Fashionably different

Each room in fashion director Daniel Boey's home has a unique feel. -ST
Natasha Ann Zachariah

Thu, Nov 01, 2012
The Straits Times

 

Most people would find it unnerving to have the eyes of supermodels Sophie Dahl and Jodie Kidd watching them each time they use the toilet. But not fashion director Daniel Boey.

That is because the beauties are among hundreds of photos of the famous and not- so-famous friends on the walls of his loo in his work room, and which he treasures as reminders of his life in fashion.

Inside fashionista Daniel Boey's eclectic home Click on thumbnails to view (Photos: ST, TNP, Johnson and Johnson Vision Care, Toon Liang)

The 47-year-old admits that guests can get spooked at the unusual photo montage. "It can be a little freaky, especially if you don't know who these people are. But I know every picture and each of them has meaning to me."

The wall is characteristic of the rooms in his 3,000 sq ft gated-community terrace house in East Coast Road, where he has lived alone for the past 16 months. Much like presenting a fashion collection, the rooms have their own style but, together, form a cosy home for Boey.

Indeed, he describes his home as an "extension of his work in fashion". "This house is a bit schizophrenic and rojak," the bachelor jokes, referring to the salad dish of vegetables and fruit.

Decor ranges from retro Scandinavian interiors, of clean lines and curvy furniture, to a contemporary red work room.

Take the living room, which has stark white walls. The spartan vibe is complemented by brown and grey hues of 1970s Scandinavian retro furniture such as a long, curvy sofa he bought from one of his favourite furniture stores, Lorgan's The Retro Store in Pasir Panjang Road.

There are also white modular pieces for his television set and for storage that can be moved around for a new look.

That simplicity is punctuated by colour from oil works by Indonesian pop artists Dani "King" Heriyanto and Erica Hestu Wahyuni and Thai artist-painter Jirapat Tatsanasomboon on the walls of the staircase, bedroom and dining room.

Head to the balcony on the third and highest floor and suddenly you are in Miami's chic South Beach, with Boey's nautical theme of striped sofas, ship flag cushions and two original flamingos by American artist Don Featherstone - perfect for a chill-out session when Boey needs a break from work.

Because the look of each room flows so well into the other, you wonder if he had a little professional interior decor help, even with his good eye for design.

But Boey, who brought in his fashion team including producer Bryan Gamboa and casting director Dominic Clarke to help him decorate, says: "It's good to have a second or even third opinion. But I consult only people who are on the same wavelength as me. These people share my sentiment about style and decor."

After living in apartments for 13 years, he wanted to return to living in a house, which he did during his childhood in Greenfield Drive in Frankel estate.

He fell in love with his current home for its spaciousness as well as its high ceilings, original banisters and vintage feel.

Items such as vinyl records from his parents' house and a retro-futuristic turntable now decorate his place. A prized possession is an old radio belonging to his father Robert, now in his 70s, that is housed in a pencil-leg show cabinet.

He says of raiding his parents' home for items to do up his own pad: "The irony is that now that you are grown up, you yearn for things that remind you of your childhood."

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European flair

 

Civil servant Alvin Choo and his wife Michelle Tay has created a little Europe inside their four-room Punggol flat. The Baroque theme raises eyebrows among visitors, who thinks the flat is their own boutique hotel. -ST

Tue, Oct 30, 2012
The Straits Times

  

Civil servant Alvin Choo and graphic designer Michelle Tay, both 30, wanted their four-room flat in Punggol to be "bold and glamorous", just like their baroque-themed wedding, says Ms Tay.

 

Mr Choo says of the flat where the couple have lived for almost six months: "It was more of my wife's idea. We were thinking of a bit of baroque, a bit of Victorian feel."

 

A bit of Europe in a Punggol flat Click on thumbnails to view (Photos: ST)

 

Baroque is an European artistic style dating from 1600.

 

Ms Tay chips in: "We like Paris and European culture, so we found that the baroque theme was suitable for us. It's our first home, so we spent a lot of time and effort on doing up the whole place.

 

"We researched a lot on places that sell baroque furniture and went to a whole row of lighting shops and furniture shops."

 

They also approached interior designer New Nyew, who says she was given free rein to design a baroque theme in "black, gold, purple and red".

 

Ms Tay also drew on her background in design, incorporating their wedding logo - a giant-sized fork and spoon with chef's hats - into decals for the kitchen.

 

She says: "We wanted to make the living room, the dining area and the kitchen feel like a cafe.

 

When you are sitting there, you can imagine sitting in Paris and having a coffee."

 

The dining area has a L-shaped bench with red cushions adorned with crystals, a chandelier, a lamp post and a wall painted by Ms Tay to look like grey and white bricks.

 

She also drew a picture of a street on a large chalkboard in the kitchen.

 

There are also baroque elements in the washrooms, with the common toilet painted in shades of pink and black with a gold-framed mirror. The master bedroom toilet also has black and gold-striped tiles and a similar baroque mirror.

 

The master bedroom is decorated in purple, red and white, with an area for Ms Tay's clothes that resembles a walk-in wardrobe. Separated from the bed by a screen of black glass and a low false wall is a waist-high showcase cabinet to store her jewellery and accessories.

 

The couple spent more than $50,000 on achieving their modern baroque look, including the cost of renovation and furnishing. It took two months, plus another four months before that to source furniture and an interior designer.

 

But it has paid off. "Some friends think it looks like a boutique hotel. They notice all the little details," says Ms Tay.