Ephemeral Beauty

Thexton Smith Interiors transforms this 8,400 sq ft penthouse into a bespoke home that makes the most of its panoramic views of Marina Bay while thoughtfully anticipating the future

- Asih Jenie

Designing an interior of a rented luxury property is a delicate balancing act. How do you fulfil I your client's brief while creating something worthy of the premium footprint and taking account of its temporary nature? One could argue that the designer's task is made even more challenging because it needs to be memorable and impressive during this transitional period. Thexton Smith Interiors shows how it's done at this penthouse on Singapore's south-eastern coast.

Home to a couple and their teenage son, the sprawling 8,400 sq ft penthouse has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a panoramic view of the sea and the glittering Marina Bay cityscape. The husband works in finance, while the wife works in the fashion industry.

Although they only took a two-year lease on the penthouse, they wanted the interior design to be timeless and truly embody their lifestyle. They returned to Thexton Smith Interiors who designed one of their previous homes for a fresh design.

"They loved how they could express themselves with me and how I am as crazy and as adventurous as they are," shares Hafi Hakim. He is the co-founder and director of Thexton Smith Interiors, a Singapore-based sister company of Melbourne architectural firm Thexton Smith; the designer currently splits his time between the two cities.

"Our creative philosophy is to be unafraid to be bold, to break boundaries of what the norm might be, and to express ourselves through design," adds Hafi.