HDB Interior Design Singapore: Bathroom Open Concept

HDB interior design Singapore bathrooms gain an open feel through glass and smart zoning, a trend driven by owners who want light in a 4-room flat of about 90 sqm without breaking HDB waterproofing rules. A true fully open toilet is not how HDB flats are built, because soil pipes and water containment stay fixed. The open look comes from a glass screen and a vanity pulled into the room. Plan the wet and dry lines before the tile goes in.

HDB interior design Singapore bathroom open feel within HDB rules

HDB keeps the bathroom as a contained wet area with its own drainage and waterproofing. You cannot move the soil pipe or hack the structural slab. The open feel is built inside that box using a clear screen and a half wall, not by removing the room. Work with an HDB Licensed Renovation Contractor who knows the Directory of Renovation Contractors so the draw meets the permit.

A common move is to drop the vanity to the outside of the bathroom door, in the common corridor or a study nook. The mirror and basin sit in the open, while the shower and WC stay behind a glass panel. That gives the airy look and keeps HDB's water rules intact.

Build the wet and dry split

The split is the core of the open feel. Get the line right and the room reads large. The points below suit a standard HDB bathroom of 3 sqm to 4 sqm.

• A 10mm clear tempered glass screen from floor to ceiling height, with a fall that sends water to the drain.




• A open vanity in laminate with a quartz top, placed outside the wet line for HDB flat space saving.
• Matte tile inside the wet zone with a grip rating, since polish fails the moment it is wet.
• A recessed niche in the non-structural wall for soap, so the glass stays clear of clutter.

Steps to open up the bathroom

The order protects the waterproofing. Rush it and you risk a leak that fails handover. Follow the steps with your contractor.

1. Confirm the soil pipe and floor trap stay put. Structural slabs are not hacked under HDB rules.
2. Draw the wet line and the glass screen on the plan. The vanity goes on the dry side.
3. File the HDB renovation permit. Processing takes about 2 weeks, so book it with the main reno.
4. Waterproof the wet zone to HDB standard and do the flood test before tiling.
5. Schedule hacking on weekdays 9am to 6pm only. No noisy works on Sundays or public holidays.
6. Fit the glass and the open vanity, then check the fall with a cup of water at handover.

Finish with light and safe floors

Use HDB approved flooring like vinyl in the dry vanity zone, warm and quiet. Keep tile inside the wet area where HDB already laid the base. Add a motion light at the vanity so a night visit needs no switch. Window grilles stay if the bathroom window is above the regulated floor, because child safety rules apply in HDB flats.

Your bathroom should feel open without breaking the rules that keep your flat dry. Bring the wet and dry plan to a whole-house customization team and let them set the glass, vanity and tile as one drawing. You get the airy look you wanted, the HDB permit clears, and the water stays where it belongs.