“i wanted to create my own home and not have someone tell me how to live”, says lim who shares his loft with french bulldog, oliver

A sneak peek into fashion designer Phillip Lim’s Soho apartment.

I’ve always had a wholesome fascination with how people decorate and reside in spaces they call their own. My earliest memories as a child are those of frequenting homes of relatives and strangers and the inanely colossal desire to examine every inch of their abodes; much to the dismay of my parents who always had to keep a watchful eye on their brazenly temerarious daughter. But the enthralment did not end there. During our evening neighbourhood walks I’d pass familiar brick veneer homes and curiously ponder what lay beyond those ghastly mission brown facades. Not so much the happenings itself (let me make on thing straight, I’m not a busy body), but an innocent inquisitiveness as to what kind of furnishings lay await, and how others opted to set up and live in such surroundings. I would ponder on whether or not they had fireplaces in their lounge rooms or if they’d had ghastly wallpaper cladding their walls. Was their home tastefully decorated like on TV and was their flooring plush or a mix of both carpet and vinyl like ours. Such behaviours and curiosities have not abated with age, and these days I find myself wondering the same things, especially during moments of when stuck in traffic. Even when taking Miss Coco for walks, I’ll find myself searching through shuttered windows, trying in vain to get a glimpse of what’s inside.

Of course at times it is easier to peer into the domains of well known individuals like Phillip Lim’s Soho apartment, compliments of the internet. For me I adore those glimpses into residences of designers and creative types. There’s always such a strong sense of identity in their abodes, never conforming and always authentic. I find it compelling in attempting to understand why they surround themselves with certain possessions. Most times a peek into their homes is a glimpse into their souls and personalities; almost like an extension of their being. I love how Phillip Lim’s Soho apartment is an eccentric mix of industrial and oriental design. Pieces that appear to be more art than practical, industrial contrasting with antique. Like a beaded Yoruba chair (not pictured), a fanciful flea market find and one that I know I’d be too afraid of spoiling.

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