Sneakers, figurines and comics take centre stage

In this Hougang flat, a homeowner’s prized possessions finally get room to shine. Leading the renovation was Subash, a senior interior designer at Reborn Interior, who saw the collection’s potential from the start.

The owner is, as Subash puts it, “a jolly, outgoing collector,” proud of his finds that run from sneakers and detailed figurines to classic CDs and comics from Marvel and DC, each with a story he enjoys telling. He is part of a household of five in the five-room HDB resale flat, and the brief was practical at first: they simply needed more storage.

Rather than hide the collection away, Subash chose to make it the star of the home. “I tried to understand the story behind the collection and the significance of each piece,” he says. “That led to the idea of surrounding the living area with it, so the memory behind each item becomes the highlight of the space.”

That vision met resistance in the original layout. A bedroom cut into the living room and left it narrow, while the kitchen and service yard sat closed off behind walls. Subash removed the room that had narrowed the living room, and reduced the area of another room to open up the kitchen and service yard. The result is a longer, lighter main communal space that gives it room to breathe.

The heart of the home is the living room, a modern sunken-inspired lounge of organic curves and soft edges. Built-in light wood shelving wraps the space, working as display, storage, and casual seating at once, while backlit wall niches, recessed LED strips, and large windows keep the mood warm and airy. Its centrepiece is a curved settee cabinet whose open cubbies put the family’s sneaker collection on full display.

“The living area with the curved settee cabinet, which holds the shoe storage, is the most interesting feature of the home,” says Subash. Getting it right was also the hardest part of the project. “It had to look good without being bulky, and hold plenty without losing its curve.” 

Flowing curves carry through to the open kitchen and dining area, where cabinetry in burgundy hues and a marble-patterned island countertop anchor the space with boutique café touches. Behind the hob, a colourful geometric tile backsplash and a sage-green Bertazzoni range cooker bring a playful touch. Practical thinking runs underneath, with a hidden niche at the base of the cabinets that lets the robot vacuum come and go freely.

Behind a door disguised as part of the wall, a walkway holds the rest of the collection. Glass cabinets line both sides from floor to ceiling, filled with figurines and other prized pieces, each shelf lit by its own LED strip and set against dark cabinetry trimmed in deep red.

What started as a straightforward request for more storage became something far more personal — a home built entirely around one man’s collection. Completed in three months for about $120,000, this is a proud collector’s home where a family of five lives comfortably, and the showcases do the rest.

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