Her sleek grey built-in cabinetry in the living room is decorated with chic accent finds – a shell pot from Ferm Living, brass candlestick holders from Stoff Nagel, and a sculpture from Qrator’s Design.

In another corner, you’ll find a silver statement mirror, a black wishbone chair that has been passed down from a previous generation, and an organic-shaped table lamp placed on top of a pedestal.

In addition, the first thing one sees upon entering her home is a large black and white abstract piece handpainted by Ain herself.

Beyond the refined collectibles, however, lies a sense of serenity.

That’s because Ain’s interior design choices are centered around making her family home a conducive and calm environment for her 11-year-old autistic son.

“Having a child with Autism plays a role in the home choices we’ve made especially when it comes to colors and textures,” Ain explains.

From minimizing wall decor to painting her son’s bedroom a soothing blue-gray, these design details are important because they help her son feel relaxed and comfortable.

Ain, who sells custom art pieces and hardware, is the perfect example of creating a home that’s functional for everyone in the family without compromising on style.

Read her contemporary yet modern house tour below, and follow her interior journey here.

Check Out This Other Modern House Tour:

• This Dark And Moody Home Looks And Feels Like A Five-Star Hotel Suite

A Contemporary Yet Modern House Tour

Name:  Ain Jamlus

Location: Shah Alam, Malaysia

Type of home:  Double-storey terrace

Number of rooms: 4 rooms

Size: Just under 1900 sqft

Years Lived In: 2 years 3 months

Rental / Owned:  Owned

How would you describe your home style?

It’s safe to say that it’s more of a contemporary style, but I do mix and match the furniture and decor pieces accordingly.

I play around with neutral tones like gray, beige, taupe, black, and white. Plus, I love to layer these tones with different textures and materials so that it doesn’t look flat. It’s easy to end up looking boring with just neutral tones.

I try to carry the tone throughout the living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and master bedroom because I want every space in the house to have a sense of cohesiveness and a natural state of mind.

What inspired your home decor? 

I think there are way too many boards I made on my Pinterest, which have helped me to create what I have for my home. 

I look for pieces that complement each other. Most of the time, I go for very distinctive designs and shapes that add a ton of visual interest into my neutral space. 

I do have a few favorite designers that I love who have inspired me – Kelly Hoppen, Ali Budd,  Leann Ford, Ines Kelly Mazzotta, Kelly Wrestler, and Steve Cordony just to name a few. 

What do you think makes your home you? 

Now that I’m in my late 30s, I’m into cleaner lines and the less is more design philosophy, which is a total opposite of what I liked 10 years ago. 

This has also reflected on my personality and lifestyle where I’ve become more grounded and mindful of the things I want to include in my life and my home. Especially having to live with a child in the spectrum, I want to make a home that is soothing, calm, and purposeful. 

Did you hire an interior designer for your home?

Yes, I hired an ID for my home. However, it was not a great experience as they were bad at managing the project and lacked attention to detail. 

There are many pros and cons to having an ID. One of the reasons why I hired one is because I needed someone to oversee the whole project as I was busy with my son. Additionally, my husband was mostly away due to work during that time. 

I wanted to work closely with them so that I’m able to portray myself and understand the technical part of it. Unfortunately, the company that I hired was not as professional as to how they sold themselves on their Instagram page.

It was a dreadful process, but I learned a lot from that experience. 

Did you renovate your home?

Yes, we extended our backyard to a small laundry room with extra yard space. The whole process of extension and cabinetry took about 4 months to complete.

What is your favorite element in your home?

All of it! Haha! I love the floor, the colors, and the partition screen that I changed in front of the main door. There isn’t just a thing that I like the most – I believe that everything has to tie in together for it to look the way it does now. 

What is the best investment you made for your home?  

We are lucky that the developer included a good security system for the house.  So, we saved on that!

Aside from that, I think a big chunk of the ID cost went to the built-in cabinets. We invested in them because we chose quality materials that can last a lifetime. This adds value to the home. 

Did you do any DIYs in your house?

I DIYed the abstract black and white painting I have on my dining room wall, which accidentally became a small business.

I knew I wanted something to pop in that space while still keeping the neutral theme in the house. So, I did some research, and voila! The artwork is one of the focal points as I enter the house now. 

Name one regret you have about your home.

Definitely the lighting. Ours now is very straightforward LED downlights. I wish I’d followed my instincts to have more ambient lighting options. 

We still got to achieve that with table lamps but we should have, would have, and could have. *follows with a big sighhhhhhhhh……….

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

Most of the time I shop locally. My furniture is sourced from Fella Urban, Joy Design, Nic Chris Furniture.

Meanwhile, my decor items are a mix from H&M home, Zara home, Spotlight, Dilas Home, Furn KL, Qrators Design, Shopee, and other online sellers.

There are some special pieces that I’ve purchased online from @finnishdesignshop and Stoff Nagel.

What will be your next home project?

I’m hoping to finish up my son’s playroom where we’ve planned an L-shaped bench for the table in the room. I also want to finish up our backyard with composite wood flooring and roofing. I want to turn it into an extra chilling space outdoors.

We also have plans for the upstairs family area which we hope to do a mezzanine floor. But, that’s only going to happen in a few years as we have other commitments that we need to focus on now. 

Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey and raising awareness about autism. For people who may not know anything about autism, can you share some of the things you have done to your home to accommodate your child? 

Well, Autism is such a broad spectrum that not all kids have the same issues. We have learned so much from my son Ariez and picked up on the things that he likes and dislikes. 

There are 2 main spaces for him in the house, which are his bedroom and playroom.  I always keep his room clean, neat, and filled with calm colors. He loves shapes, so I got him a low pile rug that is within the color combo but is still fun with the geometric shapes.

He also requested to have a tent in his room and I found the perfect hanging tent that I’ve put over this bed so that it won’t take up much floor space but is still able to accommodate his needs. It’s made out of sheer material, so it’s not too claustrophobic for him. 

He also has some sensory issues, so textures and lighting also play an important role. I’ve included different soft materials for the beddings and cushions that he likes to touch and feel. As for lighting, I bought sensory lights that he can easily switch on or off whenever he needs time to regulate his thoughts n feelings. 

For someone who sells hardware for homes, what styling advice do you have for other homeowners?  

Don’t overlook the little details!  I m a firm believer that details matter and finding the right knobs or handles can elevate your cabinetry and automatically will make your space livelier. 

Any advice you would like to share with others? 

