This light-filled haven truly reflects the heart of a poet. 

Tell us a little about yourself - what do you do for a living?

I recently left a creative studio and media agency I co-founded 12 years ago, and am currently working as an independent brand consultant and art director.

What words would you use to describe the atmosphere of your space?

An oasis—it’s green and gets lots of sun; a haven at least for myself. Organic too, as I re-configure the space often to serve different purposes (dinner with friends, film screenings, projects deadline week, etc).

You do have quite a collection of plants and magazines at home, can you share a little more about your passion for them?

My dad has been, for as long as I can remember, spending all his free time tending to the garden at our house. At one point I wanted to extend the greenery indoor, and started transplanting a few Monsteras and Philodendrons into nice big pots and move them in. Now I have 200 over plants at home and fully understand why my dad does gardening—it’s a good way to add some ‘zen’ to my daily routine, and a perfect antidote to my plugged-in Black Mirror life.

I like the idea of a magazine (more than a magazine itself); essentially a collection of stories and visuals that is relevant to the publication time—an effort in capturing something fleeting i.e. a culture, that results in forming a bigger, more lasting, ‘culture’ (visual and otherwise). Even though I dislike the byproducts, such as fluffy so-called journalism and celebrity phenomenon, there are still some good titles out there.

By chance, I picked up the first issue of 032C and some old issues of Purple Prose (a precursor of Purple Journal and Purple Fashion)—this must’ve been in the early 00s—and was drawn to independent magazines since. They broke the mainstream magazine stereotypes, and proved a periodical could also produce contents of timeless and substantial quality, like a book. Print media might be seen as a token now, and reading behaviours might have changed, but I think the effort to collect, study, and document a certain culture is still necessary, whether to preserve it, or simply act as a marker in our cultural milestone.

You have since moved to a new place, is there anything you particularly miss about this home?

Yes – it was at the fourth floor, and our windows and balcony are at the treetop height. The trees are not only great at filtering out the noise and toxic air from the street, but also popular roosting place for the birds; we enjoyed the occasional bird songs and their visits to our balcony very much.

Who would be the dream person you would like to invite over for tea?

Jónsi Birgisson, or Steve Jobs, or Salvador Dalí

What is your all-time favourite quote?

My life amounts to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops? — David Mitchell