The Chic Home: Funky five-room Siglap penthouse for couple with big sneaker collection
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The couple have more than 300 pairs of sneakers. Their favourite pieces from the collection get the spotlight in this display.
PHOTO: WOLF WOOF
Rossara Jamil
SINGAPORE – Even before buying this 2,960 sq ft, five-bedroom condominium unit in Siglap, the owners were already hunting for an interior designer.
The married couple in their 40s – he is the chief executive of a precision-engineering firm, while she is a sales director – decided on Ms Carmen Tang, design director of home-grown firm Wolf Woof, after coming across her projects and being drawn to her unconventional style and eye for detail.
The property, which the couple share with the husband’s mother, features a long balcony stretching from the study to the living and dining areas. An open terrace is also connected to the master bedroom.
To meet the couple’s extensive storage needs – for everything from clothes to shoes to accessories – Ms Tang devised multipurpose and hidden organisation solutions.
Customised islands house the couple’s extensive collection of watches, jewellery and eyewear.
For instance, she converted a nook into a gallery to house sneakers. The couple have more than 300 pairs.
The display highlights beloved pieces in custom acrylic boxes mounted on sliding mesh panels, with full-height black cabinets in the background to store the rest of the collection.
Another challenge was fusing the couple’s chosen pop-art theme – which is expressed in fluid lines and elements such as black blobs above the ceiling fans – with their requested “wabi-sabi” style (a Japanese approach that embraces imperfection) without the home looking too chaotic.
Fluid lines and fun shapes follow the pop-art theme, even with the plant pots.
To achieve a cohesive aesthetic, Ms Tang focused on colours and materials, such as the faux rock used for feature walls in the living area and master bedroom, and acrylic surfaces for a futuristic touch.
Custom-made acrylic pieces and a faux-rock wall transform this penthouse's living room into an avant-garde space.
The couple love bold colours and chose a bright yellow hue for the ceiling, which creates a dramatic contrast with the dark walls.
The bright yellow ceiling contrasts dramatically with the black walls and blob design.
The design of the kitchen and dining area was kept minimalist so that the collectibles and furnishings could take the spotlight. The bar counter is marked by a yellow neon sign on another feature wall, which doubles as a custom storage unit for the service yard.
Transparent acrylic chairs add a clean, modern touch to the dining area.
The renovation took four months and cost $280,000, excluding fittings and furniture. The couple moved into the home in July 2022.
The walkway has a fun, art-gallery feel, thanks to the vibrant mural on the glass panels.
This article first appeared in the March 2023 issue of Home & Decor, which is published by SPH Magazines.
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