A Soft Spot

With a busy lifestyle that includes running her own dermatology clinic, playing squash in the evenings, cooking for friends and frequent travelling for both work and leisure, all this homeowner wants is to come home to a restful place.

Enter her old friend, designer Michael Fiebrich, whom she engaged to turn her 70's era, 1,775 sq ft apartment into a personal sanctuary. The founder of Michael Fiebrich Design and his design manager Shoto Banerji set about to create a calming abode based on her happy colour - blue.

But when they came up with a colour palette comprising shades of blue and sand, their client hesitated. "While she liked blue, she wasn't convinced that it would look good all over the apartment," says Mr Fiebrich. "But we showed her how we would incorporate that colour into the design."

In the end, they decided that a shade of blue reminiscent of the sea worked best. Paired with fabrics in sand tones, the colours lend a relaxed, comfortable vibe to the apartment located just across from the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The soft hues are visible all over the apartment, from the blue-grey veins in the marble tabletops, to the bluish-grey cushion covers, light sandy-coloured curtains and warm tan sofa.

"The dermatology clinic is mostly black and white so the colours in the apartment were a welcome change," says Ms Banerji.

The furniture and accessories are either bought or custom-made, including a pair of bamboo silk rugs, specially woven in India. "Not only can you decide on the design of the carpets, but you can dictate the exact colours you want too," says Mr Fiebrich, who of course, made the rugs in blues and sand.

Since the previous owner hadn't done much to the 40-year-old apartment, it was high time for a major overhaul. Since the client enjoys entertaining, an open kitchen was created which connects seamlessly with the living and dining areas. When friends come over, they instinctively gravitate towards the counter by the kitchen to watch their hostess in action.

As the client sometimes works from home, one of the bedrooms was converted into a study, and is positioned between the bedroom and the living room. "This way, each room flows onto the next," says Mr Fiebrich.

While most of the design work was left to the experts, the home-owner's personal touches are present throughout, with the numerous family photos and souvenirs brought back from her many overseas trips.

These include wooden stools from Africa, rain drums from Thailand which have been converted into side tables, and various pieces of artworks. Her favourite pieces are a Buddha head and a pair of kneeling Buddha statues which are proudly displayed in the dining and living areas respectively. "She would send us pictures of items she's eyeing when overseas, to see if they fit in with the décor," says Mr Fiebrich.

With such a warm, welcoming abode awaiting her each day, who knows - her next holiday may well be a staycation at home.