After almost 2 decades working as an architect and interior designer, Kin speaks to us about his childhood and his passion on design.
Born in the 70’s in a small Portuguese colony Macau, Kin is the elder son of a small household. It was nothing luxury growing up during those days. His mother had to take care of Kin and his little sister at the same time working at home with a sewing machine borrowed from a nearby garment factory.
Every week, Kin’s mom will take the two kids for a walk to the factory to drop off the finished pieces and pick up a new batch. The walk was pleasant enough for the kids. Back then Macau was full of old Portuguese style villa with walled front yard full of trees that grew so huge in this sub-tropical weather. One of the most common species is the “flame tree” Delonix Regia or commonly known in the local as the “big red”. Kin and his sister would compete finding the most perfect fallen red paddles on the old European granite paving. Another common vegetation is Plumeria Obtusa which is a small tree with gorgeous five paddle white and bright yellow flowers. It’s fragrant is intensified in the humid weather people can sense it from far away.
Every weekend, the family would go to dimsum restaurant for lunch. It is a common ritual in the southern region of China. With the hot and humid climate near the south China Sea, eating light and always with a zip of strong tea is delightful for all ages. The smell of dimsum from the bamboo steamer, the vibrant color of different little dishes, and the sound of chopsticks and ceramic spoons and bowls, all added together creating a symphony orchestra in the tea restaurant.
After the dimsum lunch, Kin’s dad would take the family to another ritual… the construction site. Kin’s dad was trained as what local called “San Heng” or “three trades” referring to craftsmen with all the skills of carpenter, mason, and painter. After working through his way from an apprentice to a site manager to finally having enough resource to start his own business, his dad would still go to monitor the progress of his construction projects every single day. Mom also helped out on the business by looking after the permits and finance. For the kids, they would spend the whole Sunday afternoon playing with whatever they can find around, wooden blocks, bricks, small stones, or even little sand dune whatnot. Around 4pm, mom and dad will take the kids to a nearby coffee shop for a break.