When building a home, don’t rush things. Take some time to think about the big and small decisions.

Be mindful of what you want to bring into the home whether it’s about the flooring or the littlest things like what kind of vase should I put on the shelf.

These are things that you want to inspire you and your family all year round. Never buy first and think later or pressure yourself into buying the IT thing even though you don’t really like it. 

It’s a journey of creating, so be yourself when curating things for your home. 

What do you think of Ain’s modern house tour? Don’t forget to check out her interior styling tips on her Instagram and shop her hardware here.

The post A Contemporary Yet Modern House Tour That Caters To Everyone In The Family appeared first on That Isle Life.

Adding the unconventional hue was a big risk for the academician, but it paid off. The feature color not only revitalizes the space, but it unifies all of the different elements and textures found in the home like the mismatched wooden dining chairs, metal wall art, and rattan accents.

Although Amira’s day job revolves around science, she is equally creative. She knows how to inject character and style into her home. After all, she designed the home herself and curated all of the unique finds in her 4-bedroom house.

While she considers her interior style as a traditional farmhouse, Amira proves that you don’t have to stick to the typical decorating rules to make a home truly yours.

The result? An eclectic and personalized home that continues to inspire many on the ‘gram (myself included!)

Follow Amira’s journey and keep your eyes peeled for future updates here.

More Home Tours:

• This Dark And Moody Home Looks And Feels Like A Five-Star Hotel Suite
• This TikTokker’s Modern Grey Apartment Is Full Of Impressive DIYs
• This Railroad-Style Apartment In NYC Is Now A Bright Tropical Home

Name: Amira

Location: Sepang, Selangor

Type of home: Intermediate terrace

Number of rooms: 4

Size: 2150sqf

Years Lived In: 2

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

I would describe it as a traditional farmhouse.

What inspired your home decor? 

I mostly get my inspiration from shows aired on HGTV such as Property Brothers and Fixer-upper. I also get a lot of ideas from Pinterest and most recently from the #ighometourmalaysia community.

What do you think makes your home you? 

I think that adding a bold color to the wall and choosing some elements that have bold colors in them makes my home me. I would choose a few features with bold colors and tie it all together with more natural and subtle tones such as white, natural wood tone, black, and cream.

What is your favorite element in your home?

The kitchen! I contemplated choosing green as my kitchen – I did it and I love it. It just gives me a sense of calmness whenever I sit at the island counter and appreciate how far we’ve gone through to get to where we are now. 

What is the best investment you made for your home? 

I would say the kitchen as well. Not only it has brought so much joy to our family, but the kitchen also allows us to create content, which has so far opened up so many doors and opportunities for us.

Of all colors, why did you choose green to be the featured color in your home?

I chose green as it complements my kitchen cabinets from Ikea.

What are your tips for people who are afraid to use color in their homes? 

I would recommend those who want to start adding color to their home decor to start small. For example, a small feature wall or space first and keep the rest of the tones natural and lighter. Darker colors like grey and brown also work well for a start.

What were the DIY projects in your home?

We did quite a few DIYs in the past years, but for our new home, we tried to minimize DIYs. My husband is the handy one, but since he’s working all the time, DIYs will typically take a long time to get done. However, here are some of the DIYs that we did; the floating shelf for our study area, the Ikea Trofast hack for our son’s study table, and the console table at our first-floor foyer. Other DIYs are mostly just furniture hacks to customize them to our style.

Name one regret you have about your home.

I wish I had designed my island to be bigger and added a few electrical sockets as well as a sink. We can dream, right!

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

I mostly shop for my furniture at SSF home or Ikea previously, but now I settle for rare furniture stores that I found online. I tend to not spend too much as I constantly have a change of heart when it comes to home décor. Sometimes I change my décor within one or two years by selling my furniture as preloved items.

What will be your next home project?

So far, I would like to update my living room to a more subtle and natural tone. I also have a laundry room project in mind. Do wait for more updates.

Any advice you would like to share with others? 

I would say that home decorating is a constant journey. As we go about it, there are always new things that we want to add and update to our home, so what we can do is to enjoy it one step at a time and embrace what we have accomplished.

The post An Academician’s 4-Bedroom Home Is Full Of Bold Color And Unique Finds appeared first on That Isle Life.

From tiling their own kitchen backsplash to wainscoting their bedroom, Diha and her husband nailed every project despite this being their first home.

“Since this is our first house, I really wanted to contribute something and make it memorable. That’s why we did a lot of DIY projects,” Diha explained.

Rather than being limited by their lack of knowledge, Diha, and her husband dove right into planning, designing, and building a functional yet stylish space.

They weren’t deterred by their house’s location either. Although their township is situated in the outskirts of the city without any mainstream eateries and stores, they’ve never felt more at home. In fact, the township’s peaceful environment is a bonus to the home they’ve built.

“I love living here. There are lots of trees along the road when you reach our township. It really does feel like ‘balik kampung!’ The best part about this location is definitely the ‘makcik goreng pisang’ and ‘pakcik cendol’ who are everywhere!” Diha gushed.

It took them five months to get their home to where it is today, and what a journey it has been for the both of them!

But, this social-media-and-digital-marketer-cum-baker is far from done. With “nothing is impossible” as the motto for this couple, expect even more DIY projects in store for them.

Can’t get enough of Diha’s home? Follow her on Tik Tok and Instagram.

More Home Tours:

• This Dark And Moody Home Looks And Feels Like A Five-Star Hotel Suite
• This Fashion Designer’s Apartment Feels Like Paris In New York
• This Modern And Traditional Townhouse In New York Is Loved For Its Diverse Neighborhood

Name:  Diha

Location: Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Selangor

Type of home: Apartment (Rumah Selangorku)

Number of rooms: 3

Size: 750sqft

Years Lived In: 8 months

Rental / Owned:  Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

I always go for a modern minimalist style, and I keep it simple at every corner of my house. I chose grey and white as the color scheme for my house because I think grey looks very modern. Most of the corners in my house are grey. #obsessedwithgrey

What inspired your home decor? 

I really love home transformation videos on TikTok. It is really nice and satisfying seeing the end product. My husband and I believe that “Nothing is impossible, we can do it!” Since this is our first house, I really wanted to contribute something and make it memorable. That’s why we did a lot of DIY projects. My husband sketched and designed our own house. I spent a lot of time scrolling Pinterest to find the best reference for our own house. I also wanted to do #hometransformation videos on TikTok and I did it! 

What do you think makes your home you? 

