Rising Above Challenges to Become a Star

As a youngster, Winston See delved into the world of The Sim’s and found his passion for building homes. What started out as a game became a platform for him to find his voice through design.

Years on, Winston is not only the runner up of The Apartment’s Rising Star Edition, he is also the creative force behind many projects from residential homes to property designing. With his clients being his biggest inspirations, there is no doubt he is a rising star in the industry today.

We caught up with Winston recently as he spoke to us about the lessons he learned on the show and how a life simulation computer game changed his life.

I think it was an amazing experience as a whole. I’m an introvert, so being on set in a production was life changing. You watch all these reality TV shows and you’ll be wondering how things happen and I was able to experience it, it was amazing.

SOURCE: theapartmenttv.com

I think the 12 personalities, everyone is so diverse, and different. So there were some people who had strong personalities, it isn’t wrong, but the process of compromising requires strategy and was another challenge on its own, apart from the design work.

I didn’t quite know how the show worked so we assumed there would be a handy man on set to help with the work. Boy, were we wrong! We only had 15 hours (per challenge); we underestimated the time and had to be all hands on deck but it got better after a few episodes.

I think the judges constantly challenge us to go out of our comfort zones. I learned to pursue new ideas, think outside the box and have fun with it. In terms of  design philosophy, nothing was really different but I’m grateful for the other contestants who have become friends.

SOURCE: theapartmenttv.com

It’s something we (Paperspace) have done prior to the show. We custom make units and furniture pieces for our clients because we believe all these little details will contribute to providing a really cohesive space for our clients. If we buy off shelves, they’re not personalised. By making custom or DIY units we can really showcase the personality of the clients in their space.

I believe clients are my biggest inspiration. I will give my input as a designer but I look at every project as a collaboration. I take a step back and actually listen to my clients’ stories and I put that first.

Coming from an architectural background, I think my work is steeped in context. That is when you actually study the site, where the house is, and what the site offers in terms of weather, view, and such because that impacts your energy consumption and the way you design the space. That’s when my interior design experience comes into play, you start putting in the personality of the client as well. So that’s my style, context, and personality.