A stay in a luxury boutique hotel, paired with an itinerary filled with wine-and-dine destinations, spells the perfect vacation for a home owner, who wants to be known only as Stan, and his partner.
So it was only natural that these avid travellers want their 829 sq ft condominium apartment in Bugis to be an urban sanctuary that reflects their lifestyle too.
"We started out wanting a bold Empire State Building-esque interior, but our ideas eventually pointed to a restful and elegant style - much like that of the Aman resorts, which we love," says Stan, a sales director.
The couple's friend, Mr Vin Leong, principal of interior design studio Haelcyon Days, merged the two ideas into the dark and modern one-bedder it is today.
Despite the small space, Mr Leong was adamant about not having an open-concept plan.
Instead, he compartmentalised the home into various "elements of surprise".
As guests enter the home, they will be greeted by a long and striking Nero Marquina marble countertop before being drawn to the backlit cabinet housing travel mementos.
The sliding door next to the panelled console can be opened to access the bedroom, where its passageway is flanked by a sink vanity and glass wardrobe.
There is also a cleverly concealed walk-in closet.
To match the home's dark marble and wood finishes, the couple opted for a tinted-glass wardrobe and black granite bay window.
The home owner says: "My partner and I love the sensuality and masculinity of dark tones, leather and brass. Vin's lighting design, from placement to hue to voltage, accentuates these and creates an inviting and elegant mood."
As a testament to the couple's love of travel, the home has stylish bedspreads and Art Deco-style sconces - which sit prettily by the bedside - from fashion label Ralph Lauren Home's New York store.
They also imported a taupe leather sofa from Molteni while in Italy and nesting coffee tables from Australia.
While both sets of furniture arrived with cracks and had to be replaced, for these jet-setting fashionistas, getting the perfect look was well worth it.
• If you have a Housing Board flat or condominium apartment you would like featured, e-mail your pictures, with the header, The Chic Apartment, to stlife@sph.com.sg
• This article first appeared in the July issue of Home & Decor, which is published by SPH Magazines.
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