I feel calm and happy. When I walk into my house, I feel so happy and relieved. My home makes me happy. When I go out, I really can’t wait to get home. I remember the feeling of sitting on the couch watching Netflix with my husband. Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling 🙂

Did you hire an interior designer for your home?

We didn’t hire an interior designer. My husband sketched and designed the house. We did everything by ourselves – deciding on the layout, design, colors, and furniture.  I found the contractors and compared prices. It’s not easy to find the best price within our budget. But I’m so glad we found the right one. I referred to Pinterest a lot to get inspiration & ideas. I saved like a thousand photos on my phone. Haha. 

We renovated the kitchen partition and installed the kitchen cabinets. I always wanted a kitchen glass door with a black frame because I love the closed kitchen concept. It took around a month to complete our kitchen renovation.

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your house.

My bedroom is my favorite room in our house. We did another transformation for our house, which is wainscoting for our master bedroom. The bedroom after the transformation looks very modern and cozy. I love how it turned out!

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

Definitely the kitchen area! We spent half of the renovation budget on the kitchen area – kitchen cabinets, partition, kitchen backsplash, glass door & kitchen appliances. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So, we decided to spend a lot on the kitchen area and find the best quality kitchen cabinets, kitchen appliances, etc.

Do you have any DIYs in your home?

Yes, we did a lot of DIYs in our house. We love doing them. These are some of the DIY projects in our house – bedroom wainscoting, laundry area, shower, kitchen backsplash. We did everything by ourselves from scratch. 

Name one regret you have about your home.

When we bought the house, the developer offered two options: 750sqt & 950sqft with a balcony. Since we had a limited budget, we chose the 750sqt opinion with no balcony. I think it would be nice to have a balcony for our cat, Sushi. I think for the next house I will definitely choose a bigger house with a balcony for us and our cats. However, I’m so grateful that we even own a house. The size is so perfect for us.

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

Mostly from Ikea & Shopee. My favorite piece of furniture from Ikea is the sofa bed. It went viral on TikTok and everyone is looking at it. Haha. I love shopping at Ikea because it’s quite cheap and I love the quality. The same goes for Shopee, you can find good and cheap home decor at Shopee.

What is your next home project?

Our next home project is flooring. We decided to change the floor to SPC. The next one is a pantry makeover. I got inspired by the Instagram decor community.

Any advice you would like to share with others? 

You don’t need a huge house to decorate your house. Size doesn’t matter. Just do anything that makes you happy. Don’t wait until you have enough money to decorate your house, it will never happen!

Plan your journey and save your money. You decorate your house for you and your family, not for others.

What do you love most about Diha’s apartment? Follow her journey on Tik Tok and Instagram.

The post This TikTokker’s Modern Grey Apartment Is Full Of Impressive DIYs appeared first on That Isle Life.

Born and raised in a small village in Malaysia, fashion designer Zang Toi made his mark in the fashion industry globally more than 30 years ago. Known for his timeless silhouettes and immaculate tailoring, Zang’s label remains a classic in a world full of trends.

It’s no surprise then to discover that Zang is still in love with his French-inspired abode after 17 years. After all, it is a true reflection of his personal style.

Like his daily black and white ensembles, the award-winning designer’s Upper East Side apartment is decked in the same colors. The minimalist color palette is indeed the perfect backdrop to allow the chrome accents like polished nickel hardware and silver-leafed antique furniture to pop.

The pièce de résistance of Zang’s elegant one-bedroom apartment has to be the life-size portraits of his muse, Marie Antoinette, flanking both sides of the main fireplace.

The larger-than-life artwork may feel like they belong inside a museum. But, perhaps the best way to admire the portrait of the final French queen is by taking a seat on Zang’s neoclassical-style chair and feeling the warmth of a custom-made fox fur rug underneath your feet.

Just as his design philosophy is to make the ladies look and feel beautiful, Zang has applied this very principle to his own home. His apartment not only looks exquisite, but it makes him happy.

It is, ultimately, his Parisian sanctuary in the heart of New York City.

Follow Zang‘s journey on Instagram or Facebook.

Photography by Anastassios Mentis.

More Home Tours:

• This Modern And Traditional Townhouse In New York Is Loved For Its Diverse Neighborhood
• This Railroad-Style Apartment In NYC Is Now A Bright Tropical Home
• This Stunning Lakefront Property In Utah Is Designed For A Mom And Her Little Girl

Name: Zang Toi

Location: Manhattan, New York

Type of home: Apartment

Years Lived In: 17 years

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

I designed my apartment to look like a pretty black and white photograph of a Louis XV-style apartment.

What inspired your home decor?

My love of glamorous Parisian style.

What do you think makes your home you? 

It is a space that I feel very very comfortable in.

As a fashion designer, how did you apply your personal style to your home?

The apartment was designed with the hallmark of House of Toi GLAMOUR, which also serves as the perfect backdrop for my clients to enjoy and display their Zangs whenever they visit.

Did you renovate your home?

The apartment went through a major renovation under the very capable hands of a great contractor, Peter Dimitropoulos. He finished the renovations at the record time of four short months. When it comes to design, I designed the apartment myself. I have never understood why a designer would hire someone else to design his/her design?

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

My favorite element is the timeless beauty of this apartment that stands the test of time.

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

The GORGEOUS French antiques that I re-finished in white and silver-leafing that’s uniquely Zang!

Did you do any DIYs in your home?

No…I know exactly what I want visually, but I can’t put a nail on a wall or change a light bulb to save my life. LOL!

Do you have any home regrets?

No regrets… still loving it after 17 years!

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

Paris, New York, and New Orleans.

What is your next home project?

I am currently updating my mirrored massage room. I’m switching the floor-to-ceiling mirror panels to black cotton velvet with black lacquer panels, which will hopefully make the room even sexier.

Any advice you would like to share with others?

Create a home that is YOU, one that makes you happy to come home to every day.  

What do you love most about Zang’s Paris-inspired Upper East Side apartment? Let us know in the comments below!

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• This Timeless Singaporean Apartment Has The Cutest Room For A Furry Friend

The post This Fashion Designer’s Apartment Feels Like Paris In New York appeared first on That Isle Life.

Everything is structurally still the same, but we’ve redecorated some areas and added lots of new home decor items and plants since. There are elements of the home that I still absolutely adore, but there are also some that I can’t wait to change!

I have a few projects up my sleeve, but I think we should document the present before we make any changes. Then, we can look back and reflect on how far we’ve come, which is always fun! Chris Love Julia’s Then, Now, and Next blog posts have also inspired me to capture my own then, now, and next progress photos.

