A tale of two flats in Tiong Bahru

YANN Follain may not be Singaporean, but after 14 years of working here, he has become the unofficial design specialist of Tiong Bahru heritage flats.

The founder of WY-TO Singapore has already designed six such homes in the neighbourhood. He has become so well-known for his work on the neighbourhood’s Art-Deco style properties that even other designers go to him for advice on how to make the most of the unique layout of these walk-up flats.

“The tricky bit about these apartments is the long and narrow layout, which is part of the architectural charm – and also a constraint,” says the French designer. But he understands the design well, having lived in Tiong Bahru himself for 12 years, “before it became trendy”.