Home tour: Stephanie Er designs a Singapore apartment inspired by mid-century modern houses in Los Angeles

Timber, curves and sunshine—this American-style apartment in Singapore realised by interior designer Stephanie Er of Cream Pie Studio was inspired by the atmosphere of mid-century modern architecture in Southern California

In her travels, Singaporean interior designer Stephanie Er enjoys frequenting Los Angeles. There, she leans towards selecting single-storey, mid-century modern Airbnb houses for accommodation, as she’s drawn to their abundance of natural light and use of natural materials, especially timber.

The founder of Cream Pie Studio is hugely influenced by her globetrotting adventures, which she documents widely on her well-known social media account. In the noughties, Er was prolific in the local fashion circuit for her singular sartorial style. These days, she is busy focusing on her interior design studio that has created dwellings, as well as notable dining venues such as Binary restaurant and fitness spaces for Lab Studios and Cru68.

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Above The open living and dining areas of a home designed by Stephanie Er of Cream Pie Studio

Her experiences in Los Angeles influenced a Southern California aesthetic that she felt was ideal for family life. A couple and their young daughter—with one more child on the way—live in this 1,461 sq ft condominium apartment in Singapore.

Er’s first strategy was to open up the floor plan of this apartment. She removed the powder room by the entryway to create a more airy and connected living, dining and kitchen. She also expanded the kitchen by merging it with the yard.

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Above Stephanie Er of Cream Pie Studio

By removing the powder room, the foyer is now more welcoming. “The foyer in any home is important to us because it is what greets you once you enter the home. We wanted to create a sense of mystery so we built shoe storage in front of the entrance that doubles as a screen,” Er shares. This feature also gives the living spaces some privacy from the public corridor.

In order to break up the monotony of the angular spaces and soften the ambience, a living room wall was curved and wrapped in timber laminate. A bulbous island counter whose curves that continues the motif of organic lines separates the kitchen from the living areas. This is a key feature that guests gravitate to when the family entertains.

Calacatta Gold marble tile clads the counter and kitchen backsplash wall for a touch of shine, while border panelling in joinery door panels add depth to the surfaces. “We wanted muted tones that could complement theme dinner settings but at the same time when bare, still exude character,” says Er on the choice of the Calacatta Gold marble tile whose sinuous veins stand out against a sculptural off-white base.

Above The kitchen island features a tiered base reminiscent of pastries and other sweet treats

In the master bedroom, sheer curtains let in light as well as the silhouette of the tall palm trees outside the window. As bedrooms are meant for rest, she kept the detailing subtle. “The bed always takes centre stage and the lighting design enhances that,” she comments.

For the daughter’s bedroom, she decided to construct as little built-in furniture as possible. “As a parent myself, I know that as children grow, their needs in their room changes. However, we try to allow for good lighting and install fans so that the daughter does not need to sleep with air-conditioning all the time in spite of Singapore’s hot and humid climate,” Er elaborates.

The house features some interesting lighting pieces, selected by the wife. One is the Lampe de Marseille wall lamp from Nemo Lighting that graces a corner of the living room and sends filtered light through the foyer screen. At the island counter, Er custom-designed an aluminium pendant lamp that adds an industrial edge.

Above Lampe de Marseille wall lamp from Nemo Lighting highlights an art piece in the living area

Above Another view of the console in the living room

“Spaces should always work around light—the sunrise and the sunset—and should be pragmatic wherever possible,” states Er on her design ethos. The couple was very involved in the design, which is something she appreciates as she feels it is important a home reflects the identity of the persons living there. “At the same time, we always inject a bit of our DNA so hopefully once you walk through the door, you can tell it's a design by Cream Pie Studio,” she adds.

Above Faye Toogood’s Driade Roly Poly chair adds a dose of fun to the living room

Above A view of the bathroom

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Topics

Home design Cream Pie Studio

Tatler Asia

Home tour: How Stephanie Er designed a cosy Singapore apartment inspired by houses in Los Angeles