The Chic Home: Bachelor pad is a high-end minimalist haven
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Mr Michael Yang designed this three-room home himself.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Home & Decor
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SINGAPORE – As a former steward with Singapore Airlines, Mr Michael Yang has travelled the world.
These days, the 38-year-old relationship manager at YourAuthenticSeller, an online consignment platform for luxury bags, timepieces and jewellery, can relax on his days off without leaving the country.
He designed his 818 sq ft three-room unit himself. “The most challenging and time-consuming aspect of designing my own home was wanting to get every detail perfect,” he says.
And he pulled it off despite having no design background or formal training.
“The internet is a great resource, especially platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, and websites such as Home & Decor. I read a lot, drawing inspiration from projects by different studios and forming ideas of my own.”
Mr Yang favours a black-and-white palette.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
He dispensed with a metal gate and went with only a main door. Instead of the usual floor and unit numbers outside, he decided to have just the unit number because “people already know what floor they are on when they press the button in the lift”.
Mr Yang’s designer furniture collection includes Vitra Panton chairs and a side table from Muuto.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The dining area, kitchen and one of the bedrooms have been combined into a single open-plan living space.
Mr Yang has amassed a collection of mid-century modern furniture by mostly Scandinavian brands, including a Define sofa and Half & Half lounge chair from Danish brand Wendelbo, a pair of Vitra Panton chairs and a Relate side table from Muuto.
In the middle of the enlarged space is a coffee table from American brand Florence Knoll.
As Mr Yang does not cook, he scaled down the kitchen to better meet his needs.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
He did away with the kitchen hob and hood, effectively downsizing the space to a bar and pantry, as he does not cook. There is also no dining table.
The walls of the one remaining bedroom have been replaced with extra-deep wardrobes to accommodate his clothes.
The wardrobes act as a divider between the bedroom and living room.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Mr Yang, an audiophile, spared no expense on audio and entertainment products from Danish electronics company Bang & Olufsen.
Smart speakers have been installed almost everywhere in the home and he has soundproofed his main door and windows.
The lights have been carefully selected from brands such as Artemide, Fritz Hansen and Gregg.
One of his favourites – the Artemide Shogun Tavolo lamp – holds special meaning as it was designed in 1986, the year he was born. “Its steel diffuser emits a soft light through the perforations to create an interesting pattern of light and shadow,” he says.
Mr Yang’s Artemide Shogun Tavolo lamp stands out with its contrasting black- and-white stripes.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
There are no visible light switches in the home because almost everything in the Smart Home is Google-controlled.
Mr Yang says: “I wanted a smart home that makes daily life convenient. I want to be able to say, ‘Hey Google, goodnight’ and go to bed.”
He spent about $60,000 on the project, excluding furniture, which was completed in March 2023 after a three-month renovation.
An elegant black basin in the bathroom.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
He has some tips for home owners without design experience, but who are considering designing their own homes: “Browse projects online and pick out aspects that you like. Picture yourself living in the home and ask yourself, ‘Is it functional, practical and easy to maintain?’
“For things that you touch and use daily, go for the best that you can afford.”
This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to
homeanddecor.com.sg
for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.
