Home Tour: Mrs Singapore Universe’s $110,000 renovation for her 3-bedroom condominium at Science Park Drive
She is Mrs Universe Singapore 2025, business owner, part-time funeral director, and about to become a divorce coach.
By Lynn Tan -
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Catherine Vargas-Pan is someone who faces adversity head on. When she sees a challenge, she embraces it. As a child and teenager, she was a victim of bullying and her self-esteem suffered even into adulthood. When she chanced upon YouTube videos of past Mrs Singapore Universe pageants, the self-confessed introvert signed up on impulse even though she had no prior experience.
“I thought that joining the pageant would force me to come out of my shell, expand my network and learn new things,” she shares. Being crowned Mrs Universe Singapore 2025 came as a total surprise for the business owner and part-time funeral director who is currently also pursuing her studies to become a divorce coach.
Although reserved by nature, Catherine likes things that are unique and which stand out, and this applies to her home interior. Her original brief to Carmen Tang, design director of Wolf Woof was to create a modern luxe home with a relaxing hotel vibe. When Carmen proposed a distinctive Art Deco style design, it really resonated with her.
Who Lives Here: A business owner and pageant queen in her 30s
Home: A 3-bedroom condominium at Science Park Drive
Size: 904 sq ft
Interior Designer: Wolf Woof
Living Room
The apartment’s high ceiling in excess of five metres presented an excellent opportunity for Carmen to incorporate an Art Deco style television wall inspired by the lift lobby of the Empire State Building in New York City. In this case, the living room is the lift lobby and the television wall is designed to mimic lift doors that open up to reveal the television set.
To make this feature look as realistic as possible, Carmen had the “lift doors” clad in a mirror finish with specially designed gold decals. She even went the whole nine yards and added a floor level indicator above the doors and a lift button panel on one side. American architect and designer, Charles Eames’ mantra, “The details are not the details. They make the design,” is also the design philosophy that Carmen abides by.
Finding a chandelier to anchor the space was no mean feat as the unit is relatively small despite its high ceiling. They finally found the perfect one that is of just the right size and proportion. It is one of Catherine’s favourite pieces in the home: “It looks really artsy and adds grandeur to the space.”
Dining Room
When it comes to small spaces, interior designer Carmen firmly believes in making the most out of every square inch and feature. For the dining room, she designed banquette seats that conceal storage underneath.
To define the space, she cladded the dining room ceiling and walls with walnut coloured wood panelling and added a statement pendant lamp.
Spiral Staircase
The high ceiling, modest unit size and Catherine’s need for a workspace naturally pointed to the addition of a loft above the living room that would maximise the use of space in the vertical dimension. It also doubles up as a chillout zone that overlooks the rest of the home and is Catherine’s favourite area.
“It is like my private sanctuary within the home where I can have my own space to unwind and take things slow after a long day. It also offers a better view of the sea and port as it is unblocked by the balcony,” she says.
Locating the spiral staircase leading up to the loft did present a challenge for Carmen as she had to ensure that it would not disrupt the design and circulation, and not encroach too much into the usable floor area.
After the spiral staircase was erected, the carpenters faced some issues accessing certain higher-up areas nearer the ceiling when executing the television wall feature as the limited space could not accommodate a scaffolding. They had to come up with creative alternatives to overcome this.
Master Bedroom
The same wallpaper that adorns the living room wall behind the sofa is extended along the walkway leading to the bedrooms. The metallic sheen and three dimensional effect add depth to the space.
The master bedroom is kept simple and classic, pairing a deep, rich walnut fluted panel with LondonArt wallpaper.
Lighting plays an important role in creating the appropriate ambience for the master bedroom. A pendant lamp and two wall lamps inject a little bling factor while preserving the restive quality of the space.
Walk-In Wardrobe
As one would expect of a pageant queen and working professional, Catherine has an extensive collection of outfits and accessories and one of the bedrooms adjacent to the master bedroom has been converted into her walk-in wardrobe.
The original door to the bedroom was sealed off and relocated such that the new walk-in wardrobe is now accessible from within the master bedroom. It exudes an understated elegance with a touch of femininity and plants help to soften the space.
Renovation Cost
The renovation took about four months to complete and Catherine spent about $110,000. Here is a breakdown of the cost:
- Hacking, protection, cleaning and disposal: $7,600
- Loft: $28,600
- Tiling works: $6,100
- Carpentry works: $37,700
- Electrical works: $1,100
- Vinyl flooring: $2,500
- Painting works: $3,000
She moved into her new home in March 2024 and sees herself staying long term. However, she does not rule out the possibility of selling the property if the market conditions are favourable and it is financially viable.