Host in style

Host in style

To take advantage of the panoramic view of the ocean skyline and yachts docked below, Dr Finian Tan and Ms Fiona Goh went all out to do up the rooftop of their Sentosa Cove penthouse.

Step out onto the 1,650 sq ft space and guests are greeted by a 1.2m- deep pool, which overlooks the OneDegree 15 Marina Club and Sentosa Golf Club. The rooftop is divided into two separate outdoor areas: one for dining and the other for lounging.

In the dining area, a shimmering onyx marble bar takes centre stage. It fronts a fully equipped kitchen, where guests can watch their food being prepared before adjourning to a 12-seater dining table to feast.

In the lounge area, a cosy L-shaped sofa stands in front of a lush green wall. Guests can perch on Charles Ghost high stools by French designer Philippe Starck, which line the inner parapet, or take a walk on artificial turfing that covers the parameter.

A 1.68m-tall metal sculpture titled Are You Talking To Me? by French artist Pierre Matter, featuring a liger, a cross between a lion and tiger, staring down a pink baby, lends a humorous touch to the space.

It makes sense to have such an impressive rooftop - Dr Tan and Ms Goh, who are engaged, host events often, especially during festive periods. Guests can number between 10 and 100.

Guests always spill over from their indoor living and dining room downstairs. The first level of the penthouse also has a balcony.

Before the couple moved in last April, Dr Tan, 53, who is the chairman of Vickers Capital group, an international venture capital company, used the 5,050 sq ft five-bedroom penthouse as a home office for five years.

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The couple hired celebrity interior designer Peter Tay to remodel the interiors. Mr Tay, who was named Designer of the Year at the 2014 President's Design Award, brought his signature luxe touch to the space through his choice of materials.

The rooftop is tiled with nuvolato granite tiles - its white vein-like pattern makes it look like an artwork.

In the living room, white statuario marble was used for a feature wall, on which an 80-inch television is mounted. The dry kitchen has a bar counter made of green- veined Breccia Verde Carrara marble. These materials have been used in the boutiques for luxury brands Saint Laurent and Givenchy.

To disguise the doors to the master bedroom and guest powder room - both are on the first level of the penthouse - Mr Tay picked ebony wood veneer panels for their wood grain details. These make the doors look like a feature wall and they blend seamlessly into the modern-looking, minimalist space.

While the materials used stand out, it is a simple glossy, black ceiling panel in the living room that Ms Goh, 35, fell in love with. The homemaker says: "I often read in the living room and, in the day, you can see the water reflected as it moves. It puts you in a calm mood."

Of the rooftop, Mr Tay, 44, says: "Before I did up the apartment, the rooftop was bare and wasn't really used because of the hot weather. The space also got wet when it rained."

To make the rooftop area more usable, he installed steel roof trellises with retractable shades to provide shelter from the elements.

While he came up with the design direction and picked the furniture, the couple brought in their own style, such as decorating the stairwell with art pieces that came mostly from Moroccan painter Mahi Binebine, who is a friend.

Ms Goh says he has grown bolder with experimenting with the medium that gives his painting a 3-D effect and "makes it come alive". She adds: "His art can be interpreted in so many ways."

The renovation took four months and Dr Tan is happy with the result because Mr Tay's "designs fit our taste". Mr Tay counts Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi among his clients, for whom he did the interior design of her Beijing penthouse.

Ms Goh says: "Given that we entertain a lot, this apartment has been designed for our needs. It was a good collaboration too - we found a designer who understood our aesthetic."


This article was first published on January 16, 2016.
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