So, for today’s post, I thought I’d share some then and now photos of our living room after three years of living in it. Stay tuned, as I write about each room in our apartment for the next few months!

Related:

• The Best Three Decisions We Made For Our Home Renovation

Before we dive straight in, here’s a little background info about our apartment. We bought the place in 2017, renovated it from Jan-April 2018, and officially moved in in May 2018.

Since both of us had jam-packed schedules at that time, we hired an interior designer to help us manage renovations. We were very involved in the initial design and layout phase but left all the styling decisions to them.

I wish I’d taken control over the styling part, but it was truly one of my busiest years where I was overseeing three retail build-ups for work.

I definitely should’ve paid more attention to my own home though. That remains one of my biggest regrets to this day. I guess that’s another story for a different day…

Living Area – Then

Fun fact: we bought the couch and coffee table even before we received the keys to our apartment! They were the first pieces of furniture we bought. I loved everything about the couch, from the plush cream cushions to the built-in walnut shelves. There’s just something about it that screams “Balinese villa” to me, which was exactly the look I wanted for the apartment.

Our interior designers styled the area with mismatched throw pillows, rattan poufs, and decorative candles. They introduced us to a lot of patterns and colors, and we pulled the entire space together by adding a rug.

Now, I know the rug is too small for the area. But, the rug was on sale, and we needed something inexpensive just in case our dog misbehaved! (Spoiler alert: she has… multiple times!)

For our window nook, our interior designers kept it simple and styled it with a throw and two pillows. On the day of the shoot, they placed my laptop on the seat. I think they can already tell that the nook is a great spot to work from!

Then, there’s our TV console, which was empty for the longest time. Our interior designers didn’t style it, and I kept it that way. I guess I just wanted a clean and sleek-looking console since we already had so many contrasting colors and patterns.

Overall, the living area gave off a whimsical and bohemian vibe that felt fun but didn’t reflect my style.

Living area – Now

After three years, we’ve completely redecorated the space, and it feels a lot more me now. Firstly, I have gotten rid of the bright colors and completely embraced neutrals. I also added MORE throw pillows because I love how they add subtle prints and textures to the couch.

Thankfully, we still LOVE the couch as much as we did then. The only thing is that my husband thinks the couch is cursed. Whoever sits on it will eventually fall asleep! It’s true, but I think that just means the couch is ultra-comfortable.

On the other hand, I wish I could still say I love the coffee table! Now that everything is in its place, I think the overall space feels too angular. A round coffee table would’ve softened the entire look.

Since we don’t want to spend additional money on replacing the coffee table, I restyled the coffee table to make it look cozier. I added a few curved elements like a taupe ceramic vase and a marble pillar candle.

Additionally, I updated the TV console by adding decor on each side of the TV. I freestyled this part of the area because I haven’t found the right things to complement the space yet.

I still don’t think it looks right, but the artwork on the TV makes everything look better. And no, this isn’t the Samsung Frame TV that I wish I’d purchased. This is a hack I discovered recently, and I use it all the time now. All you have to do is type “TV art” on Youtube and choose your fav “artwork.” It’s TRANSFORMATIVE!

Besides that, you may probably notice a few stains on the rug as well. All I can say is thank goodness we didn’t splurge on a rug!

As much as I want to purchase a new rug, I keep reminding myself that I have a dog who throws messy tantrums. We’ll send the rug for a deep clean once things open up, but in the meantime, I’m going to keep adding rugs into my wishlist. A girl can dream, right?

Finally, we have our window nook, which used to be our favorite part of our living room but is now the most problematic. We switched all of the pillows to the other side because we experienced a major leak from the window. Since then, the paint is peeling badly, and one of the cushions is growing mold. Eww.

If you’re thinking of building a window nook, always be sure to have your walls properly sealed!!! I have a feeling this is going to be an expensive lesson for us!

Living area – What’s next?

First things first, our window nook needs fixing. This is our main priority because we don’t want more rainwater to come in and ruin our built-in bench. Since this is new to us, we’re going to call a contractor to see if he can repair and reseal the wall without any hacking work. Wish us luck!

Since one of the cushions has mold, we’re going to reupholster all of them. Part of me wants to use the same cream fabric, whereas another part of me wants to be bold and choose a print. Options, options…

Besides that, I’m thinking of adding a feature wall to our living room. The wall above our window nook is the first thing people see when they enter our apartment, and right now it looks a bit empty and blah.

I have thought about doing so many things to that wall, like adding open shelves or hanging a huge piece of macrame art. But, nothing seems to sit right with me so far.

Right now, I’m leaning towards experimenting with peel and stick wallpaper. But, I’ve never used wallpaper before, and I’m super nervous to bite that bullet. We’ll see.

Lastly, I’ll probably restyle my TV console since it’s not 100% there yet. I’ve been loving mixing traditional and modern pieces lately, so I’m looking to incorporate that aesthetic here.

As you can see, styling makes a BIG difference. We have no plans of replacing any of our furniture yet, so we’re just going to keep playing around with decor and see which sticks. Which version of our living room do you like best? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Then And Now: What Our Living Room Looked Like Before And Now appeared first on That Isle Life.

It was a deliberate choice on Cindy’s part as she loved the lifestyle it offered. From kayaking to outdoor concerts, she knew she wanted to raise Maya in this conducive environment.

Some may think Cindy was raised in similar surroundings, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Growing up in a lower-middle-class family, she witnessed both of her parents working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

“I remember always admiring people who had much more than we did, wore better clothes than we did, lived in a bigger house than we did, and drove better cars than we did,” she lamented.

To make things worse, she didn’t do very well in school. As a practical person who preferred hands-on lessons, Cindy struggled with memorizing facts and formulas for exams.

Eventually, things took a turn for the better when she accepted an opportunity to pursue Year 12 in a private college. She was warned she would be expelled if she didn’t do well. However, thanks to the different practical education systems, she flourished.

She considers this chapter the most pivotal year of her life.

“Graduating with good grades and a new fresh outlook really opened up a whole new opportunity that I didn’t know I had,” she said.

After Year 12, she pursued a degree in Bachelors of Psychological Science at the University of South Australia in Adelaide. At that time, Psychology was a newfound discovery for Cindy. Jamie Lee Curtis’s role and her beautiful office in the movie Freaky Friday inspired her. Not to mention, Curtis had a flexible working schedule that worked for a working single mother.

