Home & Decor Singapore pays tribute to three decades of design with a look back on its most interesting features over the years.
This week we look at this Bangkok City apartment that blends European-style furniture and antiques within an Asian context.
Serm Phenjati knew exactly the effect he wanted to create when he took on the task of decorating his parent’s Bangkok city apartment - nothing too modern or hard. With a little dose of mystery. He also indulged his taste for “a lot of different colours everywhere”. Unglazed, native pottery line up under a multi-coloured veneer striped side table.
Serm shunned the obvious parallel-to-the-walls furniture arrangement and placed the living room furniture on the diagonal; both to create visual surprise and to maximise the sweeping city views from the balcony adjoining.
The entertainment centre housing the stereo system and TV was painstakingly stained black under glazed with acid green while the walls are an indefinable shade of oxblood. Dark, muted colours create a feeling womb-like comfort and warmth, says the designer. Just to pep things up a little, he added a sharp blue trim to the tray ceiling.
An assemblage of odd bits of old family heritage – 40s planter’s chairs, ivory-inlaid Ching side table, ‘Fortune’ wall plaque, even decorative bits of dismembered furniture sit well together on the opposite wall.
Melon walls, black lacquered sideboard and sleek Ming dining chairs make for a cosmopolitan sophistication. The unusual mirrored hall wall (behind) features a Neo-classical faux mantel piece with graceful Corinthian lines. The table setting’s a model of throw-away chic: rough black and white woven placemats are teamed with fine black and red Thai silk napkins, Waterford crystal and Thai bronze cutlery in bamboo pattern.
A vast canopied four poster dominates the master bedroom. To create a cosy environment that “would feel great to wake up to”, the walls were papered in blush peach, and upholstery and bed covers of delicate lilac were selected.
Black also makes an appearance in the bathroom, contrasting sharply with white marble walls and royal blue sanitary ware. A black and gold Chinese lacquer cabinet houses the bath linen in style.