Celebrity couple Darren Lim, 53, and Evelyn Tan, 50, have finally reclaimed their master bedroom from their four children after completing a $200,000 renovation of their Upper Changi condominium. For nearly a decade, their children Kristen, 20, Jairus, 18, Way, 16, and Elliot, 12, had been occupying the largest room in the house while their parents slept in a smaller bedroom.
When the family of six moved back to their three-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot condo in 2016 after four years of living on a boat, the couple made the unconventional decision to give the spacious master bedroom to their children. "The room is bigger, and they were used to being together in one space. They actually enjoy being with each other," Evelyn explained during a recent home tour. The four kids slept on two bunk beds while Darren and Evelyn settled into a smaller ensuite bedroom.
However, during their recent major home overhaul, Darren's childhood friend who served as their interior designer refused to let the couple downgrade again. The original plan was to give Darren's mother the ensuite room when she moved in, leaving the couple with the smallest bedroom. "But he was like, 'Come on, bro, you work so hard, how can you stay in the last room where you don't even have an ensuite toilet? Just let your kids sleep there, we'll make the room bigger for them,'" Darren recalled with a laugh.
Surprisingly, the children were completely supportive of the bedroom swap. "They were very happy for us to have the master back," says Evelyn. While the parents initially considered creating a separate room just for their daughter Kristen, it proved impossible due to space constraints. Kristen was understanding about the situation, telling her parents, "Don't worry, these are my brothers. I prefer to sleep with them without any hindrances." Now all four siblings share one bedroom, and according to Evelyn, "they will just sit on the bed, chat with each other, it's a sight to behold."
To accommodate all four children comfortably, their bedroom was expanded by incorporating part of the former kitchen space. The redesigned room features a practical layout that avoids looking like a dormitory. Kristen has her own corner with a platform storage bed, the two youngest, Way and Elliot, share a bunk bed, and Jairus sleeps on a Murphy bed that folds away when not in use. The nook where Jairus's Murphy bed is located used to be part of the kitchen.
Despite housing four growing teenagers in one room, the space remains remarkably uncluttered thanks to the family's minimalist approach to possessions. Each child has only a 75-centimeter-wide closet, which proves to be more than sufficient for their needs. This minimalist lifestyle stems from their years living on a 500-square-foot boat. "We all used to have just five sets of clothes so we don't clutter the boat. It's only when we came back on land that we started accumulating things," Darren explained. Evelyn added with a laugh, "Our second kid Jairus is like Steve Jobs, he likes to wear the same clothes. That's his uniform."
The home renovation embraced a minimalist theme throughout, featuring soothing earth tones and creamy shades with strategic wood accents to maintain warmth and homeliness. The family maintains strict rules about electronic device usage, with bedrooms designated strictly for sleeping. "If you need to work, come to the dining table or living room. Keep everything in the open. There are too many temptations, whether it's gaming or explicit sites," Darren explained matter-of-factly. This rule applies to everyone in the household, including the adults.
To support this policy, the interior designer created two hidden workstations in the common areas that can be neatly tucked away when not in use. These provide dedicated spaces for the children to study or use electronic devices without cluttering the shared living areas. The family's most unique furniture piece is their dining table – an actual pool table that doubles as a dining surface with a removable cover. This wedding gift has become the most-used piece of furniture in the house, complete with a manual lazy Susan that Evelyn jokingly calls their "conveyor belt sushi gadget."
Darren even customized the seating around the pool table, modifying 48 chair legs because regular dining chairs were too low and bar stools were too high for comfortable dining at the table's height. With eight people living under one roof, including their domestic helper, storage became a critical concern. The couple solved this by carving out a third of their living room to create a storeroom that serves as Darren's private retreat.
Hidden behind the TV wall, this space houses racks of biking and travel gear, along with a complete tool wall that Darren describes as his "private hardware shop." However, the space has become a source of playful marital tension since Evelyn added additional storage cabinets. "This was my space, I felt invaded. The space is so tight now after she added those shelves – she turned it into a supermarket," Darren mock-complained.
The kitchen underwent significant changes during the renovation, transitioning from an open concept to a closed design with walls to accommodate additional storage cabinets. While the couple admits they miss the openness of the original layout, Evelyn acknowledged that "storage was more important" for their large family's needs.
The master bedroom, now returned to Darren and Evelyn, maintains the home's minimalist aesthetic with just essential furniture including a wardrobe, dresser, and two separate adjustable beds. The couple chose to sleep in separate beds so each can customize their mattress incline for optimal sleep quality, reflecting their practical approach to comfort and functionality throughout their renovated home.