Cindy’s time in Australia was unfulfilling albeit interesting. So, she decided to apply for a student exchange sponsorship program, which led her to Oklahoma in the US.

Life in the US provided Cindy with so many opportunities like joining a sorority, becoming an extra in a Hollywood movie, and conducting researches with world-renowned psychotherapists.

Although her exchange program was only for six months, she wasn’t ready to leave yet. She extended her stay and continued her graduate studies. One of her graduate school highlights includes spending a summer interning at Harvard University. Through Harvard, she met many brilliant peers and professors whom she still counts as friends today.

After graduate school, Cindy moved to her then-husband’s hometown and completed her residency at a large private clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. After two and a half years, she obtained her full professional license and took the next big step: establishing her own private practice, Aspire Psychological.

In just three years, Aspire has grown from 30 patients to over 300 patients. Additionally, Aspire has won the Best Mental Health Clinic award consecutively in 2019 and 2020.

It is through Cindy’s years of hard work and sweat that has led to her current lifestyle and her lakefront property in Utah built by Rainey Homes.

Despite giving it her all for Aspire, Cindy’s real heart and soul belong to her daughter, Maya. Everything she does is for Maya, as evident in the lakefront property in Utah that she built from the ground up. Cindy’s biggest joy is watching Maya grow into a loving and kind little girl, and she hopes to continue having fun and doing life with her mini-me.

To others, Cindy’s lakefront property in Utah is simply a beautiful home. But to Cindy, this house represents her journey and all of its ups and downs that have led her to exactly where she’s meant to be.

Follow Cindy and Maya’s journey here. Click here if you would like to book a session with Cindy.

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Name: Cindy Chia

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Type of home: Bungalow

Number of rooms: 5

Size: 4000 sqft

Years Lived In: Less than 1 year

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

I never thought I’d ever say this, but my home style is very Sarawakian. I really wanted to incorporate my roots into this home to introduce my daughter and friends to a taste of my hometown. So, I took the best designing elements from the East to meet the best from the West.

The exterior is inspired by the Damai Beach chalet in Kuching. My daughter’s room is inspired by the kampung (village) longhouses, and my master bedroom is inspired by a beach resort. Besides that, some of my furniture has cane webbing to give off an old Chinese/Nyonya vibe to the house.

What do you think makes your home you? 

I designed this house from the ground up, so I try to make everything suitable for my daughter and me. When building this house, I was very passionate about a few things:

1. Aesthetic doesn’t compromise comfort and practicality.
2. Every piece of furniture is multifunctional.
3. Frequently used appliances and gadgets are placed at convenient places.

Additionally, there is a huge wall in my kitchen that I knew I had to do something about because it is the center of my house. It literally took me months and months to come up with an idea. I had a lot of anxiety about it because I did not want to mess it up!

I finally decided to hire an artist, Sarah Keele, to paint/chalk the entire wall with a mural that represents my past, my present, and my future. This mural cannot get more “me” than it is. Sarah did such a great job turning my vision into reality.

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

I love how my home reminds me of home and how relaxing and peaceful it feels. The mountain and lake view definitely adds to the serenity of it as well. Additionally, I love my neighborhood and how convenient it is to have an active lifestyle right outside our door.

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

Some of the best money well spent is building a wraparound porch overlooking the mountain and the lake. I’m also glad I built high ceilings throughout the house. Other investments include finishing the basement for living space, using high-quality flooring throughout the house, and purchasing the waterfront lot.

Did you do any DIYs in your house? If you have, do share! 

My home office grass wall! 

Name one regret you have about your home.

I regret positioning my trash can right next to my dishwasher! What was I thinking! These two items should have been positioned opposite each other. This is an expensive mistake and a mistake I want to correct as soon as possible.

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

I had a lot of my furniture custom-made, but my usual go-to is Home Goods! They sell so many random stuff from all over at great prices!

I also love buying stuff that catches my eyes when I travel as well. For example, I got one of the beaded chandeliers from a small Mediterranean shop in New York City. Maya’s curtain holder is from Malaysia. Her wallpaper is from Turkey, and I got her a blanket from Australia.

I love sourcing home decor from random shops whenever I travel – it reminds me of happy memories whenever I see them around my home.

What is your next home project?

Maya’s playhouse in the basement! I am designing it right now, so hopefully, I can complete it by August this year.

Any advice you would like to share with others? 

When it comes to decorating a house, don’t be afraid to go bold. I know this sounds scary, but life is too short to play it safe. When I decided to paint my entire home office in dark green, some people criticized how terrible it looked. However, once all the furniture and decor were up, everyone really appreciated how unique the whole room looks and feels compared to other home offices they’ve seen.

What do you love most about Cindy’s lakefront property in Utah? Let us know in the comments below!

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The post This Stunning Lakefront Property In Utah Is Designed For A Mom And Her Little Girl appeared first on That Isle Life.

During the day, she successfully leads the Compliance and Privacy team in Asia for a Fortune 500 apparel company. During other times, she’s an unintentional artist, creating different floral arrangements and artwork to decorate her home.

Despite isolating herself in a foreign country, BK never lost her sense of self. “My creations make my home me. For example, my paintings, my floral arrangements, etc., a piece of me in each part of the house exists,” she says.

BK has since spent nine years in China and is now settled comfortably in a condo in Shanghai. It helps that she has chosen a bustling yet safe neighborhood like University Avenue to live in. More importantly, her close-knit network of friends has helped her feel more at home, especially when traveling back home is not an option.

Although the city has now opened up, BK still seeks solace in her place, relishing in all of her masterpieces that have truly transformed her once-sparse condo into a home.

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Name: BK                         

Location: Shanghai

Type of home: Condominium

Number of rooms: 2

Size: 96sqm

Years Lived In: 5

Rental / Owned: Rental

How would you describe your home style? 

I would describe my home style as being cozy with a personal touch. I have tried to keep things simpler over the years. But, I am very sentimental so it is difficult to pack away or give away memorabilia that I accumulated over the years of living and traveling abroad.

What inspired your home decor? 

To be honest, pre-Covid I never really spent a lot of time on home décor as I always thought that we couldn’t do very much with rented property.

When I returned to Shanghai at the peak of Covid and needed to self-quarantine for two weeks (and did not socialize until close to three months later), I realized that I had to make my quarters not just habitable but also enjoyable.

It was also getting warmer at the time, so I went a little bit overboard with plants. Unfortunately, not all of the plants have survived the winter cold. Thankfully, some of my favorite pothos are still intact!

