Living in Harmony
This Asian-influenced apartment thoughtfully integrates fengshui requirements into its elegant interior
When the homeowners purchased this apartment in the River Valley area, they were careful to follow the recommendations of their fengshui master. Among them were specific colours for particular locations within the apartment, such as a bright red element in the living area and a gold feature wall in the dining room. Several interior designers whom the couple met all expressed reservations towards the colour requirements. They decided to entrust the project to Topic Studio after coming across one of the firm’s projects featured in Singapore Tatler Homes, which left the couple impressed with the way gold was incorporated into the design.
WALLS OF ART
The firm’s take on the colour requirements was to portray them through natural materials or motifs, and blend the strong colours with softer hues. “We selected a chinoiserie theme with floral compositions that complement the use of gold and red, and which ties the whole scheme together,” says Tan Sze Ling, design director of Topic Studio. Each of the key spaces is defined by a feature wall that is in accordance with the fengshui requirements. In the living room, a cherry blossom tree is embossed on leather panels to achieve a three-dimensional effect similar to Chinese relief wood carvings. The home’s piece de resistance is the feature wall in the dining area comprising an intricate floral composition created using Sicis hand-cut mosaics with a Marmorino plaster frame.
HIS, HERS AND OURS
The homeowners, both of whom are accountants, spend a lot of their time at home enjoying each other’s company, as well as entertaining friends and business associates. The bar area with its backlit honey onyx island was specially designed to create the perfect setting for mingling over pre-dinner cocktails and wines. The loving couple also take pleasure in relaxing over a bottle of red wine in the evenings on the balcony overlooking the heart of town.
“WE SELECTED A CHINOISERIE THEME WITH FLORAL COMPOSITIONS THAT COMPLEMENT THE USE OF GOLD AND RED”
The master bedroom posed yet another challenge due to its irregular layout which tapers to a tight corner. The existing bay window also compromised the floor area within the room. Tan got around this by building a curved chaise sofa and a floating desk to utilise the space above the bay window.
The designer also crafted spaces where the couple could have their me-time. One of the bedrooms was converted into a TV lounge, wardrobe and bathroom within the master bedroom specially for the husband. The fengshui colour for this area is blue, which is reflected in the Fromental wallpaper with hand-made details that continue the botanical theme. The lounge is filled with pieces in different shades of blue, which include the leather sofa and a side table from Molteni&c. The walk-in wardrobe on the other side of the master bedroom feels like a secret chamber belonging to the lady of the house. Selected panels of the wardrobe doors are upholstered with a floral wallpaper, also from Fromental. “In conceptualising her walk-in wardrobe and many other aspects of the interior, I was inspired by Coco Chanel,” says Tan. “I wanted to capture the same confidence and stylishness that the female owner exudes.”
ASIAN INFLUENCE
For the study, the fengshui master had prescribed the colour blue and the addition of a mountain element, which Tan had found in a Pierre Frey wallpaper that’s reminiscent of a Chinese landscape painting. While the husband works at his Giorgetti desk, the wife can read in her Poliform armchair.
The Asian-influenced interior scheme is something that Tan admits to executing frequently. It does not take on a fixed form or look, but can be expressed subtly through textures, proportions, detailings, the flow of spaces or fengshui. “Chinese aesthetics are something I am very passionate about because it is my roots. I am always exploring ways of integrating Chinese aesthetics into future projects.”
For the homeowners, Tan helped them to realise what they wanted—every element from the design of the space to its ambience matches perfectly with their personal passions.