Romantic touches for the home

Malaysian blogger Tey Cindy chose daisy colours such as white and baby blue to emphasise the mood of her home. -The Star/ANN Thu, Oct 20, 2011 The Star/Asia News Network Well-known blogger Tey Cindy is an expert in all the things people of her generation love - fashion, pop culture, and reality TV. Cindy exploded into the public's consciousness in 2008 after winning Malaysian Dream Girl, an online modeling competition molded after America's Next Top Model. She has since landed on numerous gigs in marketing and copy writing. But the Johor native soon learnt that the one profession she's really good at was blogging. Romantic touches at home Click on thumbnail to view Her blog, Cin City, has evolved over the years. What began as a student diary is now a must-see Web destination for local fashion lovers. "My blog has progressed in terms of content. I used to write about me, but now I write about things that inspire me, which can range from travel to lifestyle. I am now more focused on fashion. Hopefully the content inspires the readers too," she says. Cindy, who studied performing arts in Sunway College and University of Tasmania, is also a keen decorator. Her condominium unit in Mont' Kiara sees a combination of serene colour scheme and loose-fitted items. The result is an airy living space that epotimises the 24-year-old's laidback personality. What look did you try to achieve when decorating this unit? I tend to get drawn into country style when it comes to decorating a house. I really like the serenity and laidback attitude that comes with it. Tell us about the colour arrangement in this unit. I chose daisy colours such as white, baby blue, yellow and red to emphasise the mood. Baby blue dominates the living room, while yellow presents in the corridor near the dining area. Meanwhile, a splash of red and gold can be found in my bedroom. In your opinion, what makes this unit a unique living space? My lecturer has once told me that I'm a romanticist, evident in a number of art assignments I have done. Take, for example, the paintings in the living, dining and my brother's bedroom. I think these paintings, along with the colour arrangement, make this unit a unique living space. There's a wicked sense of humour in your paintings. But somehow these paintings fit into the paired-down mood of your house. How does this juxtaposition reflect your personality? The stories behind the paintings revolve around dreams and overcoming hardship in life, represented by otherworldly objects such as rubber boots, gigantic lips, banana and balls. I reckon the quirky paintings give a breath of fresh air to what otherwise would have been a snuggly but dull interior space. On a more personal level, I think the irony and romance of the paintings - and the interior - personifies me. How much did you spend to decorate this house? I spent RM10,000 (S$4,066) to decorate this house. I kept the budget minimum by reusing old furniture from my family house. When new furniture and light furnishings were needed, I shopped at IKEA. Other essential pieces such as air conditioners, kitchen cabinet, wardrobe and bed came with the unit when we bought it. Do you plan to add more decorations to the house? I would love to add wallpapers to my unit, although my dad isn't very keen on the idea [laughs]! Why did you and your family chose to live in Mont' Kiara? We decided to buy this unit because my dad reckoned Mont' Kiara is a safe area. As my parents still live in Johor, and only my brother and I live here, security was a big part of the consideration. Now let's talk about you. How's your blog doing at the moment? It's doing well. I'm now more focused on fashion and beauty products, as more advertisers in such industries are coming in. Admittedly, it takes a lot of discipline to work from home, especially if you have a very cosy home. But I have the obligation to keep blogging because of my readers - my blog has approximately 10,000 visits per week. Apart from blogging, what other activities do you do? I teach drama at a kindergarten. I'm also in the process of launching my online boutique.