A WELL-DESIGNED VISION

High net-worth individuals looking for a beautifully furnished premium property in Singapore are sure to swoon over Wallich Residence’s show suite, which was expertly put together by multidisciplinary design practice Sujonohun

Sujonohun, a Singapore-based multidisciplinary design practice, was recently met with a unique challenge: To design a Wallich Residence show suite that would align with the premium value of the property, as well as meet the requirements of potential buyers, mainly comprised of foreign high net-worth individuals looking for a second home in Singapore.

Sujono Lim, director of the practice, reveals that the project was made even more challenging when the client did not hand them a specific brief. He says, “We had to capture the right market with the right approach while ensuring the project is not too general, mainstream, or a crowd-pleaser.” In addition, the design had to be premium, exclusive, and able to elevate the unit’s value.

Here, Lim walks us through his thought process to get an idea of how the project evolved from vision to reality.

Starting Point

“Show suite design is very competitive. Many designers try to outdo each other in creating a unique design with attentiongrabbing elements. However, it is important to understand that show suites are meant to be a representation of a real home; therefore, a successful show unit design is one that marries the developer’s vision – the theme, architecture, landscape, and the buyer’s aspiration – how they imagine living in the unit and identifying potential improvement that could elevate their lifestyle.”

Commercial Push

“People are looking for the finer things in life. Therefore, there is more pressure on us and the developer to bring out the unit’s potential. People today are more resourceful, and there are many online critics, which push interior designers to be more sensible with their design. It is not just about cosmetics, but captivating buyers with honest and practical design.

With the recent pandemic, people have started to treasure their house more by finding ways to beautify and appreciate them – not merely as comfortable shelters, but more as an expression of the refined lifestyle that travel and social events used to offer. Therefore, there is a call for better design that is personalized and lifestyleoriented. Our job as designers is to help create the perfect, one-ofa-kind place that is meant for the owner.”

Preserving Integrity of Design

“A designer is a problem-solver first. Apart from the aesthetics, we need to address a problem or brief – and those are inseparable. The appeal comes from being able to handle a problem through artistic solutions. A design birthed from a problem and serves as a solution is more meaningful than one that exists out of nothing.”