Michael and Michelle’s careers in IT and finance respectively have taken them all around the world. Having lived in countries like Canada and China, they finally decided to settle down in Singapore after residing here for the past five years. Their choice: this apartment in River Valley they share with their chihuahuas Yoda and Leia, who have 10,000 followers on Instagram.
AT A GLANCE
Who lives here: A couple with their pet chihuahuas
Size of home: 1,539 sq ft
Type of home: A two-bedroom condominium in River Valley
ID: Wolf Woof
They sought out Carmen Tang, design director of Wolf Woof, to design the interior. “Our brief to Carmen was very functional. We shared what we wanted each room and space for and the type of storage we needed. Having moved from country to country, we have accumulated a lot of stuff, so we wanted to maximise the use of every surface for storage,” says Michelle.
The couple has a preference for a modern luxe interior and Carmen has her take on this style. “Modern luxe is open to different interpretations. For Wolf Woof, it is never gold all over. Neither does it have to be dark and sombre. Ours is more of an understated luxury while exuding lushness, and this home is a classic example.”
The entrance foyer sets the tone for the rest of the place. A timber strip wall extends from the entrance foyer to the living area, and conceals the door to the household shelter in between the two areas. A similar feature wall provides a backdrop for the dining room, tying the various spaces on the first storey together. “Every strip of timber was individually laid and varnished,” Carmen highlights.
Beyond the entrance foyer, the apartment opens into a double-volume space occupied by the living and dining areas. The vertical expanse of space is accentuated by the full-height glass fenestration, beyond which is the balcony.
Vertical planters flank the living room feature wall, adding an element of green that complements the light-filled space. The planters also draw the eyes up to the home’s piece de resistance: an air theatre.
Created by the addition of a loft that takes advantage of the unit’s high ceiling, it is accessible from within the master suite on the second storey and has the effect of a platform soaring into the air, hence the term air theatre. This is where Michael and Michelle enjoy their favourite movies.
Lofts are another one of Carmen’s fortes. She has had plenty of experience designing them, many of which have been featured in Home & Decor. The loft here serves as an extension of the master suite, and establishes a dialogue with the opposite wall on which the projection screen is mounted. This gives the sense of an enlarged space that extends beyond its physical boundaries.
Most of the lofts Carmen has designed have a staircase leading up from the floor below. In this case, however, the height of the loft did not make that feasible. “The staircase would require many steps and would encroach too much into the useable floor space on the first level,” Carmen points out.
She also cautions homeowners about the structural and regulatory considerations when designing lofts, such as the load that it can withstand and restrictions on the floor area of the loft. “The loft must also be endorsed by a professional engineer,” she reminds.
The master suite occupies the entire footprint of the second storey. The space directly off the staircase landing serves as a walk-in wardrobe and dressing area that’s screened off from the bedroom by a pocket sliding door. Michelle also uses this space for yoga.
Built into the floor-to-ceiling wardrobe and storage is a fold-down bed the couple uses when watching TV. It also becomes a guest room that’s separate from the study-cum-guest room on the first storey. The bed, designed to give the illusion of being suspended from the ceiling, is supported by a pedestal below its frame.
The couple and their furkids moved into the new home in November 2019, after a renovation that took two and a half months. “We love how every aspect has come together, from major elements such as the loft to the smallest items like the cabinet handles,” says Michelle.
She adds: “The pandemic hit a few months after we moved in. Since then, we have been spending most of our time at home, and we feel very lucky to have such a beautiful space to live in, to work from home and to entertain in.”
Art Direction Kristy Quah
Photography Vee Chin