SINGAPORE – While interior design platforms, websites and social media are awash with minimalist styles, home owners Sean Tan and Michelle Ngiam wanted the opposite for their Duchess Avenue apartment: something audacious, expressive and maximalist.
Their personalities shine through in the three-bedroom unit with an area of 1,582 sq ft. Mr Tan, 43, is the founder of a management consultancy firm and the director of a company that provides business and crisis management solutions. Ms Ngiam, 38, is an executive senior financial consultant.
“It honours both our personalities: my love for warmth, character and storytelling, and Sean’s vision for thoughtful, well-executed design,” she says.
The couple – who have two daughters aged seven and two – chose local design firm Renostud.io for its team’s willingness to work with their idea: a renovation inspired by the family’s safari trip to South Africa a few years ago.
Each room in the home features dramatic nature-themed wallpaper.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Each room in the home features dramatic wallpaper that sets it apart from the rest, while also maintaining a common thread through their consistent safari and nature motifs.
The dining chairs were shipped from the US.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The dining room sits against wallpaper with a pattern of ferns against a black background on the upper section of the wall. The bottom half is kept simple with a wainscoting feature to balance the composition, and is painted in a deep green that echoes the colour of the ferns.
Paired with a rectangular timber dining table are four mismatched dining chairs from American lifestyle retailer Anthropologie, which Ms Ngiam had shipped from the US. Two are in solid colours while the other two are artistic depictions of animals in a jungle setting that inject a sense of adventure and whimsy.
Timber ceiling beams in the living area house the recessed lighting.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The green wainscoting continues in the living area. The monochromatic representation of jungle foliage is executed in a style that resembles etching. Timber ceiling beams add a rustic touch, but also serve a practical purpose: housing the recessed lighting.
An idea that arose midway during the project was to have a faux fireplace integrated into the television feature wall and console.
“It is such a unique feature in a Singapore home and instantly transports us to winter holidays overseas,” says Ms Ngiam. “On movie nights, we switch on the fireplace, curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and soak in the cosy ambience.”
The kitchen has a minimal palette of wood and off-white.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The existing kitchen walls were removed to create an open-concept kitchen with an island across from the dining room. This space has a more minimal and pared-down palette of wood and off-white so it is not too overwhelming when contrasted with the rest of the home.
The master bedroom’s colonial-era decor transports its occupants back in time.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The master bedroom is full of old-world charm that transports its occupants back in time, with its black-and-white bedframe with ornate bedposts, antique side tables and jungle-themed wallpaper.
The walk-in wardrobe is decked out in deep red.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The walk-in wardrobe’s original wall was shifted to enlarge the space, which now has a boudoir-like dressing table surrounded by deep red wallpaper and illuminated by an artificial skylight.
The girls’ bedroom has a loft bed above a play area and reading nook.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Fun and playful vibes dominate the girls’ bedroom, which features colourful wallpaper with safari animals, as well as a double-decker structure incorporating a loft bed above a play area and reading nook.
“We integrated (Swedish brand) Ikea’s Trofast shelves into the bay window area as we did not want to throw out perfectly good furniture, so we repurposed them thoughtfully. It is a room designed to grow with the girls and encourage their imagination,” says their mother.
The home office conjures imagery of old-world academia.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The third bedroom is a home office. The walls and built-in carpentry in navy blue create a moody atmosphere, along with the golden-yellow hues of the wallpaper and a rug that picks up on the navy blue and gold accents.
The renovations took about six months to complete and cost around $100,000. The family moved into their new home in April 2024.
This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to
homeanddecor.com.sg
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