Last reviewed: 2 Sep 2026 · Written and reviewed by the Zenith Arc design team
Search for the best HDB interior design in Singapore and you will get a long list of firms, awards and beautiful photographs. None of that answers the question you actually have: which team is right for your flat, your household and your budget?
The strongest choice is rarely the cheapest quotation or the most fashionable portfolio. It is the team that can read your flat’s constraints, turn your brief into a workable plan, and explain — before you sign — how scope, HDB approvals, schedule, payments, variations and defect rectification will be handled.
This guide gives you a way to compare HDB interior designers on evidence rather than claims. Comparing firms across all property types? Start with our shortlist of 14 top-rated Singapore ID firms, then come back here for the HDB-specific checks.
The short answer: Shortlist firms with recent work in your flat type, verify the renovation contractor against HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors, compare itemised quotations against the same brief, and confirm who stays accountable from first drawing to final defect check. Review the contract, payment milestones and after-sales terms before committing.
HDB flats are not one job. A BTO, a resale flat and an executive maisonette put entirely different demands on a designer, and a firm that is excellent at one may be untested at another. Work out which category you are in before you shortlist.
BTO flats arrive as a blank slate with a defects liability period already running. The designer’s value is in space planning, carpentry and getting works sequenced around your key collection date — not in demolition. Ask how they coordinate with the HDB defects process so that their work does not compromise a claim you are still entitled to make.
Resale flats are where experience shows. Older flats bring hacking of existing carpentry and tiles, ageing electrical loads, wet-area waterproofing, and layouts designed for a different era of family life. Hacking and demolition require prior written HDB approval, and what is possible depends on the block. A designer who has not worked in flats of that vintage will discover the problems on your site, at your cost.
Executive apartments and maisonettes are the specialist end. Two storeys, staircases, larger floor plates and non-standard layouts mean more structural questions and more carpentry. Ask specifically for maisonette or EA work — a portfolio of 4-room flats does not demonstrate it.
Whichever you have, bring the same three things to every consultation: your floor plan, your key collection or move-in date, and a short written list of the daily problems the renovation must solve. Giving every firm an identical brief is the only way to make their proposals comparable.
This is the check most homeowners skip, and the one that matters most.
Renovation work in an HDB flat must be carried out by a contractor listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors. Many interior design firms are not the contractor — they appoint one. That is normal, but it means the brand on your proposal and the entity doing the work may be two different companies.
Ask for the contractor’s legal entity name, then check that name in the directory yourself. If the firm cannot answer this quickly and in writing, treat it as a warning.
Then ask who applies for permits. HDB requires prior written approval for certain works, and all wall hacking and demolition fall into that category. Requirements vary by the work proposed, so the team should be checking your specific design against the current HDB renovation guidelines rather than telling you it will be fine.
A directory listing is a compliance floor, not a quality guarantee. It tells you the firm is permitted to do the work. It tells you nothing about whether they will do it well.
Renders are cheap. Completed local projects are not. Ask each firm for recent, finished HDB work that matches your flat type and scope, and ask them to talk you through the constraints, not the styling.
Here is what that looks like in practice. These are completed Zenith Arc HDB projects, with the level of detail we would expect any firm to give you about theirs:
| Project | Flat type | Size | Works period | Cost | Cost per sqm | What drove the number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 268A Toa Payoh East | 4-room BTO | 93 sqm | 8 weeks | S$68,000 | ~S$731 | Full fit-out of a compact flat — carpentry, stone feature walls, glass study partition, lighting and air-conditioning all included |
| 589 Woodlands Drive 16 | Executive apartment (resale) | 119 sqm | 12 weeks | S$137,000 | ~S$1,151 | 3+1 bedrooms reconfigured to 2 for a joint master and walk-in wardrobe — and this figure excludes electrical, lighting, air-conditioning, wallpaper, furniture and appliances |
| 6 Toh Yi Drive | Executive maisonette (resale) | 186 sqm | 12 weeks | S$147,000 | ~S$790 | Two-storey build with a glass staircase and sliding TV wall — scope includes lighting, wallpaper, furniture and appliances |
| 471 Jurong West Street 41 | Executive maisonette | 148 sqm | 10 weeks | S$85,000 2019 pricing | ~S$574 | A 1980s block: ageing electrical capacity, uneven floor screed and original pipework all had to be assessed before design |
Figures are the actual contracted cost of each completed project. The works period is the contracted on-site period only — design, quotation and HDB permit stages sit before it.
Two things to take from that table.
First, works period is not the whole timeline. The 8–12 weeks above is the contracted on-site period. Design, quotation and HDB permit stages sit before it. Any firm quoting you a single number for “the renovation” without separating those stages is either being loose with language or setting you up for a disappointment.
Second, notice that the cheapest project per square metre is a maisonette and the most expensive is an executive apartment barely two-thirds its size. That is not a pricing error. It is the whole point of the next section.
Across the four projects above, cost per square metre ranges from roughly S$574 to S$1,151 — a twofold spread within the same property type. Floor area alone does not explain the differences.
Layout change is the real driver. The Woodlands executive apartment is the second-smallest flat in the table and the most expensive per square metre, because reducing 3+1 bedrooms to 2 to create a joint master and walk-in wardrobe is structural work, not a finishes job. The Toh Yi maisonette is 56% larger and costs 31% less per square metre, because its floor plan largely stayed put.
Then read the exclusions. The two figures are not measuring the same thing. Toh Yi’s S$147,000 includes lighting, wallpaper, furniture and appliances. Woodlands’ S$137,000 excludes electrical, lighting, air-conditioning, wallpaper, furniture, appliances and bathroom accessories — those were arranged separately. A homeowner comparing the two headline totals without reading the scope would draw exactly the wrong conclusion about which project was more expensive.
