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”.