Beyond The Sea

Artist Sophie Mong's Marine Parade apartment boasts stunning, panoramic views and a relaxing, sun-drenched vibe the perfect backdrop for her paintings.

- Renée Batchelor

Sophie Mong knows that her 1,291sq ft apartment in the Marine Parade area of Singapore is quite the find. Located on a high floor, the open concept living and dining rooms look out to a calming vista of the neighbouring East Coast Park that far surpassed the scenery from many other condominiums and apartments that she and her husband viewed in their search for their new home. During our visit, we could see passing ships and people sailing—the picturesque surroundings almost like a gently moving tableau before us. Mong opted to have long windows that run across the length of the living and dining areas, with the slim window panes framing the scene almost like a painting.

The apartment also boasts beautiful artworks by Mong herself. She made the transition to doing art full-time just three months ago after quitting her job in market research. With its laid back vibe, the flat—a chic and restorative family home—also functions as an inspiring studio space for her to do her own abstract paintings—she is currently in a green and yellow phase. The location near the beach means that her two-year-old son Liam can enjoy frequent play times by the sea while she basks in the balmy daytime weather and soft winds, which, at the same time, lends a breezy atmosphere to the house.

Says Mong on her design philosophy, “I really wanted somewhere where I could display my colourful paintings. You can imagine if there were a lot of colours in the home itself it would look rather chaotic and perhaps overwhelming. After a long day you want to come back home to rest, and I don’t want too much clutter. I just want to have a neutral environment to calm my mind down while I’m creating my art.”