Cover Among Tatler’s most-read Homes stories of 2025 included a short feature on K-pop superstar Jisoo of Blackpink and her reported purchase of a unit within the L’Arbre 27 development in Gangnam, Seoul (Image: Artist’s rendering, labre-27.kr)
Among Tatler’s most-read Homes stories of 2025 included a short feature on K-pop superstar Jisoo of Blackpink and her reported purchase of a unit within the L’Arbre 27 development in Gangnam, Seoul (Image: Artist’s rendering, labre-27.kr)
1 / 1
The home tours, celebrities and interviews that reveal how people retreated, softened and settled
Across cities, cultures and levels of fame, readers gravitated not toward spectacle, but restraint; not toward novelty, but intention. The homes that captured attention this year weren’t simply impressive—they were private, purposeful and deeply responsive to how their owners chose to live.
Whether set in Singapore, Seoul or Manila, Tatler’s top five stories of 2025 reveal the continued shift in what we’re all looking for in the way and in the places we live: not visibility, but control; not excess, but coherence.
A Singapore home tour that reflected earned authority, quietly lived
Tatler’s feature on the Singapore home of the executive chairman of F&B brand Old Chang Kee resonated with readers from all over the world (Photo: Derek Swalwell)
1 / 6
Home tour: Old Chang Kee chairman’s gorgeous Singapore house immersed in nature
Story by Luo Jingmei
Photography by Derek Swalwell
The year’s most-read home tour belonged to the executive chairman of Old Chang Kee—and it resonated precisely because it refused to perform. Immersed in greenery despite its central Singapore location, the residence spoke of continuity rather than conquest. Designed around feng shui principles, courtyards and decades of collecting, the home presented wealth not as display, but as settlement. Readers responded to its sense of rootedness: a life built slowly, thoughtfully and in dialogue with nature.
How a globally famous K-pop star chose retreat
Jisoo of the K-pop group Blackpink is one of the celebrities who reportedly purchased a unit at L’Arbre 27 in Gangnam, Seoul. This rendering of a communal space within the property shows how its design takes inspiration from nature (Photo: Instagram/@studio_formgiver)
1 / 5
Blackpink’s Jisoo buys a US$14 million Seoul luxury villa—take a look inside the home
Written by Andrea Lo
At the other end of the visibility spectrum, Jisoo of K-pop group Blackpink offered a different fantasy: withdrawal. The pop star reportedly purchased a villa that cost at least US$14 million in Seoul’s Gangnam district, in the prestigious L’Arbre 27 development. Due to be completed in late 2027, the property comprises 27 villas across two buildings, with stunning views of the city and a nature-forward design that affords privacy and serenity to its residents. Unsurprisingly, Jisoo will likely not be the only celebrity at L’Arbre 27—Bang Si-yuk, founder of South Korean entertainment titan Hybe, has reportedly also bought a unit there. This wasn’t a story about celebrity excess: this was design that chooses silence, distance and privacy as its ultimate luxury.
A Formula One racer lets us take a peek into his domestic life through a design lens
Formula One racer Jenson Button and his wife Brittny, with the table they designed with Los Angeles-based studio 11 Ravens
1 / 4
Jenson Button and Brittny Button on their glamorous home life—and the luxury game table they designed with 11 Ravens
Written by Andrea Lo
Rather than architecture or location, the story on Jenson and Brittny Button’s home centred on a bespoke, multifunctional game table designed for daily use. The ingeniously designed table has hosted breakfasts, game nights and family rituals. This was a story about a design object that earned its place through use—an idea that resonated strongly with readers craving homes that function, not just photograph well.
Place, climate and scale in conversation in this Philippine home
The exterior of architect Mike Peña’s cliffside home in Quezon City (Photo: Greg Mayo)
1 / 5
Home tour: a cliffside home with panoramic views of Quezon City, Manila
Written by Celine Dabao
Photography by Greg Mayo and Ssiala Azores
The cliffside Quezon City home designed by architect Mike Peña with his daughter Carla expanded the conversation from interiors to geography. Perched above Metro Manila with sweeping views of the Sierra Madre and Antipolo Ridge, the home demonstrated how architecture can respond to terrain and light rather than imposing itself upon them. Readers were drawn to its sense of place: dramatic, yes, but justified by site, climate and generational collaboration.
When maximalism became personal again
The den, with the abstract painting: “Untitled”, 2018 by Joe Bradley, round mandela artwork “Dark Acheron” by Damien Hirst, “Mah Jong” series of ottomans and sofas by Roche Bobois in a Central Park, New York family home designed by Kelly Zerbini of Dunnam Zerbini Design (Photo: Nick Johnson)
1 / 4
Home tour: a Moroccan-inspired apartment on Billionaires’ Row in Central Park, New York
Written by Celine Dabao
Photography by Nick Johnson
Set along Billionaires’ Row on Central Park South, this Moroccan-inspired New York apartment offered a counterpoint to the year’s quieter homes. Designed by Kelly Zerbini of Dunnam Zerbini Design, the residence embraced colour, art and material richness—without sacrificing durability or daily ease.
What resonated with readers wasn’t the address, but the philosophy behind it. Created for a young family constantly on the move, the home rejected the idea that luxury must be delicate or formal. Instead, bold works by Mark Grotjahn, Damien Hirst and Jonas Wood coexisted with flexible furniture, stackable seating and communal tables designed for everyday use. In a year often defined by restraint, this home reminded readers that maximalism—when rooted in personality rather than performance—can still feel eminently livable.
Topics
Kristine Fonacier is a widely published journalist and author, covering lifestyle, business, politics and travel, having been the editor in chief at the Philippine editions of Esquire and Entrepreneur, and the founding editor of Grid magazine. At Tatler, she was previously the regional editor for T-Labs, Power & Purpose and Asia’s Most Influential.
