Hong Yu Ran and his partner were turning 35 and thinking about buying a home when they hung out at the (now-closed) car park-turned-rooftop bar The Great Escape at Shaw Towers, daydreaming about living in the central area.
“Then we saw this HDB block from that spot,” shares Hong, referring to the block on Bain Street where they live now. “And I said: why don’t we look for a place there?”
They found the 883 sq ft unit on Property Guru and viewed the next day. “It was love at first sight,” he recalls. “The flat was 40 years old, but it had just one owner, who had kept it in such good condition. We made an offer the following day and got it.”

Hong is the brand manager of menswear label Suitsupply and his partner is in public service. Both are design aficionados who knew exactly what they wanted. They hired The Authors to realise their vision. The result is an eclectic home that feels both familiar and fresh.
The renovations, finished in Sept 2020 after being delayed six months because of the pandemic, cost $68,000, excluding the furniture. Overall, the result is exuberant without being overwhelming. Despite being happy with the result, the couple admits that it is still a work in progress.
We will be following it on Instagram under the handle @bainstreetsocial. Ahead Hong gives us a house tour of this colourful abode.