AT HOME WITH…

More than minimalist

Decked out from top to bottom with lightly coloured wood, UFM 100.3

Cheng Yao’s home is the true definition of “less is more”.

What was the inspiration behind using lightly coloured wood to decorate your home?

Cheng Yao: My home was actually inspired by Japanese interior design, where they use lighter colour schemes to make the atmosphere more cooling. I feel that my love for what I experienced in Japan inspired me to make this choice as well.

I chose this particular colour of wood and decided to use a lot of warm lights instead of white light to soothe the atmosphere at dusk. My home reminds me of my stays at Japanese houses and hotels, where the clean and warm feeling helped me relax at the end of each day. I really hope that my house can function similarly.

Furthermore, my place is small, so choosing to use lightly coloured wood makes my home feel more spacious in spite of its limited space.

Your house carries a chill and breezy feel. It does feel welcoming and relaxing. Where is your favourite spot to relax?

Cheng Yao: I actually have two favourite spots at home that I love to relax in. The first place would be my living room, where I’ve stationed beanbags in front of my bookshelf. I enjoy lying on the beanbags with a glass of wine as I lepak [Malay for loafing around] and read. The view from the window is amazing too, allowing me to admire the sky.

My second favourite spot is my island, which I carefully designed to make it a suitable place to eat and drink wine. I love the leg room and it is a place where I can host my friends and family when they come over as well, where we can all chill together.

It is an interesting concept to hide your library behind a sliding door, we never would have guessed that there was a library behind the wall if you hadn’t pointed it out to us!

Cheng Yao: Personally, I find bookshelves messy and difficult to maintain, especially for somebody like me who reads a lot. When I was designing my house, I wanted everything to be as neat and tidy as possible. I wanted the house to maintain a clean look and did not want my books to be in the way. Besides, the wall that conceals my bookshelves makes for an excellent backdrop for my Facebook livestreams!

With everything in its place, Cheng Yao’s kitchen was designed as a functional chillout space.