My inspiration comes from creating an interior garden where I imagined that I was traveling to different parts of the world (based on the plants). That gave me some level of comfort when we had to be pretty isolated for the first few months. 

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

The living room is my favourite element as it the area I spend most of my time (including late nights when I have to work and take calls). I like the fact that I have my paintings on the wall, and fresh flowers are always in supply, so it helps me relax as I get my personal projects or work done.

Can you share some floral arrangement tips with us?

I learned from my floral arrangement class that there is a “front” and “back” profile for every flower. And sometimes, less is more.

For beginners, it’s important to understand what flowers you will be working with for the day. It is also part of respecting the creation of nature that you have been bestowed with.

I also recommend looking at nature and how plants actually move and incorporate these angles and elements into your flower arrangement. Start from the center, and work your way outwards and upwards to get a sturdy 3D view of your arrangement.

Besides that, don’t be scared to cut long stems off! I used to think I was wasting flowers when I did it. But, trust me, you’re not being wasteful.

Where did you procure your art?

All of the paintings in my house except one, are painted by me. These are two of my favourite landscape paintings painted using acrylic over stretched canvas.

The first is the famous Tapang Tree near Serian, which should be a familiar sight to fellow Sarawakians. The tree represents longevity, strength, integrity, and has withheld the test of time. I’d like to think that the same Tapang tree was also painted by renowned British painter and traveler, Marianne North when she lived and painted in Borneo in the 1800s. Her original is on display at the Marianne North gallery in Kew Gardens, London.

The second painting is a refreshing mini lake with a waterfall feature. It’s from the garden of the first apartment I lived in when I moved to Shanghai in 2014. I liked the original color scheme, which was bright and sunny. But, I turned it a little melancholy with my overzealous blending. It turned out okay though.

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

I have to say that it would be my ECOVACs vacuum cleaner (equivalent to iRobot). If you have not tried it, I highly recommend it. That’s one less thing to do which involves wrestling with cables.

Name one thing you would like to change about your home.

No regrets really… perhaps not that many living plants in the future?

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor? 

It varies. I tend to shop anywhere from IKEA to Taobao. Sometimes my florist has some cool ideas, and I get her to source certain unique items for me.

Any advice you would like to share with others?

I think one of your guests really struck a chord with me. Just because you are living in a rented property doesn’t mean that you cannot make it a lovely home with your unique touch. It does not have to be expensive, elaborate, or permanent. But, it does have to make you happy.

Try alternating between items according to the seasons. For example, I have a mock monster plant that serves as my Christmas tree and my Chinese New Year tree depending on the seasons.

I’m also trying to figure out how to recycle and reuse items in the house to make lovely decorative pieces. I’m especially proud of the Chinese New Year vase on my front door, which I created using surplus red packets. The flowers were cut from leftover 2020 calendars. It is still on my front door at the moment and I might just re-use this in the years to come. I’m all about saving the planet!

What do you love most about this lawyer’s condo in China? Follow BK’s journey on Instagram here.

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After a terrible renovation experience in 2013, Ashikin knew she wanted to get hands-on with the renovation this time. Together with her husband, they designed and transformed their old house into an impressive all-white home during the pandemic.

Aesthetics aside, Ashikin has built a home that’s well-organized and functional for her family of three. A good example of this is her Instagram-famous kitchen. There is a designated spot for each item in the kitchen – from her built-in pantry to her hidden appliance garage.

As it turns out, you don’t need a new property and an unlimited budget to turn a house into a home. With proper planning and extensive research, Ashikin is a real-life example of the saying, “Design is not what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Ashikin now shares her passion for home interiors and childhood education (plus lots of useful advice!) on her Instagram. Follow her journey here.

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Name: Ashikin Amran

Location: Kuala Lumpur

Type of home: Terrace house

Number of rooms: 4

Size: 1500 sqft / 18 x 65ft

Years Lived In: 7 years

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

Our house is a mix of English modern with a touch of Scandinavian. Since our house is quite small, we prefer white and bright colors for our walls. Besides that, we own fewer decorative items to give the illusion of a bigger and wider space.

What inspired your home decor? 

We really love the Fixer Upper TV show. We re-watched most of the episodes repeatedly before we decided to renovate our house last year. It’s our belief that a small and old house is not something that can prevent you from making your house feel more homely and cozy.

Did you renovate your home?

We designed our house ourselves. Since we have a limited budget, we learned how to use Sketchup software. Plus, we were 100% involved during the renovation stage. I was on maternity leave, thus I could focus and monitor our contractors during the renovation stage.

We started designing in March 2020, and renovation started in June 2020. We moved back into our house in Nov 2020. So, it took around 4-5months for our renovation.

If you have the budget, I would definitely recommend hiring an interior designer since they are the experts. With that being said, you have to choose an interior designer that can deliver your style.

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

I love my daughter Hana’s playroom. We installed a big wide glass window to have extra natural light. We combined that with plenty of wooden elements, which gives the area a perfectly natural concept. Hana really enjoys and spends most of her time there. 

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

We spent half of our renovation budget in the kitchen area. We removed the partition wall between the wet and dry kitchen, and our kitchen space ended up bigger and more spacious.

Besides, we also removed another partition wall between the living room and kitchen area. We have an open-style home concept just by removing an element of the house.

Name one thing you would like to change about your home.

Since our concept is white and bright, I think adding some wooden beams on the ceiling would make our house feel more alive. But unfortunately, we can’t since we have a low ceiling.

If I could redo the renovation, I would like to add extra height for the ceiling and add wooden beams.

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor pieces?

We shop from a variety of stores. Some of them are from Malaysia like Harvey Norman, SSF, and Ashley. There are also some shops at Viva Mall that always have sales for furniture. We bought our dining table there, but I forgot the name of the shop.

For decorative items, most of them are from overseas like Magnolia, Target, and Wayfair.

What will be your next home project?

No big project, but I’m trying to organize our utility room. It is so messy and will take some time to clean and organize. I may need to let go of some of my preloved items too. I’m still finding that “mood” to organize and home edit the utility room! 

Any advice you would like to share with others? 

Don’t rush when it comes to designing your home. Plan well, and do lots of study and research. Don’t be shy to ask for others’ opinions.

List down what you like and create your own wish list. Focus more on functionality, then add the aesthetic details to your design as the final step.

Again, always remember, do your best and do it for you and your family, because at the end of the day, you’re the one who will live there!

