Cover The audience at Roche Bobois Marina Square showroom are spatial and interior designers
The audience at Roche Bobois Marina Square showroom are spatial and interior designers
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At Tatler Homes Singapore's Visionaries talk series hosted at Roche Bobois, Colin Seah of Ministry of Design unpacked why so much of Singapore’s interior design is beginning to look the same, and where true creative courage might begin to turn the tide
The year 2025 marks Tatler Homes Singapore’s 20th anniversary, celebrated under the forward-looking Vision 20/25 theme of the Tatler Homes Design Awards. To kick off the year’s programming, we partnered with longtime collaborator Roche Bobois—founded in Paris over 60 years ago and still among the most risk-taking furniture brands today—to launch the Visionaries talk series, an intimate conversation platform spotlighting design trailblazers shaping the future. First visionary: Colin Seah.
The event took place at the Roche Bobois showroom in Marina Square, a fitting setting for a discussion on creative leadership and originality. As Wilson Tang, brand owner of Roche Bobois Singapore and Hong Kong, said in his welcome speech: “We are not just furniture designers—we are furniture editors. We listen to how people live and translate that into design.”
Our conversation centred around three key themes: branding as identity, the increasing sameness in Singapore's design scene, and the role of creative bravery in shaping the future.
In case you missed it: Get design inspiration from French furniture brand Roche Bobois
Displayed in the Roche Bobois Marina Square showroom is the Bamboo Mood collection by Jiang Qiong Er
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Above Dennis Cheok, Joy Seah, Colin Seah, Mark Mah and Darren Yio
Above Wilson Tang and the Roche Bobois Singapore team
Dennis Cheok, Joy Seah, Colin Seah, Mark Mah and Darren Yio
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Above “At Roche Bobois, we are not just furniture designers—we are furniture editors," says Wilson Tang
“At Roche Bobois, we are not just furniture designers—we are furniture editors," says Wilson Tang
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On Branding and Creative Bravery
Seah opened by reflecting on the essence of branding in design practice—not as a logo or stylistic veneer, but as a distilled, authentic attitude that precedes the work. At Ministry of Design (MOD), this attitude is centred on challenging conventions. Rather than being known for a particular aesthetic, MOD's brand is defined by its mindset: to rethink the familiar.
“If someone were to mention your name, an image or a feeling should come to mind instantly,” Seah said. “That impression should be deliberate and consistent—something you’ve carefully cultivated rather than left to chance.” This approach naturally attracts clients who seek originality, even if they struggle to articulate it.
“We’re sitting amidst a living brand—Roche Bobois,” Seah added. “Everyone knows the Mahjong sofa. That’s branding. It’s not just visual; it’s emotional, it’s memorable.” For Seah, brand equity grows out of staying true to one’s internal compass while being flexible enough to collaborate.
Above The captivated audience lounging on Roche Bobois' collection
The captivated audience lounging on Roche Bobois' collection
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Above Colin Seah
Above Asih Jenie
Colin Seah
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On Sameness
During my career in design journalism, I've had the pleasure of having Seah as a judge, a guest and an awardee at various award programmes, and he always had this one long-held critique: that much of Singapore’s interior design has become visually indistinct. Thus, this talk was an opportunity to have him unpack this.
I asked him directly: "Let's unpack that. Why do you think so many projects in Singapore start to look the same?"
Seah replied, "I’ve seen a convergence. You can group projects into recognisable schools. Especially in residential work—people default to comfort. That’s where the sameness creeps in."
Above Asih Jenie and Colin Seah seated on Roche Bobois' Bamboo Mood sofa by designer Jiang Qiong Er
Asih Jenie and Colin Seah seated on Roche Bobois' Bamboo Mood sofa by designer Jiang Qiong Er
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Above Dennis Cheok
Above Joy Seah lounging on Roche Bobois' Mahjong sofa
Dennis Cheok
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The Trap of Timelessness
The problem, he argues, is most acute in residential projects, where risk-aversion reigns and the familiar is often preferred. I echoed this sentiment by posing a question that’s been on my mind for some time—has "timelessness" become a creative trap?
Rather than reject comfort outright, Seah advocated for finding a sweet spot: designs that are both emotionally resonant and quietly radical. This balance, he suggests, is where longevity and originality can coexist. It's not about being loud or trendy—it’s about expressing something that resonates deeply while still surprising and engaging.
Seah pointed to hospitality projects and cultural installations as spaces where designers might have more freedom to take these creative risks, but urged that residential design need not be left behind. With the right client-designer rapport, even personal spaces can be platforms for experimentation and expression.
Above “It’s that discontentment that makes you reject the first impulse… that makes you question why the acceptable way of doing things is maybe not the only or best way,” says Colin seah
Above "Impression should be deliberate and consistent—something you’ve carefully cultivated rather than left to chance," said Colin Seah on branding
“It’s that discontentment that makes you reject the first impulse… that makes you question why the acceptable way of doing things is maybe not the only or best way,” says Colin seah
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Simon Wood
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Final Thoughts
The evening closed with questions from the floor, prompting further insights on topics such as how to foster risk-taking in clients and how global exposure influences creative instinct. Seah noted that creative courage often begins behind closed doors—with a designer’s willingness to challenge client assumptions and push for better.
His parting advice? Cultivate a healthy discontent. It’s this refusal to settle that drives originality. As he put it during our conversation, “It’s that discontentment that makes you reject the first impulse… that makes you question why the acceptable way of doing things is maybe not the only or best way.”
After the talk, guests lingered over champagne and nibbles, exchanging ideas in the convivial setting of Roche Bobois’ Marina Square showroom. Each guest took home an exclusive goodie bag containing a special edition room fragrance—typically reserved for Roche Bobois' VIP clientele.
Anita Caroline, Mark Mah and Wilson Tang
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Above Wakame and bean poke bowl
Above The Roche Bobois exclusive goodie bag
Wakame and bean poke bowl
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Credits
Photography: Benny Loh
Topics
Jakarta-born, Bandung-raised and Singapore-based, Asih Jenie trained in Visual Communication Design at Bandung Institute of Technology and Architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University. She brings both rigour and heart to design journalism, infused with a distinct Southeast Asian voice.
As a child, she doodled on the edges of her schoolbooks and never outgrew her fascination with all things well-made and well-told. Her 15-year career spans editorial roles and bylines in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia, across spatial design titles such as Dwell Asia, Cubes, Design Anthology, Habitus Living, and Home & Decor.
After a brief stint in public relations, she returned to publishing in 2023 to lead Tatler Homes Singapore, where she continues to tell stories about how we shape the spaces that shape us.
