European flair

European flair
PHOTO: European flair

Civil servant Alvin Choo and graphic designer Michelle Tay, both 30, wanted their four-room flat in Punggol to be "bold and glamorous", just like their baroque-themed wedding, says Ms Tay.

Mr Choo says of the flat where the couple have lived for almost six months: "It was more of my wife's idea. We were thinking of a bit of baroque, a bit of Victorian feel."

Baroque is an European artistic style dating from 1600.

Ms Tay chips in: "We like Paris and European culture, so we found that the baroque theme was suitable for us. It's our first home, so we spent a lot of time and effort on doing up the whole place.

"We researched a lot on places that sell baroque furniture and went to a whole row of lighting shops and furniture shops."

They also approached interior designer New Nyew, who says she was given free rein to design a baroque theme in "black, gold, purple and red".

Ms Tay also drew on her background in design, incorporating their wedding logo - a giant-sized fork and spoon with chef's hats - into decals for the kitchen.

She says: "We wanted to make the living room, the dining area and the kitchen feel like a cafe.

When you are sitting there, you can imagine sitting in Paris and having a coffee."

The dining area has a L-shaped bench with red cushions adorned with crystals, a chandelier, a lamp post and a wall painted by Ms Tay to look like grey and white bricks.

She also drew a picture of a street on a large chalkboard in the kitchen.

There are also baroque elements in the washrooms, with the common toilet painted in shades of pink and black with a gold-framed mirror. The master bedroom toilet also has black and gold-striped tiles and a similar baroque mirror.

The master bedroom is decorated in purple, red and white, with an area for Ms Tay's clothes that resembles a walk-in wardrobe. Separated from the bed by a screen of black glass and a low false wall is a waist-high showcase cabinet to store her jewellery and accessories.

The couple spent more than $50,000 on achieving their modern baroque look, including the cost of renovation and furnishing. It took two months, plus another four months before that to source furniture and an interior designer.

But it has paid off. "Some friends think it looks like a boutique hotel. They notice all the little details," says Ms Tay.

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