And check the year. The Jurong West maisonette was completed in 2019 at S$85,000. It is a useful record of what that scope cost then; it is not a 2026 benchmark, and any firm showing you a portfolio figure should tell you which year it comes from.
The practical takeaway: when you receive quotations, ask each firm to price the same scope, and ask for the exclusion list before you compare a single number. For broader market context, see our interior design cost guide, or model your own scope with the renovation cost calculator.
Two totals are not comparable when they cover different work. Ask for an itemised quotation and review each line against the same brief.
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Scope | Quantities, dimensions, locations and a plain description of the work |
| Materials | Product or material specifications, finishes and hardware |
| Allowances | Provisional sums clearly identified as provisional |
| Exclusions | Everything you must buy, arrange or pay for separately |
| Variations | Written approval and pricing before any additional work starts |
| Schedule | Stages, dependencies and a handover date tied to them |
| Payments | Milestones tied to documented progress, not calendar dates |
| Handover | Defect inspection, rectification process and written warranty terms |
Push back on vague wording. “Carpentry works” is not a specification. “Kitchen tall unit, 600 × 600 × 2400mm, laminate finish, soft-close hinges, three internal shelves” is. Precision protects both sides — it helps reduce ambiguity and the risk of disputes over whether a project ends in a dispute.
The person who presents the design is often not the person supervising the trades. Before appointing anyone, establish:
Accountability should not move between “the designer” and “the contractor” depending on which one you are asking. If it does during the sales process, it will during the build.
Read reviews for patterns, not stars. One glowing review tells you nothing; five recent reviews all mentioning slow variation pricing tell you a great deal. Look across more than one platform, and weight detailed reviews that describe the flat, scope and team over short ratings with no context. Ask whether the firm can put you in touch with a recent client whose project resembled yours. You can read Zenith Arc homeowner reviews and compare the themes against independent platforms.
Then read the contract. It should name the legal entities involved and record scope, specifications, price, payment schedule, timeline, variation process, warranty and defect terms, and each party’s responsibilities. Verbal promises are not terms.
CASE advises renovation customers to use a written agreement, keep the initial deposit as low as practical, and tie progressive payments to project milestones. Its consumer advice for renovation projects also recommends documenting defects and having them rectified before final payment. If a firm is CaseTrust-accredited, verify the current listing and ask how the renovation scheme’s deposit performance bond applies to your contract — it has defined terms, and it is not the same thing as a listing platform’s own guarantee programme.
For the full due-diligence checklist, including the warning signs that apply to any renovation, see our guide to avoiding renovation scams in Singapore.
Apply the same test to every firm you meet.
| Area | Strong evidence | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| HDB compliance | Contractor entity named and verifiable in the DRC | Vague answers about who performs the work |
| Relevant experience | Recent completed projects in your flat type, with constraints explained | Renders only, or unrelated property types |
| Design quality | Layout decisions respond to your routines and real measurements | Style discussed before function and feasibility |
| Quotation | Itemised scope, specifications, exclusions, variation process | Round sums and undefined items |
| Project control | Named contact, reporting method, clear site responsibilities | Accountability moves between designer and contractor |
| Contract and payment | Written terms, progress-linked milestones | Pressure to pay before details are settled |
| After-sales | Documented inspection, rectification and warranty process | Verbal assurances only |
The quality of the answers matters as much as the answers themselves. A reliable team will explain trade-offs, record assumptions, and tell you when an idea will not work.
Zenith Arc has worked with Singapore homeowners since 2016. We are HDB-registered, BCA-registered and CaseTrust-accredited, and a four-time recipient of the Qanvast SuperTrust award.
Credentials support a shortlist. They do not replace one. Assess us with the same questions in this guide:
Six HDB projects to start with:
More work across every flat type is in our HDB interior design portfolio, and our HDB renovation service page sets out explains our HDB renovation services and process.
Yes. HDB requires renovation contractors to be listed in its Directory of Renovation Contractors before carrying out work in HDB flats. If your interior design firm appoints a separate contractor, ask for that contractor’s legal name and check the listing yourself.
No — requirements depend on the work proposed. However, HDB requires prior written approval for all wall hacking and demolition. Your renovation contractor should identify which approvals apply and obtain them before the affected work begins.
A typical contracted works period runs about 8–12 weeks depending on scope. That is the on-site period only — design, quotation and HDB permit stages come before it, so plan your overall timeline backwards from key collection or move-in.
Usually, because resale work often includes hacking, replacing tiles and flooring, and upgrading ageing electrical and wet-area work before any new design begins. A BTO starts closer to a blank slate, so more of the budget goes into carpentry and finishes.
Not necessarily. A lower total often reflects a narrower scope, different specifications, or provisional sums that will rise. Compare scope, quantities, materials, exclusions, variation terms and supervision — not the final number alone.
There is no fixed number, but three well-researched firms usually reveal meaningful differences without making the process unmanageable. Give each the same written brief.
No. They can help you build a shortlist, but they do not show whether a team understands your household or communicates well. Verify current credentials, then examine relevant work, people, scope and contract terms.
Your floor plan, your key collection or completion date, your household’s must-haves, and visual references. Be ready to talk about how you use each room and what you plan to keep.
Bring your floor plan, your priorities and your questions. We will walk through layout, constraints, materials, scope and next steps so you can compare us properly against anyone else on your shortlist.
WhatsApp: +65 9851 8810
Office: +65 6266 4801
Showroom: 24 New Industrial Rd, #04-03 INSPACE, Singapore 536210 · 10am–7pm
