Complementary Aesthetics At Home with Vince Lim & Elaine Lu
Photography by Stephanie Teng / Words by Suzy Annetta
Vince Lim and Elaine Lu are the creative and life partners that make up the design studio Lim + Lu. Already the recipients of several awards recognising emerging talent - and with a number of Instagram-worthy projects under their belts - the couple talk us through the favourite elements of their Happy Valley apartment.
Can you describe your creative process?
Vince: It normally begins with a sketch or a dialogue, talking about ideas that we want to explore with a certain space or objects. It might be because we work very closely together - we went to the same school, we had the same training and we're married - a lot of our thoughts are in sync. It can feel at times like we're one person really. It's strange. We agree on the same things a lot of times, for example I might say “This looks horrible,”, and she would be completely like, “That's what I was about to say.”
Elaine: But sometimes we do disagree, right? I feel like your aesthetic is more about heaviness - volumes and masses. And I’m about lightness and airiness. But I think these small disagreements make us complement each other.
Vince: Yeah, I think the end result is always kind of more interesting because of that. You have the contrast.
How different was the process of designing your own apartment from when you design for a client?
Vince: It's very different when you design for yourself than when you design for other people.
Elaine: Yes, it’s all about needs. We all have very different needs. For me, the most important thing about this apartment was the bathroom - because it's my favourite part of an apartment, and I think it's often overlooked. I grew up with a beautiful and large apartment in suburban Atlanta, and that was a big part of it. So I spent a lot of time designing that, whereas our clients may have different priorities.
Vince: Also when you design for a client there are a lot of restrictions and requirements. It's almost like you're playing by the rules, you know, whereas when you're designing for yourself you're almost an artist with a blank canvas, and that's always the hardest part. It's “Where do you start,” when you're designing, let's say, a sofa or a space, What’s the starting point, and what's the reasoning behind this? I think that's always the hardest part. But when you're designing for a client, the reasons are outlined for you.
Elaine: So in a way it’s harder to design for yourself.
Vince: Definitely. Because you're always your own worst critic. And I think many designers would agree that things can always be perfected, so they can always be more to change.
What would you say your favourite design elements are throughout the apartment?
Elaine: Probably the juxtaposition of materials - we’ve used a lot of metal and marble - and the colours.
Vince: The palette and colours definitely - they play a really large role in our design aesthetic.
Elaine: But I think the most important thing for me is the openness of the apartment, because before it was very compartmentalised. Before we renovated, it was three bedrooms and had a closed kitchen.
Vince: For me it would be the flexibility. Elaine has her bathroom, but I really like what we call the pink room, which is really our study, but it can also be converted into a guest bedroom.