Former actress and model Lum May Yee with her husband Steven Lam and their son, Aiden, in their three-room condominium in Bukit Timah.
Lum was best known for her roles in Chicken Rice War (2000), and 12 Storey Trixie (1997). She later became a businesswoman and founder of bycanary, a jewellery business that used to distribute jewellery labels M.C.L by Matthew Campbell Laurenza but has since started retailing their in-house label jewellery. Her husband, Mr Lam, is director of home-grown jeweller The Canary Diamond Company.
Today, Lum is a marketing manager at The Canary Diamond Company, her husband’s family business.
Former actress and model Lum May Yee likes her living space to be bright and airy.
The walls in her three-room condominium in Bukit Timah are mostly in white, and she had the false ceiling taken out to allow for more light.
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Lum says: “I don’t like the dark and dingy feel. With more sunlight coming in, I think the house looks more lively.”
She lives with her husband Steven Lam, director of home-grown jeweller The Canary Diamond Company, in the 2,000 sq ft apartment. They have a son, Aiden, as well as two schnauzers, Juno and Oska.
The couple declare that they are fans of local furniture designer Nathan Yong’s work, and have bought pieces such as their living room sofa and TV console set from his eponymous label and Grafunkt, his other store.
Furniture by local designer Nathan Yong sits in the living area in the three-room Bukit Timah condominium belonging to former actress and model Lum May Yee and her husband, Mr Steven Lam.
Yong’s low-lying wooden pieces are great for Aiden, who often climbs and jumps on the furniture, she says.
“I don’t have to worry when Aiden or the dogs roll and climb around. The height is safe enough.”
Their other furniture features a mish-mash of styles, with retro pieces from Lorgan’s in Pasir Panjang Road and Like That One in Bukit Batok sitting alongside more contemporary pieces such as a wooden dining table from Lava East.
A wooden dining table from Lava East sits in the three-room Bukit Timah condominium belonging to former actress and model Lum May Yee and her husband, Mr Steven Lam.
Lum is unfazed if Aiden colours or dirties it during play time. “It’s no biggie,” she says. “If it’s damaged, we’ll just get it fixed when we can later on. But that’s the beauty of wood – it hides flaws well.”
To create an open concept for the apartment, Lum had the kitchen walls removed so that the space opens up to the living and dining rooms. They cook minimally to keep the area clean.
Fortunately, Lum’s in-laws live three floors above them so they often go to their place for dinner.
One thing that stands out in the couple’s home is how they have decorated it with paintings and framed photographs of their friends and family.
A large painting with a colourful flower motif catches your attention the moment you walk into the apartment. It was done by Bali-based Australian artist Steve Castley in 2009.
A large painting with a colourful flower motif by Bali-based Australian artist Steve Castley anchors the dining space in the three-room Bukit Timah condominium belonging to former actress and model Lum May Yee and her husband, Mr Steven Lam.
Among Mr Lam’s favourites are two photographic prints by renowned National Geographic photographer Peter Lik. The Luna Bella photograph of the moon with a tree in front and a starry-lit sky behind hangs in the living room, while the Lunar Fringe, a photograph of the moon behind sand dunes, hangs in the master bedroom.
Mr Lam says: “We don’t specifically buy expensive art, just art that we like. They are just pieces that will brighten the home.”
The Luna Bella photograph, of the moon with a tree in front and a starry-lit sky behind, by renowned National Geographic photographer Peter Lik, hangs in the living room of the three-room Bukit Timah condominium belonging to former actress and model Lum May Yee and her husband, Mr Steven Lam.
Elephants with quirky designs dot the side cabinet in the living room of the three-room Bukit Timah condominium belonging to former actress and model Lum May Yee and her husband, Mr Steven Lam.
This article was first published in The Straits Times, 2012.