Bukit Merah resident says paint on blocks makes his kitchen glow bright red
Though the town council repainted their blocks just a few months ago, some Bukit Merah residents have already complained about the new colour scheme.
One of them said he felt “uncomfortable” over the new bright red colour of his block, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Bukit Merah kitchen gets ‘red glow’ in the afternoon
Blocks 12 to 14 of Jalan Bukit Merah seem to have different shades of red. The shades ranged from a dark maroon on the lower floors to a light pink on the higher floors.
However, 59-year-old photographer Mr Wen (transliterated from Mandarin), who has lived in the estate for 20 years, described the colour scheme as “visually uncomfortable”.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on TikTok
He said the glare reflected off the walls gives his kitchen a “red glow” in the afternoon, causing him discomfort.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He added:
To be frank, it looks like a red-light district!
Source: Shin Min Daily News on TikTok
Bukit Merah residents voted for red blocks
Mr Wen said he preferred the previous colour scheme of the blocks, which was blue.
Source: Google Maps
When asked to vote on a new colour scheme before the recent repainting, he had voted for a neutral tone.
However, the poll produced unexpected results, as the majority of residents voted for the current bright red colours.
Some walls repainted after complaints
After Mr Wen complained to the Town Council, the wall to the right of his kitchen was painted white.
However, the glare persisted as the wall on the left remained red.
It was resolved only after the Town Council painted the left-side wall pink, he said.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
To his knowledge, he was not the only resident who complained, he added.
Other residents who had raised the issue with the Town Council also had the walls outside their units repainted a lighter colour.
However, the Town Council only repainted the exterior walls of the units of those who complained, not the whole block.
Some residents have no problem with red blocks
Some residents told the Chinese daily that they had no objection to the red colour.
70-year-old Madam Chen (transliterated from Mandarin), who has lived there for 30 years, said she did not vote on the colour but had no issue with it.
Many residents voted for red because it matched the neighbourhood’s name, “Redhill”, she added.
Some of them also hoped that the colour would boost their property prices.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on TikTok
Bukit Merah blocks traditionally painted red to reflect history: Town Council
In response to Shin Min’s queries, a spokesman for Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) said there used to be brick factories in the area.
Thus, TPTC painted the blocks traditional red to reflect this historical background.
Most residents also voted for the colour before the blocks underwent Repairs & Redecoration (R&R) works.
Over the past few months, TPTC had received feedback that the shade of red was too bright and that it reflected light into homes.
Thus, it worked with contractors to incorporate more white surfaces into the colour scheme.
So far, no one has given further feedback over these mitigation measures, the spokesperson noted, with residents apparently “adapting well” to the new look.
Tiong Bahru residents previously complained about purple blocks
This is not the first time that residents have had strong opinions over the colour of their blocks.
Earlier this year, residents of a cluster of blocks in Tiong Bahru expressed dismay after their Town Council painted their blocks purple.
They were also irked that they did not get to vote on the colour scheme.
After the Residents’ Committee (RC) eventually launched a poll, the majority of residents voted for “classic taupe”.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on TikTok and Shin Min Daily News.
