Bankers Michelle and Shaun reside in a zen sanctuary filled with monochromatic interior finishings, warm wood hues and just the right amount of plants. Raw texture and natural elements hold a perfect balance of cold and warm, brutalism and softness – an equilibrium for recovery and rejuvenation.
“We’re both in the banking industry. We enjoy cycling and taking frequent walks with our ‘cockapoo’ Bailey in the park nearby.”
Bailey cosies up with our Minimal Knit Cushion Cover in Moss and our Ivory Cable Knit Throw, both made from our GOTS-certified organic cotton.
“We’ve always known we wanted our home to be a sanctuary for us to come back to and we’ve had pretty similar design ideas all along. We wanted raw textures, fluidity and natural elements in our home but we could not put a finger on what the exact style was until we visited The Slow in Bali for a mini-moon.”
“After some research we realised what we wanted was ‘tropical brutalism’, but an adapted version as brutalism is really cold and bare.”
“So we introduced plants and wood for warmer tones, and pops of colour such as our beer label posters. These were made from beers we had together all through the Circuit Breaker period. It was a time where we spent 24 hours of every day together - living, working and growing. It’s our most meaningful and eye-catching keepsake and it definitely reminds me of how it’s possible to still earn a living ‘remotely’ and with your loved ones around you.”
“Our ID cleverly suggested to use breeze blocks as a divider to obtain some privacy from the corridor. We loved the idea because breeze blocks have an aesthetic that we knew we wanted in our home anyway.”
M: “Our bath area in the master bedroom is quite a luxury feature that we are really enjoying. Weekday mornings are a mad rush for me because I’m working from office most days so it really helps that our bathroom flows right into our wardrobe area. We are able to get ready for the day together whilst having our own space.”
M: “Shaun works from home most days so he has a very specific morning routine that he follows to a T which includes having coffee, catching up on what’s going on around the world, bringing Bailey down for her morning walk and then setting up his work station.”
“Having our kitchen and dining area converge into one space allows us to go about both our routines together without getting into each other’s way as we can be having coffee and rushing to pack breakfast all in the same space.”
“We still get to see each other and have little conversations before we start our day separately.”
“The open nature of our home, and the freedom of flow between areas kinda reflects how we would like to or rather, wish we could work towards living our lives - Free and with a sense of flow and continuity. Our biggest fear is that our lives become a monotonous trudge.”
S: “I spend 80% of my time at home at the dining table, which is made of local Suar wood. I work, eat, relax and laze there. To me, it’s a place where I make a living, pursue my hobbies, connect with my loved ones over a beer or a meal, and it’s also a central part of the house, where I can observe Bailey go about her day at home.”
“Our dining chairs are all different because we couldn’t pick a favourite so we got all the ones we liked! We got them from Second Charm which is where we customised our sideboard with fluted wood as well. We also picked out a travertine slab from one of the stone factories to do up our coffee-table as we couldn’t find a suitable one at the retailers.”
M: “Shaun is a hot sleeper but I’m a cold sleeper. So we turn the aircon on and I steal most of the quilt every night.”
“We love how the sheets are soft and cool but still fairly thick enough to provide some structure. It’s also nice to know how the cotton was sourced as it serves as a reminder to be mindful of the things we use on a daily basis and their origins which we take for granted sometimes.”
Michelle and Shaun’s bed is dressed in a Classic Mix & Match Bundle Set with a Classic Duvet Cover in White, a Classic Forest Fitted Sheet, and Classic Pillow Case Pairs in White and Stone.
“We believe in slowly finding what we want instead of mindlessly filling up our space. We haven’t gotten a bedside table for that reason. Furniture sourcing has hence become a more intentional process.”
S: “Home is literally Michelle and Bailey at this moment. Home is wherever as long as we are together.”
