With every sun-drenched surface, Brian has shaped a home that feels like a still from his favorite films—cinematic, textured, and timeless. His design balances aesthetic with intention: future-proofed for a growing, multi-generational family, every space is adaptable without sacrificing style. In Brian’s world, home isn’t just where life unfolds—it’s where form, feeling, and forward-thinking design meet.
“I work in architecture and interior design, so creative problem solving is basically a lifestyle at this point—and something I genuinely enjoy. Design and art have always been constants in my life since I was a kid, so I’m usually exploring different things connected to that world. I wouldn’t say I have one clear hobby; I just love learning new crafts and skills—from painting and graphic design to leathercraft and ceramics.”
“I strongly believe that being a jack of all trades is a great way to experience life, and similarly you can’t design for life if you’re not living it.”
“The concept of the space is really based off this unexplored dissertation idea I had back when I was studying architecture in university. I wanted to question how we could make the traditional HDB layout more suited for multi-generational living, given the small space and the housing situation in Singapore.”
“A lot of the time, bedrooms are all clustered together, and the schedules of older and younger generations always clash as a result. How do you give enough privacy for both the older and younger generation living in the same space?”
“I just couldn’t get this out of my head over the years, and once my wife and I had the chance to purchase our flat, I knew this was my chance to put theory into practice. I did have to sell the concept to her though, so I have to give her credit for letting me bring it to life.”
“My thesis was that you could use the shared spaces like the kitchen and dining to separate but at the same time unite both sides - or generations - of the house. We eventually settled on naming the project Hearth, a reference to how many vernacular dwelling places from the past usually revolve around the hearth - the predecessor of the modern day kitchen.”
“As for the design of the space itself, I like to imagine if life were a movie - how would it be framed or shot, how would one flow through the space, what kind of atmosphere would it have? How would you like to feel in the house having breakfast on a slow Sunday morning with the morning light streaming in or just hanging around the kitchen after guests have left late at night? How does it evolve with time and seasons of life?”
“To me, designing a space is like creating the backdrop to life.”
“There were a few key influences I had in mind when designing our home. The painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper was one of them. It’s one of my favourite paintings since I was studying art in secondary school and being a night owl myself. I've always liked the atmosphere in that painting; like a fireplace in the city, late at night - a specific feeling captured in a moment. I wanted to capture that same mood at home.”
“Another influence would be the way light is captured in Makoto Shinkai’s films, particularly Your Name (2016) and 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007). There’s always this quality of light that’s emphasized through reflective or glossy elements, drawing your eye in with his still shots of locations. This inspired some of the material choices, like glossy terracotta tiles and glass blocks.”
“Lastly, a pretty odd one — John Constantine’s apartment in Constantine (2005). The way the light streams into the entire space, which is essentially a long corridor, has an austere yet intricate everyday beauty to it. It has always stuck with me, especially how the windows flank one side of the entire apartment.”
”I feel that the home is more of a container, and the personality fills in the spaces. What the container does, though, is give that personality a shape — or a different way to see it. So when I design, it’s more about coming up with the right-shaped container for the person I’m designing for — with some room for change, as humans rarely stay the same. I love creating spaces with little details that work for a person, but still allow for life to flow differently over time.“
”For my wife and I we like to put things that are meaningful to us up on display, so we intentionally left some spaces and surfaces to place objects as well as move things around. Paintings from yesteryears such as my canvases from my days as a student, trinkets collected over time, vinyls of our favourite bands, and my wife’s collection of plants. Soon there will probably be the kid’s toys.“
"The dining table is also something I’ll really treasure over time - I had always wanted to give furniture design a try and finally got the chance to do so with this table. I’m quite happy with how it turned out in the end. It was fun trying to figure out the details at a smaller scale. My wife also has great taste in furniture — I’m glad, because her choices make the place a lot more cohesive and welcoming. Like the acrylic chairs — I wasn’t a fan at first, but seeing it come together, I realised how they were key to focusing the dining space on the table and making it feel a lot roomier."
“Personally, I’m kind of a ‘buy once, buy for life’ kind of person. I don’t purchase things often, but when I do, it’s important that what I’m getting means a lot to me — something I can see myself still using years down the road. I’m the kind who would wait for the right piece to speak to me and inspire.”
“We each had a favourite furniture piece when we were doing up our home. For me, it’s the Flos 265 above the dining table — I first saw it specified for a client when I was interning at an architecture firm, and it stuck with me for a good seven years. So by the time it came to furnishing my own place, it was a no-brainer. I love how it’s such a dynamic piece — it encourages you to interact with the room itself. For my wife, it was Ligne Roset’s Togo sofa — a piece full of character yet unassuming, and incredibly comfortable to curl up on while watching TV or taking a cat nap in the afternoon sun.”
“Home to me is a reflection of one’s life, and in return, an inspiration.”
