The love of toys, streetwear and pop culture is strong in Mr Aaron Hai.
Mr Hai and his wife Wah Miin, both IT professionals, share their four-bedroom condominium apartment in Pasir Ris with their parents as well as over 100 toys and pairs of shoes, such as a crisp pair of Alexander Wang x Adidas Original BBall Sneakers and a vintage, collectible pair of Nike Jordan 4 Retro.
But do not expect rows and rows of ordinary glass cabinets in the 1,280 sq ft home of the couple, who are in their 30s and 40s.
They got Ms Carmen Tang of home-grown boutique design studio Wolf Woof to come up with unique yet functional ways of incorporating Mr Hai's many interests, including a Lego feature wall and a striking A Bathing Ape camouflage wardrobe decal.
For a start, Ms Tang chose a white and grey palette for a clean backdrop for Mr Hai's colourful toys as well as the customised decals.
The TV feature wall is made out of white, black and red Lego blocks, which her team painstakingly put together to achieve the look of a handheld game console.
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• This article first appeared in the October issue of Home & Decor, which is published by SPH Magazines.
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The renovation cost $30,000 excluding furnishings.
As the couple did not want to reconfigure the layout of the apartment, Ms Tang focused on customising humorous decal designs inspired by Mr Hai's love of Japanese pop culture and Star Wars.
Step into the home and Star Wars' C-3PO will greet you with "How are you?" in Japanese, while Yoda bids you to enjoy your meal with a cheeky pun: "May the fork be with you."
Mr Hai names the green ABC Bearbrick and Mika Ninagawa Sakura collectible toys as among his favourites because they are collaborations with his favourite Japanese brand, A Bathing Ape, and photographer Mika Ninagawa.
"Sakura is a representation of Ninagawa's signature work, which revolves around flowers and landscapes," he says.
"I have been collecting the toys since I was a teenager, but it was only when I started working that I pursued more limited-edition items from overseas and online," says Mr Hai.
Though his wife does not mind his toy obsession, Mr Hai wanted to make it up to her for being accommodating.
Hence Ms Tang created a set of his-and-hers decals in the bedroom that marks the bed space for each person.
"Giving Wah Miin bigger portion of the bed is a playful twist, which complements the rest of the home's mood and design," says the designer.
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