SINGAPORE - Home owner Calvin Ho has moved places 10 times in the last 15 years.
The 56-year-old businessman and creative multi-hyphenate has also renovated his homes himself. He describes his approach as "quirky, unusual and out of the box". He says: "If someone walks into the space I designed and doesn't ask about or comment on it, I consider that a failure."
Mr Ho's first home, which he designed himself, was a Housing Board flat fashioned in Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi's style and featured in the Home & Decor magazine more than a decade ago.
His latest two-bedroom HDB flat in Tampines features open spaces, straight lines and a crowd- pleasing modern contemporary look.
It took only four months from his first viewing to completing the renovation, which cost $70,000 and was finished in February last year.
He and his wife Kelly Tan, 48 - a housewife and swab liaison officer for Covid-19 testing - live in the 1,196 sq ft flat with their dog, Snoopy.
The 35-year-old unit originally had three bedrooms and generous natural light. It is located on the top floor and has only one direct neighbour.
Mr Ho says he wanted to go back to the basics for the flat, which he intended as his retirement home. "Age catches up with you and no matter how stylish or fancy the design of your home is, if you can't keep it tidy, then it's useless."
A serial entrepreneur who had at one time owned an art gallery and superhero-themed cafes, he is no stranger to making the most of tight renovation budgets.
He bought most of his furniture from Chinese e-commerce platforms, citing their range, customisation options and value for money.
The custom sliding door that separates the kitchen from the living area, for example, could cost up to $2,000 in Singapore. Mr Ho sourced the mechanism online for $70 and had it installed for $300.
Removing the walls of one bedroom created a bright, open living and dining area populated by a few key furniture pieces.
A plush leather sofa from Grado takes centre stage in the living room, while a flat-screen Xiaomi TV in rose-gold finish is mounted on the wall.
At the far end is a wall of custom cabinets displaying part of his collection of superhero figurines.
The dining table and chairs were sourced from Taobao.
Mr Ho reupholstered the seats with leather and added brass caps to the legs, with rose-gold caps for the ones for the table.
These metallic accents unify the apartment's look.
All the appliances, tableware and accessories have rose-gold or brass finishes, which Mr Ho sourced online.
The flooring is mostly uniform: engineered wood planks set in a herringbone pattern, providing visual continuity between rooms.
Cables and wires are hidden behind plywood and finished with graphic wallpaper, leaving the walls flush with the column while fortifying the room's acoustics.
The ceiling lights in the living and dining area work in tandem with wall lights - installed by Mr Ho - to create museum-quality illumination.
The bedroom sports a dark palette of leather, timber and dusky pink accents, while the master bathroom features white tiles in modular shapes.
While planning for his retirement, Mr Ho downsized his collection of figurines and kept only a few items of sentimental value.
These are displayed in the living-dining area and the study. The latter features overhead cabinets, a katana (Japanese sword) collection and a 12-year-old leather chesterfield sofa that Snoopy loves.
"It's just the right amount of stuff that we can manage as we grow old, with details that still start conversations," Mr Ho says.
He currently has no plans to move to another home. "But never say never," he quips.
• This article first appeared in the February 2021 issue of Home & Decor, which is published by SPH Magazines. Get the March and latest issue of Home & Decor (left) now at all newsstands or download the digital edition of Home & Decor from the App Store, Magzter or Google Play. Also, see more inspiring homes at homeand decor.com.sg
