Some houses are decorated. Others are designed. Bahareh Badiei’s home, spanning 1,890 square metres, is both—and more. It stands as a manifesto of her life philosophy: confident, unapologetically bold and layered with personality. Every wall, ceiling and surface has been considered, treated, and finished with intention, flair and a refusal to settle for the ordinary.
Referencing her homeland, Iran, the glamorous jet-setter set out to infuse her home with design philosophies from the Middle East. “I wanted something luxurious and different. In the Middle East, design tends to be bolder and louder—I wanted to bring that richness here,” she says, recalling the project’s inception.
The result? A home without a single plain white wall. Browns, wallpapers, glass, vinyl and laminate intermingle in a symphony of textures, creating warmth, drama and grandeur. What is even more remarkable is that she designed the space herself. “Since I was a child, I’ve always loved redecorating,” she shares. “It was never tiring for me, just something I genuinely enjoyed.”
That passion, nurtured since childhood, has evolved into a design instinct that friends, family and even galleries have called upon. “I wouldn’t say it’s about talent so much as passion,” she says. “Give me a space, give me a budget, and tell me: ‘Bahareh, make it look its best.’ That’s what I love to do.”
This home, however, is her magnum opus—a massive undertaking that tested her resolve, sharpened her instincts, and ultimately left her with a house that feels deeply hers. Purchased with her husband in late 2019, the good class bungalow became their family home in 2023 after nearly three years of construction. Spanning three storeys, it includes a basement with an extensive wine cellar, an oxygen room converted from her artist studio, a gym, a mini spa and even a private cinema.
Much of Badiei’s vision was shaped by her travels. With residences in both Singapore and Dubai, and children studying abroad in London and Switzerland, she has a design outlook that is as global as it is personal.
Take the living room, for example. Its 8-metre-high ceiling demanded something extraordinary and instead of a conventional chandelier, she created a striking feature of 400 suspended light tubes, inspired by hotels she admired on her journeys.
That same pursuit of originality continues in the dining room, for which she designed a Murano glass installation comprising 620 champagne, gold and latte-toned pieces—a luminous sculpture that took 10 days to install. A sweeping staircase with a marble feature wall in rich shades of red and amber leads upstairs, where her son’s room and the couple’s suite await.
Her daughter Hannah’s room, meanwhile, occupies the first floor by the pool—a personal request made by Hannah, driven by her love of swimming. “I wasn’t sure if it was possible, but my mum made it happen,” Hannah shares.
At the heart of Badiei’s design journey is family. The mother of two ensured that her home reflects not just her own vision, but also her children’s needs. Though Hannah was overseas for much of the build, Badiei created a space where her daughter could feel at home during the school holidays.
The result, Hannah says warmly, is a sanctuary that feels entirely her own. “My mum and I have different tastes—she loves colour while I lean more neutral—but she managed to tie in my preferences to the rest of the house,” Hannah reflects. For Badiei, these details matter as much as any marble or wallpaper. They anchor the grandeur of her house in something more enduring: love, memory and connection.
Not that Badiei avoids risk. If anything, she regrets the one compromise she made with her architect: abandoning her vision of a patterned marble floor in black, gold and red. “I think the space would have looked more artistic and interesting,” she says.
That willingness to embrace drama, colour and the unexpected runs through not just her interiors, but also her style. If her home is a work of art, her closet is its crown jewel. Overflowing with high jewellery, fine jewellery and a dizzying collection of bags (“I love bags,” she confesses), the space is a celebration of joy and abundance.
Her collection spans from Richard Mille and Patek Philippe timepieces to Bvlgari and Cartier jewellery, and Hermès and Chanel bags. Her daughter, she shares with a laugh, treats her closet like her own boutique, reaching for pieces as she pleases. Clothes, meanwhile, are about fun, not rules. “If there’s an event the next day, I’m not stressed. I love to shop. Prints, colours, feathers, puffer coats—why not? Fashion should make you feel alive,” she enthuses.
The same instinct guides her approach to art. “Furniture—anyone can buy from Minotti, Fendi or Versace,” she says. “But art speaks about who you are.” Throughout the house, sculptures and artworks sourced from around the world transform each room into a dialogue between design and emotion. She collects spontaneously, letting her eye and her emotions lead.
Among her favourites is a sculpture by Indian artist Valay Shende that is composed entirely of watches, which she discovered in a New York hotel. There is also a prized piece by Iranian artist Sadegh Tabrizi, secured at auction; an array of clock figurines and artworks from brands such as MB&F and Ulysse Nardin—a nod to her husband’s passion as a watch collector; and a hyperrealistic sculpture by Marc Sijan of a security guard she nicknames “Peter”, which sits in the living room.
This emphasis on experience feels consistent with Badiei’s life story. She moved from Iran to Singapore at 20 and has since called it home longer than anywhere else. She has studied soil science, fashion merchandising and psychology, launched her own fashion brand, and worked in counselling before realising that design and hosting are what she loves most.
Today, she also organises events for the supercar club she belongs to. The house, like Badiei herself, is never static. She is already planning to install black marble throughout, add a curved feature wall, and switch up the living room with latte-toned bamboo rugs. “It’s always a work in progress,” she says.
Her home is less about perfection than presence—an evolving reflection of her taste, her energy and her joy in surrounding herself with the things she loves. Much like her closet, her art collection and her way of living, it is a testament to her belief that life is not about following rules, but about creating your own.
PHOTOGRAPHY JAYA KHIDIR
CREATIVE DIRECTION KELLY HSU AND MARISA XIN
STYLING KELLY HSU
HAIR AND MAKEUP ZHOU AIYI, USING CHANEL BEAUTY AND REVLON PROFESSIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT AMIRUL FAZAILE
FASHION ASSISTANTS ANIKA DESHMUKH AND MITCHELL HOO
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