Celebrating SG60: 20 designers on craftsmanship in Singapore.

Atelier V&A embodies Singapore’s spirit of blending heritage with modernity. Co-founder Venetia Gu, a second-generation designer, draws on her family’s carpentry legacy to balance tradition and innovation — a reflection of Singapore’s pragmatic creativity. Her partner Aisha Hillary-Morgan finds inspiration in wood’s texture and story, and the nation’s heritage of craftsmanship. Through their debut Atelier One collection, they pay homage to local history with Peranakan-inspired details — quiet anchors that honour the hands and stories shaping design across generations.

Opening Acts

Hidden within an industrial complex in Kaki Bukit, Atelier V&A defies expectations with a soaring, gallery-like studio that blends craft, creativity and collaboration. Founded by Venetia Gu and Aisha Hillary-Morgan, the atelier is both a showroom and working studio — a rarity in Singapore.

Within its double-height space, artisans craft bespoke furniture under the Atelier One line and sculptural florals under Vanda, each infused with playfulness, texture and emotion. The duo breathe new life into existing pieces, transforming even broken items into design treasures.

Tatler highlights Atelier V&A as part of a new generation of design showrooms — spaces that merge artistry and storytelling, where craftsmanship becomes theatre and design is felt as much as it is seen.

Practical Magic: Heritage Roots

In Practical Magic: Heritage Roots, Atelier V&A co-founders Venetia Gu and Aisha Hillary-Morgan share how Singapore’s design identity lies in reimagining, not replicating, tradition. Venetia, a second-generation designer from a family of carpenters, reflects on the nation’s spirit of pragmatism and creativity — balancing heritage with innovation at the heart of their practice.

Aisha finds her inspiration in wood, drawn to its warmth and its connection to Singapore’s long history of craftsmanship. Through Atelier V&A’s debut Atelier One collection, the duo pay homage to this legacy by weaving Peranakan-inspired motifs into contemporary forms — quiet anchors that honour the artisans and hands that have shaped design across generations.