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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