STYLE BUZZ
Making their mark
TERRI TAN OF DESIGNWORX
Coco Chanel’s famed adage: “Fashion changes, but style endures,” immediately comes to mind upon regarding Terri Tan’s projects for Designworx. Architecture-trained Tan founded the interior consultancy in 1998 and has, over the last 20 years, designed an array of striking spaces in high-end residences, hotels, show suites and offices.
“Although every project is unique, there is a certain timelessness that permeates the designs over the years,” says Tan, when asked to describe her design philosophy.
She also cites “understated elegance, beautiful things and her clients” as her inspirations, the latter which she emphasises are the driving force behind each of her projects.
“A lot of time is spent understanding each client’s brief even before the design process commences. Designs are often inspired by the client’s personal story, places that they like or styles that they gravitate towards,” says Tan.
Tan’s client-focused approach is especially evident in her Good Class Bungalow (GCB) project at Leedon Park. Designworx was commissioned to design the interiors of a home (situated on a sprawling 21,388 sq ft of land with a built-up area of 14,387 sq ft) for a family of five. The owners were after a contemporary, yet warm aesthetic that would impress guests when the family entertained, yet offer them a relaxing sanctuary during precious downtime. The final, show-stopping design is reminiscent of an aquatic palace, and is accented throughout with marineinspired motifs such as a dramatic coral-like bronze and glass wall light in the entrance foyer, a four-metre elliptical Manooi Artica chandelier, seashells set into the main dining table and a shagreen feature wall for the bar area.
The oceanic theme flows into the kitchen, which was particularly important for the owner’s daughter, a Cordon Bleutrained restaurateur and baking enthusiast.
“A lot of thought was put into the kitchens, particularly the dry kitchen because it had to be, first and foremost, practical and the design aligned with the overall design concept of timeless, contemporary luxe,” says Tan. Her solution is a serenely white space, anchored by a state-of-the-art Marosi dry kitchen island featuring sculptural, undulating wave-like contours, which Tan says “mimics the sensuous curves of the swimming pool just outside the dining room”. It takes considerable skill to make so many disparate strands cohere so effortlessly, and Tan agrees when asked if a feminine perspective brings unique attributes to the table. “Definitely. Women see things differently and they have a good eye for detail.”
ANGELA LIM, SUMISURA
“Multifaceted” is probably the best way to describe interior designer
Angela Lim. The avid sportswoman’s creative inclinations led her to pursue interior design shortly after graduation, where she has gone from strength to strength. Today, Lim leads a team of 21 interior designers at Sumisura, an award-winning interior design firm which she founded in 2009.
The company has earned a few feathers in its cap. Sumisura’s flagship project, One Shenton Sky Suite, clinched a slew of prestigious awards, and the company has also won the Asia Pacific Property Awards three years in a row, and was highly commended for its The Esta and Stellar RV projects.
“Nothing is too small for my attention when it comes to design,” says Lim, who demands perfection whether she’s planning a business strategy or a room’s colour palette, and whose signature phrase at work is “give me a better option”. Her vision for Sumisura (which means “made-to-measure” in Italian) is built upon luxurious, bespoke interiors and furnishings.
Lim’s ethos bears out in sumptuous projects such as her design for an apartment in New Futura, Leonie Hill. The well-appointed four-bedroom show unit features opulent, customised furniture set against decadently tactile finishes in polished brass, textured wallpapers and exotic marble. In Gramercy Park, Lim threw out convention (and won accolades) by choosing unusual circular settings in the dining and living spaces, thereby creating smooth, flowing paths leading to the surrounding balconies.
A luxurious three-storey penthouse in 3 Orchard By The Park along Orchard Boulevard, meanwhile, posed unique design challenges. An expansive central staircase and glass enclosure “prevented visitors from visualising the full extent of the space”, and unusually long and wide corridors created an uninviting void, which was also an issue in the vast – and empty – openair roof terrace. In response, Lim turned the staircase into a showpiece using a striking Bocci light installation. Designer furnishings from Ralph Lauren and Armani Casa were installed to fully utilise the available space, while the spacious corridors were made inviting (and useful) with the addition of a built-in-library, storage units and attractive pantries. Lim then turned the expansive roof terrace into a welcoming, multi-use space,
installing an outdoor kitchenette, cinema, 10-seater dining space, outdoor shower and sundeck, adding in retractable outdoor shades to shelter guests from the tropical heat.
Being in high demand locally and abroad means, as Lim points out, sacrificing simple pleasures like “sleep, vacations, shopping and Korean drama serials.” But the former athlete says she has no regrets. “The most rewarding aspect of my job is to see my final design take shape.”