CAVE OF TREASURES

At Atelier V&A, co-founders Venetia Gu and Aisha Hillary-Morgan break the rules when it comes to what interior design should look like.

- NICOLE NG

Hidden among the warehouses in the Kaki Bukit neighbourhood lies Atelier V&A, a treasure trove of an interior design showroom founded by local interior designer Venetia Gu, 40, and Dutch-Australian creative director Aisha Hillary-Morgan, 47. Introduced to each other by their supplier in Australia years ago, Gu and Hillary-Morgan became fast friends over their passion for making spaces more beautiful, and later worked together to create unique home accessories they couldn't find locally for styling projects. Atelier V&A, a 2,500sqft design and custom furniture showroom, is a culmination of the duo's vision to fill a missing niche in Singapore's interior design scene—one that breaks away from rigid design styles and instead draws inspiration from personal narratives. "There's no proper format, style or look that you have to follow, like wabi-sabi or Japandi," shares Gu, who is carrying on her family's legacy of design and carpentry with Interics Decor Pte Ltd, now channelled into Atelier V&A. "We believe that personal style is what your home needs."