In the early light, she walks into the garden and waters the thriving plants before rolling out her yoga mat on the composite deck nearby. As she immerses herself in the movement of her body, her mood gradually lifts—and ideas begin to emerge.

After more than two decades in interior design and countless residential projects, Lin continues to believe that a home and its owner are reflections of one another. Our inner state is projected onto our surroundings, while the spaces around us, in turn, influence how we feel.

For Lin, a designer’s responsibility is to create an environment capable of returning something positive to its inhabitants. Whatever kind of day a homeowner has had, and whatever state of mind they bring through the door, the home should offer something restorative in return.

Lin compares the process to the work of a winemaker: understanding environmental conditions, drawing upon experience, adjusting the formula, and gradually allowing a distinctive character to develop.

Interior design works in much the same way.

A designer begins by understanding the client in depth and assessing the objective conditions of the site. From there, every element is brought into proportion while maintaining a subtle dynamic balance throughout the space.

“I emphasise dynamic balance because every element in an interior is interconnected. Change one thing and the character of the whole space shifts, even if only slightly. A designer has to understand those changes as they happen and continually rebalance the relationships between elements. There is never one fixed solution.”

That flexibility has become even more important in an age of information overload. Clients are constantly exposed to new images and ideas online, which means their expectations can evolve throughout the design process.

But Lin sees this not as a frustration, but as part of what makes the work interesting.

“Isn’t that exactly what makes each vintage unique—the climate and conditions are different every year? Clients are the same. They often bring unexpected inspiration to a project, and that becomes a challenge for the designer as well. To me, that’s one of the most interesting things about interior design.”

A: I think assigning the right role to each stone is extremely important.

You have to establish the hierarchy from the beginning and then select the materials accordingly.

At the entrance, for example, 「珍珠白玉」 plays the leading role, while Madeirus supports it. In the living room, PALISSANDRO provides a quieter backdrop that allows the vivid green stone to stand out, while the river-valley pattern below functions more as an accent.

Scale also matters. The softer golden stone occupies a larger surface area, while Irish Green is smaller but much more visually striking. That creates a very balanced composition.

Q: When you actually select the stone, do you follow that same hierarchy—choosing the leading material first and the supporting ones afterwards?

A: Ideally, yes. You select the protagonist first, then choose the supporting materials according to its character.

But unexpected encounters happen all the time during this process, and a good designer needs to know how to turn those surprises into opportunities.

At Peace Palace, for instance, logically we should have selected the main stone for the living room first because that space plays such an important role in the overall layout.

But the moment we arrived at CHENHOW MARBLE, 「珍珠白玉」 immediately caught our eye.

Irish Green was another surprise. The male homeowner didn’t particularly like green, but the female homeowner absolutely loved this stone. In the end, it became part of a combination that exceeded our expectations.

That is the beauty of allowing room for the unexpected.
 

Q: What do you consider when choosing natural stone?

A: The first step is always to look at the overall interior and determine where the stone will be used.

It is also worth considering how the material will be experienced from different distances. A stone viewed from across a room can create a very different impression from one seen and touched at close range, and that should influence the selection.

I also remind clients that stone used in frequently touched or heavily used areas—such as bathrooms, bar counters, and dining tables—requires regular care. Maintenance does not necessarily have to be frequent, but appropriate periodic care is important for preserving natural stone over time.

And of course, there is the individuality and rarity of the stone itself. For an important feature wall, you generally want something with enough character to justify its presence.

That is one reason our experience working with CHENHOW MARBLE has been so enjoyable.

Ten years ago, choosing stone could be exhausting. You would set aside an entire day without knowing how many suppliers you might have to visit before finding something exceptional.

CHENHOW MARBLE offers an outstanding and diverse selection, so visiting their showroom makes the process far more focused. The environment is comfortable, and very often the materials themselves spark new ideas.

Over the years, I’ve watched the brand continually challenge and improve itself, becoming increasingly forward-thinking. For designers and homeowners alike, that is something truly valuable.