Speech by Minister Khaw at the Opening Ceremony of My Nice Home Gallery

Jan 28, 2015

In Singapore, developers are expected to provide show flats when marketing their apartments. HDB is no exception. In 2002, it set up the “HDB Habitat Forum” to feature its show flats. Over 12 years, the HDB Habitat Forum welcomed more than one million visitors. It was popular with both prospective buyers and existing home owners looking for interior décor ideas.

I have visited many HDB homes. A clear impression is that Singaporeans are proud of their homes, and rightly so. Another impression is that Singaporeans are passionate in using their flats to express themselves. Many would spend time, researching and planning their renovation, choosing the colour scheme, selecting the right furniture, transforming their HDB flats with very tasteful interior décor. Some are quite outstanding! As the standard of HDB’s interiors climbs, HDB’s Gallery has to move forward too. That is why we are here today, to launch the revamped Gallery and to rename it: “My Nice Home Gallery”.

My Nice Home Gallery 

The revamped Gallery will be a good starting point for home buyers looking for décor ideas. It will complement HDB’s My Nice Home website and Facebook which provide many more creative and trendy home décor tips. Do 'like' them and visit them often.

The revamped Gallery will feature all the flat types offered by HDB. As we see increasing demand for senior-friendly features in our flats, we have added the Studio Apartment to the Gallery. They come with grab bars; pull cords with link to the Alert Alarm System; built-in wardrobe, kitchen cabinet. They are “ready-to-move-in”.

Cool Ideas for Your Home! 

The revamped Gallery is the result of strong collaboration between the HDB and a group of enthusiastic architects, interior designers, renovation contractors and furniture manufacturers. They discuss and bounce off ideas to fit out the flats, based on different budgets and different themes. The result has been refreshing: we have “Sporty Spice”, “Classic Contemporary”, “Nature Inspired”, “Totally Tropical”, and ‘Understated Elegance’. Explore for yourselves.

You will also find practical ideas on furniture design that are multi-functional. There are also useful tips on eco and community living. As we gather more feedback from homeowners and the experts, we will update the interiors of the show flats from time to time. This will keep the Gallery fresh and relevant.

Meanwhile, we also welcome your ideas and please share them through HDB’s “Cool Ideas” Facebook page. On this note, it is now my pleasure to declare My Nice Home Gallery open. Thank you.