Some homes are built from blueprints, but others—like Cristina Leontyeva’s—are shaped by memories. Born and raised in Spain, her teenage years were a swirl of sun-drenched afternoons that instilled within her a great love of European fashion, culture, and design.
When she moved to Singapore, she knew she wanted to bring a piece of that world with her. But rather than simply recreating a Haussmann-style apartment within the confines of an HDB flat, she sought to blend the romance of the old with the crisp sophistication of the new. Her vision? A classical-modern sanctuary where timeless design meets contemporary chic in a home perfectly suited for tropical living.
The foundation of her space is bright, airy, and timeless—a canvas of soft neutrals and elegant architectural details. Lighting plays an essential role, too, as Cristina is a content creator and marketer who needed her home to function as her workspace. Every corner needed to be illuminated just right, whether she was filming, hosting virtual meetings, or curating visuals for her brand.
This is more than just a home; it’s a reflection of Cristina’s story—one that traverses continents, embraces cultural influences, and distils them into a space that is effortlessly, undeniably, hers.
I worked o'The best way to bring this idea to life was to create a bright, timeless, and classic canvas—one that I could elevate by adding furniture pieces, lighting, and accessories'n this house with Shuwen from Rezt n Relax. Together, we carefully pieced together all the elements from my vision board to bring this project to life and capture a European feel in tropical Singapore. 'The best way to bring this idea to life was to create a bright, timeless, and classic canvas—one that I could elevate by adding furniture pieces, lighting, and accessories'
I grew up in Spain and spent my teenage years there. That period had the most significant impact on shaping my taste and design sense, whether it came to fashion or interiors. It also helped me create many wonderful memories with family and friends, and I always feel a warm, comforting connection to Europe. I wanted to bring this warmth and comfort into my home in Singapore.
I envisioned my home as having a classical feel with a modern chic touch. The best way to bring this idea to life was to create a bright, timeless, and classic canvas—one that I could elevate by adding furniture pieces, lighting, and accessories.
To sum up: A classic-modern feel with a Parisian/European chic touch.
Pictured Above: Isa V3 Mini Trimless
I think I’ve spent at least half of my daily time over the past few months reading Architectural Digest articles and gathering inspiration from sources like Pinterest to create my perfect mood board.
I’ve also recently travelled extensively around Europe, so I’ve been immersed in the timeless European aesthetic for quite some time now. That definitely influenced my choices when it came to colours and textures in our home.
Lifestyle, work, and must-have designs. 'We chose minimalistic spotlights that were moulded into the ceiling to create a seamless and minimalistic, yet classic look throughout the whole house'
Designing my own home has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in terms of decision-making. There were so many details to consider that I had no idea about. Shuwen and I had to ensure every little thing was carefully thought through before making any decisions. Since I have a 6-year-old son, we also had to make sure that all the fabrics we chose for our furniture were childproof. We also incorporated some fun designs in Leonel’s room to reflect his lively personality and love for sports.
Being a creative soul in the digital marketing industry, I am always working on content production for new projects and ideas of mine. The most important consideration while designing this home was the lighting. As my home is practically my office where I film, shoot, edit, and bring my creative ideas to life, we had to make sure the lighting was well done.
We chose minimalistic spotlights that were moulded into the ceiling to create a seamless and minimalistic, yet classic look throughout the whole house. We also had to ensure that the lighting was suitable at any time of the day—whether day, night, or morning—so it wouldn’t disturb the filming process. You never know when inspiration strikes, and I might start shooting a new project or campaign spontaneously.
I wanted to make sure that, aside from work, the house feels like a home, so I was very particular when choosing the light temperature. I wanted it to be warm and comforting; I’m not a fan of cool lighting as I feel it can give a surgical feel to the space. So, we focused on making the lights warm and also made sure they were dimmable to suit different moods for specific environments.
We also played with LED strips and added them to different areas of the home, like the closet, certain shelving units, and the kitchen counter.
Pictured Above: Isa V3 Mini Trimless
We have many! I can’t seem to pick just one, so I’ll give you my top three.
The walk-in wardrobe, which is combined with the master bedroom with a seamless wall door, gives me a dedicated space for all my clothes, bags, and accessories. I love how I can access it through the master bedroom while keeping the two spaces separate but still connected.
Another unique feature is the ceiling lights. I love that we have a modern look on our ceiling—the spotlights make it feel incredibly clean and modern, while still providing great lighting and elevating the space, making it feel larger.
I just have to mention one more—my open-concept kitchen. I’m incredibly happy with the stone choice, and how it elevates the whole living area. Waking up in the morning and taking my time to make breakfast in this kitchen just brings me so much joy. I love how it looks.
Pictured Above: Isa V3 Mini Trimless
It was definitely a unique experience. It took us a while to complete this project, as I was travelling during that period. However, I’m super happy with the outcome, and I believe the saying “great things take time” suits this occasion perfectly.
The hardest part for me was decision-making when it came to small details because I believe the small things are what’s incredibly important in creating the overall desired feel of the space. Having trustworthy and experienced people around me helped.
It took me the longest time to decide on the kitchen colour because an open-concept kitchen is always on display—it’s not a separate room you can close off and hide. So, I changed my mind about the colours many times. Kudos to my interior designer for sticking through this with me, as I’m extremely happy with the final result.
My favourite moment, of course, was seeing it all come together at the end after so much hard work was done by everyone who contributed to this project. All the waiting was worthwhile!
You’d probably expect me to say the walk-in wardrobe, but I have to say my favourite room in our home is the open-concept kitchen. I love to cook, and I’m deeply engaged in health and wellness.
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing healthy meals for my son and me. It can be a real challenge when you're also a working mom. Luckily, my home is my office, which gives me a lot of flexibility with my schedule and how I plan my day. Plus, cooking brings me as much joy as my work, so I try always to find time for both.
Now that the renovation is done and I’ve lived in this home for a while, I am truly happy with the overall look of the kitchen and the whole space. It makes me happy to look at it every time I wake up in the morning and spend time there.
So, my advice for all the new homeowners just starting their renovation journey: Don’t rush into making quick decisions. Take your time to consider all the aspects of your life to ensure you’re really satisfied with the finished result.
My favourite light from Sol Luminaire® has to be the Isa V3 Mini that we have through out the whole house. I love how I can adjust the brightness of them and they have synced so easily with our smart home system. I love the warm lighting and Sol Luminaire®’s Isa V3 Mini are exactly that. They create perfect cozy ambience at home at any time of the day. I feel like house is not a home, until it feels like one and the lighting it’s so important because that’s exactly what elevates the space and makes it feel like a cozy and warm home where spending time is a joy.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s mixed in with sex and the city.
