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Step into a psychedelic home — a three-bedroom condominium in Sengkang — filled with a retro style and designer classics, coming together to reflect the vibrant nature and bold, outgoing personality of its owners.
The home, although filled with many things amassed over two decades, has an orderly look, thanks to the way the homeowners decided to “colour block” the interiors.
They also engaged interior designer Kevin Teng of The Safe Haven in 2017, to carry out a basic functional renovation with new structures to match the look, and that would allow Alvin’s collection to take centre stage.
1970s Retro Inspired House
It is furnished with around 400 vintage furniture pieces, from chairs and turntables to lava lamps and decor pieces.
Iconic design classics, such as an original 1950s George Nelson Marshmallow sofa, Eero Aarnio Ball chair and Louis Poulsen table lamps, can be spotted throughout.
But besides both vintage and newly manufactured designer pieces from the era, Alvin collects anything and everything that looks retro and space age in style, he says.
1960s High Fidelity Stereo
In the living area, the orange 1960s’ Stereo Radiophonograph Brionvega RR126 (pictured above) is a statement-making “modular” high-fidelity stereo that can be opened up into a long arrangement, or left closed in a cube form.
Next to it is a customised terrarium from Rabbit Island.
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Pops of Colour
A bright-hued sofa from Lifestorey divides the living area, which is a white space accented by pops of colour through the furniture, lamps and soft furnishings.
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Herman Miller Marshmallow Sofa
A Nelson Marshmallow sofa from Herman Miller in orange and red tones is a cheerful addition to the lounge area. Retro-pop art prints from Carousell complement the living room’s palette.
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1970s Space Age
“I’m very fond of anything related to the 1970s, especially the era referred to as the Space Age – with designs that resemble astronaut helmets or spaceships,” enthuses Alvin Sim.
His apartment, which he shares with his wife, Fion Chang, speaks for itself.
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Rabbit Island Terrarium Tabletop
A customised tabletop terrarium by Rabbit Island brings an element of nature into the green-and-yellow bedroom.
The bright yellow 1970s’ GEC Weltron Space Ball radio and tape player exemplifies the Space Age style.
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Glossy, Retro Bedroom
The bedroom, along with the rest of the home, features bespoke furniture finished with glossy, solid colour laminates that were designed to blend with the home’s retro look.
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Verner Panton Visona 2
In a corner of the master bedroom, interlocking orb panels from famous Danish designer Verner Panton’s Visiona 2 art installation dress up the walls.
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Master Bathroom
The master bathroom walls are clad in high-shine tiles with a 3-D dotted texture.
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Vintage Fabric Curtains
Vintage fabric bought from the Netherlands was made into a curtain for the master bedroom.
Complementing the curves and spherical shapes of the home are these distinctive design classics – an Eames Rocker and Eames Hang-It-All clothes rack (both by Herman Miller).
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This story was first published in 2017.