-in wardrobe, was removed to combine the spaces.

Karyn jokes that they moved from a one-bedroom condo to a very spacious one-bedroom flat.

Ensuite bathroom

Decked in dark grey tiles, the bathroom is decidedly more somber compared to the rest of the house. To save cost, Karyn’s husband specially went to get “remnant” tiles, available at a discount, from a tile shop.

“It is a small space, so he decided to use remnant tiles, which are excess from big projects or out-of-season designs. Not only is it cheaper, it is also a form of saving the environment. There is just so much wastage, so if we can, we want to do our part to reduce wastage,” she says, adding that remnants are usually sold at a 50 percent discount.

He was lucky enough to find his ideal flooring — textured stone tiles — and grey granite wall tiles were picked to match it.

“I’m always slipping, so he wanted something with more grip and yet easy to maintain, and this was the one. He liked it so much that he didn’t think much about the colour. He values function over everything else,” reasons Karyn.

Karyn’s vanity room

The common bathroom aka Karyn’s vanity room is a refreshing splash of pattern and colour, with its pink walls and terrazzo floor.

“I felt the whole house was too zen. I need more variety to match my vibrant personality. I picked different tiles for the walls ‘cos I couldn’t decide which one to get, and paired it with patterned flooring. The toilet is mismatched and it’s very me,” she chirps.

It’s no surprise that it’s Karyn’s favourite spot in the house. Not only is it a place for her to primp and pamper herself, it is also a studio of sorts where she films beauty-related videos and content for Mediacorp live streaming shopping series The Wonder Shop, which she hosts.

The shower area, which used to occupy the corner between the toilet bowl and sink, was removed to accommodate a full-width mirror and also extra space for filming.

“I spend a lot of time here and so many ideas were generated here. I am considering installing a phone charging station in the space, so I don’t have to keep running to get my phone to tell my friends about my ideas when they hit me,” she says. 

Watch #JustSwipeLah for a tour of Karyn's home.

Photos: #JustSwipeLah, Karyn Wong