The Chic Home: Geylang BTO flat a dreamy escape to another world

SINGAPORE – While Wolf Woof’s founder and interior designer Carmen Tang is no stranger to challenging briefs, she says the one for this 969 sq ft, four-room Build-To-Order flat was “unimaginably tough” for her.

Inspired by the Japanese anime Aria (2005 to 2008) – which is set in a fictional version of Venice, Italy – the owners, a data engineer and auditor in their 40s, wanted a romantic Venetian space in the colours of Santorini, Greece.

In the living room is a “boardwalk” for the television feature wall and stepped storage units. Ms Tang placed a boat-shaped coffee table on a blue patterned rug to signify a gondola in a Venetian waterway.

Behind the sofa is a new seating area which used to be a bedroom and has been nicknamed the courtyard, complete with a European-style fountain.

Although Ms Tang wanted brick walls for the television and “courtyard”, the stone veneers were too heavy, so she opted for brick-patterned wallpaper instead. Blue laminates at the base of the storage unit symbolise the water line.

The other room, now a study, can be accessed via a blue door in the “courtyard”, as if entering a hidden home in a leafy European street.

The dining area, reminiscent of alfresco cafes, continues the romantic outdoor theme.

Ms Tang incorporated outdoor and industrial-style lights, and improvised a window poster frame to anchor the concept.

A white barn door leads to the kitchen, which is decked out in blue and white.

Nautical elements were introduced in the bathrooms and master bedroom. The shiplap effect – used for the customised carpentry and wall features – creates a sense of consistency.

Different hues of blue throughout the space, from the accessories and art pieces to the patterned tiles, make the home feel like a Mediterranean island.

The owners moved into the flat in November 2022 after a five-month renovation which cost around $70,000, excluding furniture and other items.