What do you love most about this incredible home transformation? Share Ashikin some love on her Instagram here.

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Their humble backgrounds meant they had to make certain sacrifices if they wanted to accomplish this goal.

Hard work, discipline (lots of it), and time helped the couple to save up enough money to purchase a 5-bedroom HDB apartment in their early 20s.

“We initially wanted to live somewhere close to the city center. But, we could only afford a 3-bedroom unit with our first home budget. That didn’t work for us. So, we decided to look a little further away from the central region and ended up in Yishun – a neighborhood with several estates that were on sale and built in the last 5 to 10 years,” Ange says.

Ange and Wes have always emphasized practicality over trends. From choosing darker wood stains to painting all of the walls white, every decision led to a low-maintenance home. Their cat’s room was no exception. Their furry friend, Pancake, has an Instagram-worthy room to chill and play in.

The final result is a space that feels both timeless and functional. Ange and Wes may be new homeowners, but they have created a home that truly works for their beautiful family of three.

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Name: Ange from @foongfamilyflat

Location: Singapore

Type of home: HDB (Public housing in Singapore)

Number of rooms: 3 bedrooms + 1 study, it’s called a 5-room flat in SG

Size: 1206 sqft

Years Lived In: Just 4 months!

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

Simple and practical, but elegant. We didn’t opt for any fixtures or accents that could be transient in style, mainly because we bought this home with longevity in mind. We see ourselves being in this house for at least 10 years. So, we wanted a classic design and style that would hopefully not tire our eyes in the years to come.

Most of the furniture in our home is in walnut wood. We intentionally selected it as opposed to lighter wood tones that are perhaps more favored amongst homeowners these days. We think that gives our home an elegant and timeless look, and also ensures that our home isn’t just a cut-out of somebody else’s beautiful home. 

Our home style is practical because we decided to go with loose furniture in our home as much as possible, as opposed to fixed carpentry. Again, with the longevity of our stay in mind, this will allow us to change things up in the future without having to go through another renovation to refresh the house again. 

The husband and I like to think that we share the same love for simplicity and a neutral palette. Our home is mostly made up of varying shades of white, grey, brown, black, with a touch of green from faux plants! We plan to keep it this way and stick to this neutral color palette as it resonates with us most. After all, the clothes that we wear follow the same style as well.

What inspired your home decor? 

I think it came from a mixture of being present in beautiful homes as well as Pinterest! They were useful in helping us find the corners and areas of the home which needed decor.

I think our home is not decorated to its full potential yet, since we are still in the infant stage of moving in. We were hoping to travel and collect mementos along the way. But, it’s going to take a while before that can happen due to the ongoing pandemic.

We try not to buy decor pieces just to fill spaces we think have to be filled. Frankly, we would much rather collect unique pieces along the way and tell stories behind every artifact. We think this would give our home the character it needs in the years to come. 

Did you renovate your home?

We did not hire an interior designer but we did renovate our home. Our contractor was TLS Reno and we think they did a fantastic job! We appreciate their quick handover – our renovation only took 2 months. This timeline is pretty fast since we did a complete overhaul. Our complete overhaul included:

• Hacking of existing fixtures and floor/wall tiles
• Re-tiling in both our bathrooms, kitchen, and service yard
• Laying vinyl flooring in the dry areas of the home
• Building our office space (4th room) as the previous owners had this opened for a larger living room space
• New electrical and plumbing works
• New bathroom windows
• Painting our space
• Changing all our bedroom & bathroom doors
• Installing new A/C units

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

I love that we chose to have warm lighting for every lamp and light in our house. It honestly changes the whole vibe and makes it more inviting and cozy! We have warm led strip lights in our bathrooms. They make us feel like we’re showering in a spa every day. I come out of the shower always in a better mood, and I look forward to my night showers a lot.

As for my husband, he probably loves that we have a home gym. He is very thankful that he still can continue his workouts at home since we are in partial lockdown again and gyms are closed.

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

I feel like we have so many! I’ll have to say our Bosch dishwasher because we host a lot. We throw in everything after a good meal and enjoy the rest of the night with our guests. It’s also a tough fight between our 601L LG fridge with an ice & water dispenser and our Dyson vacuum. 

Name one thing you would like to change about your home.

We didn’t see the importance of having a sink in our service yard dedicated to washing non-food items. Granted that our service yard is right next to our kitchen, and we thought 2 sinks within 20cm would be an overkill! But, I’m starting to think that we’ll have to install one in our service yard by the end of the year.

Another thing that we would like changed is our door frames! We wish they matched our walnut bedroom doors. We overlooked this during the renovation process. Thankfully they’re easy to change with laminates now, so we’re definitely looking to do that.

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor pieces?

We bought 95% of the furniture in our home locally from Grey & Sanders, Commune, and Castlery. These shops carry walnut wood furniture and are of high quality. We also like that they have physical showrooms so we can touch and feel the pieces before purchasing.

We bought most of our home decor from Taobao as we would like to keep it affordable so we don’t feel too bad for changing things up. They also have really trendy pieces of good quality if we count on the good reviews and pick the ones with high sales volume.

We love your cat’s room! Tell us how Pancake’s room came about.

We actually didn’t really have a theme in mind, but we knew we wanted it to be like a cute (cat) nursery that’s still in line with our home’s general color palette.

Taobao was a treasure trove for us when it came to shopping for his room! Everything in his room is from Taobao, including the wall climbers.

I think his room gained some traction on Instagram because it looks so much like a kid’s room. But, it’s actually for one cat! The toddler slide is eye-catching, but he doesn’t really use it much haha.

We later added wallpaper to further beautify his room. We DIYed the installation courtesy of Honpo Wallpaper who reached out to us and guided us through the process.

What would you like to share with fellow homeowners who have pet cats or are looking to have one?

Cat-safety first & foremost! Most of us in Singapore live in high-rise buildings, but even if it’s a terrace house or bungalow, we don’t want our cats jumping out of the windows. So, installing grilles even before adopting a cat is super important.

We also justified dedicating an entire room to Pancake because we knew the room would accommodate all of his needs while keeping him absolutely safe.

Cats are generally very shy and cautious creatures, and the room gives him safe hiding if he happens to feel threatened by strangers in our house.

We also created a routine and stuck to it, so Pancake is kept in his room in the afternoon while we work from home and at night when we are asleep. He is thrilled to be in his room because he sometimes meows to remind us to put him in the room and feed him if we are “late.”

Any other advice you would like to share with others?

