Home Tour: Semi-retired 50s bachelor’s 4-room resale HDB looks like an antique pop-up store
By Shannon Osztonits -
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If you had to step inside this eclectic wonderland that is Say Wai’s home and think to yourself, “Wow, I feel like I am in the most magical antique collectables store,” you’d make this homeowner one happy man. And hey, if you ever do have the privilege and happen to fall in love with one of his (endless) designer furniture pieces — or thousand-dollar price tag collectables — and make him an offer, he might just accept it…
Dubbing himself an “official shopaholic,” the home you see in front of you is an expression of this homeowner’s travels and penchant for the arts, music, colour, fabrics and textures.
His favourite country is Taiwan.
It’s the creative good stuff rolled into one: a gallery brought to life of artwork in every room; one-of-a-kind treasures, thousands of records stacked neatly into shelves (literally, it’s astounding), and designer furniture pieces — especially chairs — to make one’s heart stop a beat and jaw drop time and time again.
Self-proclaimed shopaholic
“If I see something I like, I just buy it.”
When we sat down to chat with Say Wai, who has called his bachelor pad home since 2013, about any one particular style or theme he’s been trying to curate, his answer was simple: “an antique pop-up store.”
With a love for travel and shopping, it’s the perfect marriage for this self-professing shopaholic. Many items he’s picked up along his travels. Between the designer chairs, stools, vinyls, artwork across every wall, decorative woodwork, animal figurines (especially owls), books, and rare soft toys, lies a creative coordination of all of these items across every single room, neatly arranged with their own place to sit in the house.
“I love shopping and going to these kinds of pop-up shops for furniture or little things here and there,” explains Say Wai. “If you visit Japan, you have all of these sorts of stores.”
Who Lives Here: A semi-retired bachelor who worked in advertising/marketing communications
Home: 4-room resale HDB
Size: 900 sq ft
Interior designer: Self-designed
Say Wai fell in love with his bachelor home circa 2013, drawn to the property because of the location and the views. With windows all around, the home is forever in brightness, and nothing feels subdued.
From the main window, beautiful sunsets greet you.
“It’s convenient to go anywhere from here, too, with the MRT station just downstairs,” says the homeowner.
This 4-room resale HDB originally had three bedrooms. However, Say Wai broke one of the bedrooms down, creating an enlarged master bedroom with a huge cupboard — “because every shopaholic needs a sick warbrode,” laughs the collector.
A second bedroom now doubles as a guest room and study. There is one bathroom with a shower in it only, and then a separate toilet next to this.
Collectibles
Starting his impressive assemblage since he started working, it was his previous job that granted him the freedom to travel to many places, and he also loves travelling for leisure. He lived in China as well as Vietnam for some years. Many paintings and decor items are from these countries.
“I tried to make my house in a way that when you’re walking into a shop, you see all the beautiful things,” says Say Wai.
A designer chair dream
“I also love furniture, so there are a lot of chairs hanging around the house,” tells this homeowner. “I’ll sit in the kitchen and chit-chat with friends.”
From the iconic blue super sculptural Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen to his 12th anniversary Carl Hansen wishbone chair to antique stools from China. This house is one serious playground of designer chairs, with a plethora of them to scope out as you move around the rooms. Excluding the dining table chairs, there are over 15 designer chairs to swoon over.
Sunlight-kissed reading nook
Facing southwest, the home’s reading nook receives an abundance of sunlight, creating a warm feeling whenever you sit down in the space.
A piano chair is perched to the left, another hint at this music lover’s appreciation for any form of sound, with a floor-to-ceiling block-cut shelf showcasing old-school cartoon character figurines like Pinocchio and Snoopy to cutesy animal ceramics, from hedgehogs to Say Wai’s beloved owls.
Hundreds of CDs are tucked in between, filling up the blank spaces. A stuffed parrot reminds you of a pirate ship. Then there’s a table that is topped with a playful bronze monkey. A Game of Thrones-esque chandelier from Moooi with a burnt wood finish makes you feel as if you’re in a castle in the 15th century.
