At Home With SCENE SHANG: Fabian & Kim
BY SCENE SHANG
A leisurely day in Fabian and Kim's beautiful home, full of meaningful pieces that reflect their lives.
IN OUR NEW At Home With SCENE SHANG series, we bring you a peek into the homes of some of our customers, and uncover the meaning of home in a heart-to-heart chat.
The people, things and surrounding stories that our homes encapsulate are what give these dwellings great meaning and make our hearts full. For our first feature, we speak with Fabian in his beautiful home in Tiong Bahru, where he lives with his wife Kim.
PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
Moin Moin(how we greet in Northern Germany, technically it means Morning Morning, but we say it all day long 😉)
First of all, settling in Singapore started with a coincidence. Early March 2015, a close friend of ours asked Kim and I to move to Singapore. He said, “I seriously need your help,” while we rolled sushi by our hands in his kitchen. Our friend’s wife and his teenage kids kept us company on this particular day.
Kim was keen to move forward in her career but was close to signing a new contract for a company in Germany (outside Hamburg, our hometown).
Therefore, being asked by our close friend to move to the Far East was something big to consider. But, why not...
I also was ready to move forward; looking for new opportunities — not only job-related.
“Fetching new impulses, a new vibe... to touch some new spirit. Wow… Singapore? Sounds like one of those opportunities we both had in mind.”
Fabian and Kim add character to their home with heritage-inspired art such as MusicCloth® Paper Cut Animals - Fishes and EMBRACE ME Coasters.
An MGB from 1973, a classic Mini Cooper, plus my Discovery used on a daily basis in former times; are now wrapped in car pyjamas (covers) and our facility manager is looking after all three vehicles, checking in on them from time to time...
Friends support us by taking care of our premises — a good reason not to lose contact with the loved ones at home. Home? Second home...
Singapore...
Became (home) to us over the years, I have to admit.
The docks of Hamburg, Fabian’s hometown in Germany, in a painting gifted by a dear friend of his late Father.
Besides a massive collection of Tintin figurines, their home is peppered with cushions in SCENE SHANG’s signature prints and limited edition gate benches from SCENE SHANG. Seen here: KOI Old Elm Wood Gate Bench upholstered in leather, designed in collaboration with Joseph, a tattoo artist who runs Visual Orgasm Tattoo studio, known for his freehand expressive illustrative style.
Before I came to Singapore, Kim lived at the Genting Hotel in Jurong East — for over three months.
Asking me on the phone, “How do we want to live in Singapore when you are here? With me, together?”
Well, I forced her a lot to avoid renting an apartment like western people like to live in. i.e. River Valley, Holland Village to name a few. I don’t want to open my gate in the morning seeing other people from Germany, speaking German, living in a bubble.
Another coincidence brought Kim to Tiong Bahru one night. I remained in Germany at this time.
Kim saw Tiong Bahru and was thrilled from the start:
'This is what Fabian meant in living in a local Community embedded by Singaporean neighbors.'
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Blessed under a light well, the kitchen is where Kim unwinds with her culinary creations (she has recently taken interest in Indian cuisine). Adding a touch of comfort and local flavour, the welcoming hosts opted for a lush Nutmeg print design by Binary Style on the cushion and upholstered on the Old Elm Wood Gate Bench. Nutmeg or pala, in Malay language, was one of the spices that attracted the early settlers to Singapore.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DO WHAT YOU DO?
Honestly?“It’s all about curiosity. Being curious, moving forward. Being interested in foreign culture, cuisine, habits reflect the fuel in our lives.”
We couldn’t live without it. I feel totally convinced by this idea.Fabian’s favourite spot to work and think, surrounded by collectibles of his favourite travel companion (after Kim) – Tintin. Some of his vast collection are displayed on the window sill, earning their apartment the alias “The Tintin House”.
HOME IS...? (WHAT IS HOME TO YOU...)
Home is where we both are. No matter either in Germany or Singapore. Or elsewhere on our lovely planet.“So long I am with Kim and Kim is with me, that’s home.”
Talking together, eating, cooking, seeing friends. Living a social life. This is home to us.
A gin lover, Fabian has amassed gin from across the world. Seen here are also paraphernalia and decoratives that reflect their embrace of all cultures and histories. Their wedding photo from yesteryear sits beautifully on the right.
Now, coming back home from traveling (before the pandemic) to Singapore feels so intense and touched us by our hearts. Cannot describe how it feels like.
Fabian and his associates — the handsome MENG Writing Desk and ANGGUNG Chair - Rengas. They accompany him as he works, reads and writes. Also shown here: THE BANKER Desk Lamp - Moonlight and Jade Blossoms Linen Tea Towel.
THE BANKER Desk Lamp in Moonlight, to both Fabian and Kim, is a lady. Seen here with her is a wooden fox handmade by Fabian’s grandfather in the 1930s, and an Italian typewriter by Olivetti. Their home is a treasure trove filled with meaningful pieces, each with its own story to tell.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PIECE OF FURNITURE AT HOME? IF YOU DO, PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT IT.
Well, as mentioned before. We moved furniture from Hamburg to Singapore also from my grandparents: Grandfather Clock and a small table where my grandfather used to smoke his pipe. He taught me how to play cards at this tiny table. This was back in the days of the year 1965 (!) ... For me as a young boy the furniture looked already vintage in the mid-1960s... My grandfather was a retired former Firefighter of Berlin by the way, 1925 - 1961.
Fabian lounges on a reupholstered armchair, passed down by his late Mother. The “Little Smoking Table” from Berlin is over a hundred years old, he keeps a framed picture of his beloved grandparents on the lower shelf to remember their legacy. The Grandfather Clock is another precious heirloom from Germany.
I call them ‘Witnesses of Our Circle of Life’.
Now we mingle these units with our new furniture mostly bought from SCENE SHANG.
Fabian and Kim, together with our co-founder, Jessica, at SHANG YUE 2019, Launch Night of SCENE SHANG Raffles Hotel.
As Fabian puts it, Singapore has been his lucky charm. This day’s one of them (they’d won the Grand Prize at our lucky draw). Cheers to more blessings ahead!
Here's a thank you to Fabian and Kim, for opening their home to us and sharing their stories. All the best for the next chapter as they continue their narrative here in Singapore.
We hope you enjoyed reading this series as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and incredible style!
How does your home tell your story? Share with us.
@sceneshang @sceneshanghomes
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