Arches and curves abound in couple’s Tanglin apartment

SINGAPORE – The couple who live in this three-bedroom Tanglin apartment moved here from their matrimonial home, a four-room Build-To-Order flat in Queenstown.

They had been eyeing the neighbourhood for its proximity to nature and the Orchard Road shopping belt.

They also wanted an apartment in an older development – where units are typically larger – with more space to store their belongings and entertain guests.

Just as the couple – who are in their 30s and declined to be identified – knew where they wanted to move, they also knew that Studio HP was the one for the job.

The local studio, founded by Rashi Tulshyan, had designed homes for the couple’s friends, so when it came to designing their second home, the couple did not interview anyone else. 

Having studied and lived in Britain and travelled extensively across Europe, the couple wanted a “European townhouse” style for their 1,399 sq ft unit, albeit without the fireplaces often found in such dwellings.

The foyer starts off strong with an arched rattan cabinet design that recurs elsewhere in the home, such as the bar and living area. “It is the showstopper of the home, and what better way to step into the home than to see this piece?” says Tulshyan.

This space transitions into the main living and dining areas, with arched wall mouldings and lots of natural light from full-height windows in the living space, and a 2.4m-long sintered stone table and sculptural pendant lights in the dining zone.

The bar area nearby houses the couple’s glassware and wine collection. 

“Instead of adding too much to the walls here, we allow the lighting and table to take centre stage,” says Melissa Wan, lead designer of Studio HP.  

With its classic black-and-white palette and brass hardware, the kitchen is a nod to the popular mid-century modern style.

An otherwise utilitarian space has been elevated with the introduction of herringbone-patterned flooring and pendant lamps. Wall niches and chamfered cabinetry add flair.

For the master bedroom, the focus is on the headboard. Tulshyan and Wan designed cut-outs to accommodate a pair of bedside wall-mounted lamps.

The en-suite bathroom has a sophisticated look thanks to brass-gold fittings and dark wood tones, accented by fluted door trims and classic lighting.

Here, the arch design element found throughout the home is seen in the inverted arched mirrors above the vanity.

The common bathroom was redesigned, as the home owners wanted to use it exclusively as a powder room, which made the existing shower compartment redundant.

The designers came up with the idea of repurposing the space into built-in storage without altering the layout. With new carpentry, wallpaper panels and a rattan pendant lamp, the space has been completely transformed. 

One room is used as a study and library for the couple’s large book collection. They took advantage of unusually high bay windows, which stand about 1m tall, to create a row of built-in bookshelves that are part storage and part display.  

The renovation cost about $250,000, including furniture, and took 10 to 12 weeks.

The couple, who moved into their new home in May 2025, say they plan to stay put for at least a decade.