SINGAPORE – As an interior designer, Ms Vivian Chen believes that everything built in a home needs to serve a purpose, and it is important to strike a balance between function and form.

“To me, the aesthetic is like the book cover and the functional aspect, the content. The two go hand in hand and, together, they make up a book,” says the design director of home-grown studio Muwu Construction.

This philosophy guides all her projects and, of course, her own home – a 635 sq ft condominium unit in Stirling Road which she shares with her husband, financial adviser Michael Chan, and their dog. The couple are in the 20s to 30s age group.

Every space, cabinet and piece of furniture is designed and selected to address a specific need in the couple’s daily routines and habits – right down to the exact spot for keys, where the vacuum cleaner should go and where to stash snacks.

As they purchased the unit from the developer, the finishes and fittings were all new. They retained the built-in wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, bathroom fittings and doors.

Some new carpentry and lights were added, and the existing tiled floor was overlaid with vinyl that matched the existing doors. The rest was styling.

Ms Chen likes French vintage style, but never had the chance to try it out until she got her own place.

“As it is the first time I am working with this style, I had to figure out the wainscoting aspects, the proportions and other details,” she says. “It was also a challenge to try and match the finishes and fittings provided by the developer.”

She also took into consideration her husband’s preference for having minimal loose furniture within the home, and opted for built-in as far as possible.

“I like to have a fixed, allocated space for everything so that when I come home, it is all where it was before and not all over the place,” he says. The second bedroom has been set aside for his racing simulators, and doubles as a guest room.

Earthy tones such as cream and brown have been applied on most of the walls, new built-in cabinets, furniture and flooring, complemented by teal on the wainscoting wall behind the sofa.

The renovation works, which cost about $20,000, took around a month. The couple moved into the home in September 2022.

Ms Chen says working on her own home has helped her become a better designer. “The questions that I asked myself as I designed our home, I now also ask my clients.”

This, she adds, helps her approach each project with a clearer sense of purpose.

• This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to homeanddecor.com.sg for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.