Appliances We Bought for Our Singapore BTO Flat

After a 5-year wait, we’ve finally collected the keys to our BTO (built-to-order) apartment, and we’re affectionately calling it the Shrug Home!

We spent a lot of time researching the appliances and furniture we wanted for our home. These are big decisions because they can be costly, and the quality of what you buy really does affect your day-to-day life at home.

This is a personal roundup of the appliances and furniture we bought for our Singapore BTO flat, why we picked them, and how they have fit into our routine so far. If you’re also planning the budget side of a home setup, we also wrote about what card to use for home renovation in Singapore.

Appliances

Ceiling Fans – Big Ass Fans Haiku L and Haiku I

If you live in Singapore, you’ve probably heard of Big Ass Fans Haiku I and Haiku L, or at least seen the brand in places like MRT stations and shopping malls. We were always impressed by how well they cooled large spaces even in hot and humid weather, so when we realised they had home offerings, they immediately went onto our shortlist.

For the living room, we got the Haiku I, which is slightly bigger and offers a bit more functionality. For the bedrooms, we went with the Haiku L, which gives us a similar feel at a lower price point and with a smaller footprint. As a bonus, the fans have Wi-Fi connectivity, so we can hook them into the rest of our smart home automations.

This has been a really good decision for us. Because of the fans, we haven’t needed to turn on our air conditioners much, even on very hot days.

Hisense 75″ MiniLED TV

We went with the Hisense U8Q Mini-LED Pro ULED AI TV in 75 inches. We were initially leaning towards OLED, but because our living room gets a lot of bright sunlight from the windows, we started looking more seriously at Mini LED panels instead.

MiniLED made more sense for us because brightness during the day mattered a lot. The TV still gives us rich colours and excellent picture quality, and if you game on your TV, the 165Hz panel is a nice bonus. It also comes with the usual apps like Netflix and Apple TV pre-installed, which made setup easy.

Hisense 4-Door Fridge

For the fridge, we chose the Hisense 611L Four Door Inverter Refrigerator. Our main criteria were capacity, energy efficiency, and whether it would fit the overall look of the house, since we knew we wanted to cook more once we moved in.

This fridge fit all of that quite nicely. It also comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, so we can adjust the temperature of different compartments through the app, and it sends notifications if the doors are left open. That has honestly been more useful than we expected.

Aqara Smart Switch

For all the light switches in our home, we went with the Aqara H1 Pro smart switch. We wanted Aqara mainly because it integrates well with ecosystems such as Apple Home and Home Assistant.

It is also locally controlled over ZigBee, which means our automations still work even if the internet goes down. We specifically chose the H1 Pro because it comes in champagne gold and fits our interior better, and we went with the neutral wire edition because it is generally more stable than the non-neutral version.

Reolink Smart Doorbell

We went with the Reolink PoE Doorbell. Since we do most of our shopping online, having a doorbell that can monitor the door and let us speak to delivery drivers or guests felt almost essential.

Privacy was one of our biggest concerns, so we wanted something local rather than cloud-first. We also wanted PoE instead of battery power because we did not want to deal with charging or swapping batteries every few months. The Reolink doorbell checked all of those boxes and was still relatively affordable.

Bosch Induction Hob & Hood

For our kitchen, we wanted an induction hob because it gives us precise temperature control and is much easier to clean than a traditional gas stove. We went with the Bosch Induction Hob PUE611BB5J and the Bosch Slim Line Hood DHI623GSG.

The hob is a 60cm frameless induction model with four cooking zones, TouchSelect controls, PowerBoost, Restart, a timer with switch-off, and a child lock. In day-to-day use, what we appreciate most is that it feels straightforward to control, heats up quickly, and is easy to wipe down after cooking.

The hood is a 60cm telescopic model, so it keeps the kitchen looking cleaner and less bulky than a more obvious hood design. It also comes with LED lighting, three speed settings, washable aluminium mesh filters, and up to 380 m3/h extraction, which felt like a practical fit for how we cook at home.

Bosch 60cm Oven

We got the Bosch 60cm Oven HBF134BS0K because we wanted something practical for occasional baking and roasting. There are quite a few dishes that are simply easier to make once you have an oven at home.

This model felt like a good fit for the way we cook. It comes with seven heating modes, 3D HotAir, HotAir Gentle, EcoClean Direct on the rear wall, pop-out controls, and a red LED display with time functions. For us, the main advantage is that it gives us enough flexibility without feeling overly complicated, and the easier-clean rear wall is one of those small features that should make life easier over time.

City Energy Gas Heater

We chose the Life by City Energy Gas Heater instead of other options because of its compact size. Storage space is limited in our BTO flat, so that mattered more than we expected.

It also delivers hot water very quickly, which means we do not have to wait around for the water to heat up before showering. This HDB-compatible version also comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, so we can monitor and control it through the app.

LG Washer Dryer

For our washer-dryer, we went with the LG AI DD Front Load WashTower. We were initially deciding between a separate washer and dryer setup, but once we saw this, the design and convenience won us over quite quickly.

The settings sync between the washer and dryer, which makes the whole process feel more seamless. It also comes with app support, so we get notified on our phones when a load is done and can attend to it straight away.

LG Dishwasher

The LG ThinQ Top Control Dishwasher QuadWash and TrueSteam was non-negotiable for us. We had used dishwashers a lot while travelling and staying abroad, so we already knew how much easier they make home cooking.

It generally uses less water than hand washing for heavier loads, and it also does a more thorough job on stains than we can sometimes manage ourselves. We liked that this model fits neatly into our kitchen design, has three racks for larger loads, and sends app notifications when the cycle is complete.

Furniture

Muuto Table Lights

Table lighting was something we cared about because we wanted the home to feel softer at night rather than overly harsh. We ended up looking closely at Muuto’s table lamps, which complemented our dining area perfectly.

Castlery Dining Table

For our dining table, we decided to go with the Castlery Sloane Travertine Dining Table. Castlery is an established Singaporean brand, and this table fit our space and style quite naturally.

We liked that it can comfortably sit up to eight people, which makes it practical when family or friends come over. It also ties in nicely with the rest of our living room design.

Castlery Dining Chair

To go with the dining table, we picked the Castlery Winslow Performance Bouclé Dining Chair. One thing that stood out to us was the water-repellent fabric, which felt like a genuinely useful feature rather than just a nice extra.

When water spills on the chair, it does not soak in immediately and tends to slide off instead. That gives us a bit more peace of mind for everyday use.

Castlery Ottoman

We also picked the Castlery Desmond Ottoman as one of the extra pieces in our living room. It is a versatile piece that can be used to extend our sofa or be used as extra seating area when we have guests over.

Home Essentials

In addition to the big-ticket items above, here are the smaller essentials we got for our home. To maximize our credit card miles, we spread these purchases over several months and only carted out during sale periods.

Final Thoughts

We hope you find this round-up useful when planning for your home renovation or home upgrades. This is still very much a work in progress article, and we’ll keep updating it as we add more thoughtful furniture, appliances and useful products into Shrug Home.

If you’re also planning the budget side of a home setup, check out this article for what card to use for home renovation in Singapore. For more Shrug Home content, follow us on Instagram @shrug_home.