The void decks of Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks in Bedok recently got a new paint job, but not everyone is pleased with how it turned out. The new design uses an off white base, paired with colourful squares and rectangles of different sizes. However, some of these shapes cross over the brick lines, making the walls look like they are unfinished.
One resident who saw the design said it was messy and even made him feel uncomfortable. He commented,
“It looks so untidy, it makes me feel frustrated, like my OCD is acting up.”
According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, a video uploaded on social media earlier also showed the repainting at Bedok North Street 3.
The person behind the video pointed out that the colourful squares looked “out of place” and resembled a “half-done” job, wondering why the painters did not simply follow the brick lines.
“Why can’t you just paint each tile fully in one colour? It’s driving my OCD crazy,” the person said.
When reporters visited Block 536 on Tuesday (September 10), they saw that the repainting had already been completed. The pillars at the void deck had been given a fresh look, with the bottom half painted in off white, decorated with maroon, blue and green squares and rectangles.
From a distance, the squares appeared to be neatly arranged. But on closer look, many of the shapes were painted across brick lines, which made the design look a little awkward.
Mr Xu, 63, a taxi driver who lives there, shared that the repainting work was finished about three weeks ago. The base colour was changed from beige to off white. “The base colour is fine, but the squares painted this way look strange,” he said.
Another resident, Ms Zhang, 67, a retiree, felt that the change was not a big deal and added that it gave the void deck a fresh look. “It’s similar to the old design, just with a different base colour. Nothing wrong with it,” she said.
One more resident, a woman living at Block 533, said that since the repainting was only done at the void deck, it did not affect her daily life.
“If it was at my corridor or lift lobby, maybe I’d feel it was more of a problem. But since the workers worked hard, there’s no need to fuss over it,” she explained.
Reporters also noticed that the lift lobbies and stairwells of the blocks still had the old design, which used a beige base with darker squares painted neatly within the tiles. Unlike the new design, the older squares did not cross over the brick lines.
Town council says final result did not meet expectations
In response to media queries, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council explained that the new colour scheme was chosen by residents through voting.
However, the town council admitted that the contractor did not strictly follow the painting guidelines, and the finished work did not meet its expectations.
The town council said it would follow up with the contractor and take the necessary action.
