THE SLEEK HOTEL AESTHETIC

Yam Su-yin, a vice-president at Microsoft who’s in her 40s, has been living in her condo unit since 2021. The interior design of her house was inspired by her travels. Sort of.

“Prior to the pandemic, I had the opportunity to stay at the best hotels around the world for both business and pleasure. I got so used to the design elements that I wanted them for my home, so I decided on darker tones to create a warmer ambience,” she explains.

To accentuate the modern and industrial feel, the walls and ceilings have concrete finishings, and there are steel shelves with ambient lighting.

“I kept telling my designer, who is from Subtlesato Studio, that I need to come home to a warm and strong embrace. Many people who have visited have remarked that it resembles a bachelor’s pad, but to me, taste and preference are not representative of gender. What is most important is that you feel calm at home.”

Looking to move into your own pad? Her advice is to trust your designer.

“It is important to articulate the theme you have in mind, and detail your flow of movement, your storage needs, and the feel you desire. However, you should also let your designer do the work because that's what you hired them for,” she says.

A bathroom was removed to enlarge the kitchen area –this allows wind from the yard window to flow through the kitchen and into the balcony. “I felt this was important both for fengshui and pragmatic reasons,” says Su-yin.

< As the original layout of the master bedroom was smaller than what Su-yin preferred, the interior designer halved the wardrobe area and gave the room a barn door to extend the space. This also allows more natural light to flow through the room and into the en-suite bathroom.

The centrepiece of the place is the kitchen island counter, which boasts a built-in wine cooler at the bottom and a concrete top. “It allows my bonsai or a vase of eucalyptus to perch majestically,” she adds.

The guest room not only boasts black aluminium blinds, but also a metal peg board that allows berets, caps and bags to be displayed.