“When I look at this corner, with all the music, it looks so cosy. The chandelier was perfect for this corner and brightens the area,” says Say Wai. “It’s like visiting an old bookstore or CD store, where you enjoy and relax. It gives you those vibes.”
The standout chair in the reading nook is the solid wood and leather Maxalto Acanto, with its excellent Italian craftsmanship. In front of this sits a wooden Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi.
Living Room details
The focal point of the living room is Say Wai’s impressive music setup, displaying a collection of speakers, including a pair of wooden-encased Davones, a cube amplifier, a record player, a controller, and even a CD player.
“Picking a favourite artist is impossible. If talking mainstream, I love Madonna and Mariah Carey, but I also like A-ha, Ane Brun, and also quite a lot of Chinese artists.”
Gelling in with the natural woods around this room, a wooden moon-shaped ball decorates the room. It’s from Danang, Vietnam. It may not be in the shape of a chair, but the Ligne Roset marble coffee table (adorned with Japanese Hinoki wood fragrance bowls) is another designer item. His sofa is from the same brand, which he bought as a set. A beautiful white Buddha overlooks the scene, here to “bless the house.”
Behind the living room is the dining table area, with artwork across the walls by local Singaporean artists, and a set of Andreu World chairs around the table.
Record-brimming music room
Lining every shelf possible in the music room-meets study-meets-guest room are thousands of records. Even Say Wai has lost count, but they accumulate to over 3000! Paintings done in primary colours are from China. Even one of the paintings of Singapore’s skyline was painted by the homeowner himself — although he’s very modest about his talents!
When guests stay over, he pulls out the sofa bed in here.
Like the rest of his home, this room is no different when it comes to intriguing treasures, for example, the wooden sculpture of a prawn shipped in from Europe. Above this is a painting he’s owned for 25 years, purchased in China, but of the Venice Canals.
Kitchen design
For anyone with an affinity for ceramics, be prepared to swoon! The first thing you notice when entering the kitchen is the three shelves lined with ceramic cups and tea servingware. (I died the moment I laid eyes upon them.) Say Wai loves to encourage his guests to choose their own cup: a sort of moment to show their personality, in ceramic form.
An avid cook, kitchen appliances are brands which fellow aspiring cooks would love, including Le Creuset pots and pans, and a funky, bright orange Smeg fridge. Iconic.
“I don’t have a hob as the windows are right in front of the stove,” tells the homeowner.
The kitchen’s mosaic tiles mirror the bathroom, handpicked by Say Wai.
Bathroom Design
Unlike your typical bathroom setup, the bathroom is separated. A black tinted glass door leads to the shower, where every crevice is decorated with dark mosaic tiles. Exposed copper pipes suit the colour scheme, along with the black towel rail. A round pendant light adds dimension.
A replica-designed toilet is next door. Not commonly done, the sink is outside both rooms: a total standout feature in its own right: the freestanding marble Alessi by Laufen colla.
Master Bedroom Design
Just like the rest of the house, the master bedroom receives a bounty-blessing of natural, warm light, which loves to bounce off the original parquet floors.
“I am on the last floor; the tenth floor,” tells Say Wai.
Next to the queen-sized bed (furthest from the window) is a set of designer chairs — go figure — and above these on the wall a series of artwork, including those by Chinese artists.
Towards the window is an old Chinese antique frame from China in the corner, purposefully left untouched. The original master bedroom was made bigger so that Say Wai has plenty of room for his closet, which takes up both sides of the custom-built wood laminate cupboards sectioned just off from the main bedroom area.
As Say Wai’s first and forever bachelor pad, it’s a home filled with all of the things the homeowner loves out of life: music, art, books, colours…There is no set timeline for this home’s design, as it’s been more than a decade-long of creating and curating the space.
Discover, and by discover, we mean, fall in love with Say Wai’s entire collection of designer chairs in our Beyond the Tour closeup.