Interiors Addict: inside a luxury penthouse in the east of Singapore

Shaking up our Interiors Addict series is Diana and Danial, whose chic penthouse is the stuff of dreams for luxury lovers.

If a home could be a scent, Diana and Danial’s pad would be Baies: Diptyque’s signature, sophisticated scent. Coming through the door of their apartment, what immediately hit us was the sharp, fruity yet delicate blend of roses and blackcurrants. In perfuming their home, the couple succeeded where few can – they created a warm yet elegant first impression that instantly spoke volumes about their personalities.

The couple tied the knot in late 2016, in what one can call ‘the wedding of the century’. Their big day was an opulent St Regis soiree inspired by Palais Garnier: a 19th century opera house in Paris.

But where their wedding was a palatial affair – think show-stopping centerpieces of magnificent blooms, crystals and candles and a string ensemble to complement the evening – their first home is a showcase of contemporary luxury.

Clean and cosy with a sleek colour palette of creams, whites, black and dark woods, the couple bring serious style to their penthouse duplex, flooding it with light and air, and just the right amount of glitz and glam. Keen to take a peek at their home? Watch the video below for a house tour:

We caught up with the couple to get the inside story on their polished pad…

Photography and videography by Hubab Hood and Darissa Lee.

Tell us about what you do.

Diana: I’m in marketing and advertising.

Danial: And I’m in banking. She’s the creative one, and the ideator. I’m the executor. That’s the story of the house…and the wedding *laughs*.

What made you decide on the #condolife?

Danial: Simply put, it’s like going home to a resort everyday. This location is pretty far-flung with no main roads nearby. It’s nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and return to peace and quiet.

Describe your home decor style.

Diana: Our home is inspired by our travels. We love the sophisticated look of Manhattan lofts. But we also like the idea of resort living, without going into the coastal aesthetic. Our condo has a distinct resort vibe, and to complement this, we’ve incorporated things we lugged home from Alila Uluwatu, where we spent our honeymoon. You could say our home is a marriage of city and resort living.

How does your lifestyle affect your home?

Diana: We spend most of our time at work. I come home late and him, even later. We want to unwind when we get home.

Danial: We grew up in cluttered houses. So we’ve always known that we want an airy and spacious home. We like that our place has has an open terrace with al fresco dining so we can enjoy rooftop dining with just ourselves, or friends and family.

What’s the theme of your house?

Danial: We used a mix of dark woods, and metals, and whites and grey. We stuck to a clean colour palette. Our space is pretty small even for a duplex, so we used white furnishings and mirrors to make the place look bigger.

What did you look for when you shopped for your furnishings?

Danial: We just looked for whatever matches our theme. It didn’t matter what it was.

Diana: I know it’s not the best way to do it..

Danial: …but it really was all about the theme. It was important that we stuck to dark woods, metals, mirrors and whites.

Was there anything you didn’t plan on buying?

Diana: The antelope book stands. The ice bucket and cocktail shaker. We don’t even drink! *laughs* When I was shopping, I kept going “OMG statement piece!”.

Danial: Everything was a statement piece to her. Like our golden toilet brush.

Diana: Honestly we didn’t want anything golden. Everything we bought was silver. But then I saw this brush and I had to have it. We don’t even use it. It really is just a statement piece!

What were the must-haves for your home?

Diana: Orchids. Candles.

Danial: Mirrors.

Diana: In our wedding, we wanted candles and flowers. I wanted to bring this into our home. We have orchids instead of roses as they make good plants – you only need to water every two weeks. Candles and home scents are so important to us. A nice smell really sets the mood, especially when you want to wow your guests. It’s a nice, comforting touch.

What are the favourite pieces in your home?

Diana: The chandelier. Both of us love the look of classic European furnishings, but we knew we couldn’t replicate the regal vibe of our wedding at home. We couldn’t have a massive one either so we settled for this particular one from Lightcraft. The chandelier complements the modern look of the rest of the house.

Danial: My favourite has to be the dining table. It’s durable and sits nicely outdoors.

What should new homeowners keep in mind when shopping?

Danial: We thought long term. We need our furniture to last, so we bought quality, long-lasting ones.

Diana: We didn’t want to follow trends too much and instead went for what we like and what we won’t get bored of. When you get a new home, you’d want to fill every corner of the house. I tried, but halfway, I realised that we’ll be here for a while, and we’ll keep adding stuff to it over the years. So I’d say for new homeowners, don’t try and pack everything at once. Take your time to add a new piece here, and another piece there.

Best part about your home?

Danial: The roof terrace. It’s perfect for entertaining guests. Our house may be small but the roof is special.

Diana: Same here. It’s nice and breezy.

What’s missing in your home that you want to add?

Diana: We want to build a walk in wardrobe eventually. I knew I needed the vanity table and mirror along with a full built-in wardrobe. But I’m not a neat person, so that plan is still tentative…

Where are your furnishings sourced from?

Diana: Most of our furniture (like our sofa, the coffee table, dressing table and lamps) are from Taylor B, while the mirrored stuff is from Finn Avenue.

Danial: For decor and accessories, we went to Arete Culture and Bespoke Living.

How do you keep your stuff so neat? Do you have hidden storage?

Diana: We can be ridiculously particular when it comes to cleaning. A smudge on a mirror can drive me crazy!

Danial: Actually, we do hoard stuff – I like buying spares of things. We stay organised by having designated places for things, as well as shelving and hidden storage.

Any advice for new homeowners?

Diana: Buy only the necessary stuff at first because it can really add up.

Danial: Keep a record of how much you’re spending. Have a budget and prioritise. Go for the essentials of the bed, sofa and TV first. Decor can come later.

Diana:To be honest, the first thing I bought was a home scent *laughs*. I was so inspired by it and everything fell into place after that!

Danial: Oh if you’ve got a small space like we do, use whites and mirrored surfaces. They give the illusion of a bigger space.