Walk-up apartment interior design in Singapore
heritage character, modernised.

Walk-up apartment renovations in Singapore typically cost between $30,000 and $120,000 for full refurbishments, with light cosmetic refreshes starting lower. The single biggest cost driver is M&E condition — older walk-ups almost always require full electrical rewiring (to current IEC 60364 / SS 638 standards) and often need re-piping too. This alone can add $15,000–$30,000.

Secondary cost drivers are hacking scope (old tile removal, plaster repair, waterproofing), carpentry (walk-ups have less standard dimensions, so custom carpentry is usually required), and access — no lift means materials are carried up by hand, which adds 10–20% to labour.

Every MET Interior quote is itemised line-by-line with a separate M&E assessment upfront, so you know what you are signing up for before works begin.

Certain walk-up areas in Singapore fall under URA conservation rules: Tiong Bahru (the pre-war Art Deco SIT flats), Joo Chiat and Tanjong Katong shophouses, Emerald Hill, and parts of Little India. Conservation means the facade, certain internal architectural elements (original terrazzo, specific doors or windows, structural layouts) and sometimes the roof profile are protected by URA.

Interior works that do not affect the conserved elements usually proceed with standard approval. Works affecting facade, windows, or structural layout require URA conservation submission via a conservation-experienced Architect — add 2–4 months of approval time.

We work with a panel of conservation Architects and have delivered walk-up renovations across Tiong Bahru, Joo Chiat, Tanjong Katong, and Geylang.

The three biggest design wins in walk-up renovation are light, ventilation, and layout flow. Strategic moves we use repeatedly: interior glass partitions to borrow light between rooms, lighter material palette (white walls, pale timber, reflective surfaces) to amplify what light there is, ceiling fans for cross-ventilation (Singapore walk-ups were designed pre-aircon), and where structurally possible, opening the kitchen to the living area.

Where roof access exists and the unit is top-floor, skylights can transform the space — subject to structural review and waterproofing detailing. We have introduced skylights in several top-floor walk-up projects with 10-year waterproofing warranties.

The goal is never to erase the character — the terrazzo, the ceiling heights, the original layouts — but to modernise around it.