Start saving up as soon as you know owning a home is something that’ll happen in the coming years. Your future self will be thankful that you were disciplined enough to set aside money for renovating and furnishing your home just the way you dream of it to be, and the process will be an enjoyable one for you and/or your family. 

What do you love most about this classic and timeless home? Follow Wes and Ange’s journey on Instagram here.

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The post This Timeless Singaporean Apartment Has The Cutest Room For A Furry Friend appeared first on That Isle Life.

“Mom hired an interior designer, who did the drawings. We sat around the table coloring each surface area with colored pencils. That room became my childhood dream room,” Charlene gushed.

With a deep love for beautiful things, it’s no wonder why Charlene chose graphic design and content creation as her career.

After Charlene and her husband tied the knot, they began house-hunting. Charlene preferred apartment-living after spending many years in one in Melbourne, Australia. On the other hand, her architect husband preferred a landed property.

“At that point, we were both in the beginning stages of our career and did not have the budget to afford a house in a fully developed neighborhood. So, we looked into areas that had development potential and a youthful vibe.” Charlene explained.

Despite the initial clash, the creative pair settled comfortably into a contemporary terrace house.

Not one to favor style over function, Charlene created a home filled with beautiful and functional spaces. For instance, her hallway currently houses storage solutions for her photography props and a crawling mat for her baby. Talk about multipurpose!

Charlene’s interior styling philosophy has created the perfect home that adapts and evolves no matter what season in her life she’s in. And right now, it works perfectly for this talented graphic designer, content creator and new mother.

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Name: Charlene

Location: Selangor, Malaysia

Type of home: Terrace house 

Number of rooms: 4

Size: 2200 sqft

Years Lived In: 3 years

Rental / Owned: Owned

How would you describe your home style? 

I don’t think I have a specific style. It’s so difficult to stick to one style! If anything, I enjoy the minimalist approach of Japanese, Scandinavian, and contemporary Australian interiors.

I prefer a combination of muted colors with light textural accents. I’m also attracted to spaces that are bright, airy, and have lots of natural light.  

Our bedroom was the easiest to style as the layout was straightforward. I decided where the bed would go based on the locations of the electric sockets. We went with a neutral, mostly grey palette because that was the color both myself and husband could agree on – ha!

The study/home office required a bit more work, as we needed it to be functional with lots of storage space. It also had to accommodate a workspace for two.

The Ikea EKET series allowed us to mix and match different storage types and worked perfectly in terms of measurements.

Pinterest inspired me to paint one side (my side) of the wall pink! Later on, I added smaller pieces like the Skadis pegboard and string shelf to put up ideas and things I love. 

What inspired your home decor? 

We furnished our current home on a budget and with practicality in mind. So, a lot of our larger pieces are from Ikea. We used to travel once or twice per year, and we would buy items from our trips for our home.

Most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest and Instagram. I like colors that complement each other, natural texture, and soft tones.   

Did you renovate your home?

We didn’t do much renovation. Does the kitchen count? Because we did get a kitchen specialist to design and install built-in cabinets in our kitchen. That took about half a year from design to implementation.

We also installed laminate wood flooring on the second floor. As practical as tiles are, I felt they made the house feel cold. Wooden flooring gives the house a natural cozy feeling. I think it is the best decision we made for our home!

Tell us about your favorite room or element in your home.

I love the morning light in our master bedroom, so that’s my favorite room in the house.  

What is the best investment you’ve made for your home? 

Definitely the wood flooring! 

Name one thing you would like to change about your home. 

Our wet kitchen is tiny. Since I do a fair bit of cooking, I would like a larger space that can accommodate more storage.

Our washing machine is also in the wet kitchen and it feels very out of place. It would be great to have a dedicated laundry room in the future.

Where do you shop for furniture and home decor pieces?

Ikea is literally my second home, ha! Most of our furniture pieces are from Ikea and Ruma. Our homeware are mostly from Hooga, Kmart Australia, Taobao, and from our travels.   

What is your next home project?

Our nursery! 😀

I’ll like to keep the nursery in a neutral/natural tone. I’m also thinking to add animal motifs in the form of wall prints and a rug. I’m still undecided on the setup as I need it to be fluid to account for different needs as the baby grows. It will be a fun project, hopefully!

As a new mother, have you made any changes in your home to accommodate the arrival of your child?

Yes. For starters, we’ve replaced our carpet and coffee table with a crawling mat. I love this change because we are using this space more now that there’s a mat! It’s amazing how one item alone can change the way this space is used. 

Baby currently rooms with us, so we’ve had to put in a cot and a three-tier trolley to store diaper changing essentials. I also cleared out drawer space to keep baby clothes.

Creating content requires a lot of props, which I’m sure you’ve accumulated over the years! What do you do with all of them?

I have a dedicated shelf for my photography props, ranging from magazines, small prints to ceramic and wooden wares.

Keeping everything in one place makes it easier to keep track of what I have as I’d be taking and putting things back in one place rather than different spots in the house.

These props also double up as display items, as I mostly keep and buy items within a specific aesthetic. In terms of storing them, I go by color group/type (ie. wooden wares, ceramics, and paper goods). Smaller loose items like clips and postcards are stored in closed drawers out of sight. 

Do you have any tips for those who are interested to create content in their own homes?

The most important thing is to find a good place to shoot. I suggest shooting next to large windows or where natural light is ample. Compositions look best when well exposed without harsh shadows.

If you are using a lightbox, however, it might be worth dedicating a corner for photography so the setup is always ready when you need it. 

Finally, any advice you would like to share with others? 

When I had to furnish this home, I felt very overwhelmed as it was my first time furnishing a larger space. Before this, I only had to furnish my own room and it wasn’t hard to make it cozy. I just threw in a rug and soft cushions, maybe a string light or two!

With more space, it is easy for it to feel sterile and empty. It felt that way for many months after we moved in.

A few things I learned over the years: If a room is too large, it can be divided into two spaces. For instance, the master bedroom can be divided into a bedroom and a walk-in. Go with loose pieces of furniture so you have the freedom to change the layout when necessary. 

After living in our home for 3 years, I realized furnishing a home is a process and not a destination. Style can evolve over the years based on taste and needs, and it’s OK for every space to be a work in progress.

It’s more important to enjoy the process of decorating the home and not rush into buying furniture just to fill up the space. Always style with function in mind. Small details will come naturally and can be attended to later on.

What do you love most about this content creator’s contemporary home? Follow Charlene’s journey on Instagram here.

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