SGAG’s Samantha Tan’s 4-Room BTO Flat Has A Special Space For Her Side Hustle In Early Childhood
The Ah Girls Go Army actress is passionate about both her careers in media and education, and she’s found the perfect balance between pursuing both.
Ah Girls Go Army actress and content creator Samantha Tan went over budget on her renovation and furnishings for her 990-sq ft BTO flat two years ago.
However, she doesn’t regret the splurge.
Samantha describes the aesthetic of her four-room Tampines flat, where she lives with her husband, Julius, as Japandi and fusion.
They moved in almost two years ago and spent S$110,000 on renovation and furnishing costs. Samantha revealed in a house tour in the latest episode of Kaypoh Room Tours with host Hazelle Teo that they actually went over budget.
“For the value and for how great my interior designer was, I think it’s a good price,” she explains.
The cost also included the hacking of walls — they opened up an entire room to expand their living room space, and also combined two rooms into one to make their bedroom more spacious.
It was important for Samantha, who also has a background in early childhood education, to have a large living area.
“With the large living space, my friends can come over,” she says of her favourite part of the house. “And every Saturday, children come and play.”
She's referring to her side hustle Kurious Oasis, where she organises weekend programs for preschool kids.
“It’s a play space. My practice is anchored on constructivism and play. [The children will] come in, and they play — child lab, free play,” she adds.
While the living room is mostly furnished in white and earth tones and boasts a very open, clean vibe, the couple’s kitchen takes on a darker vibe, with black countertops and cabinets.
Samantha reveals that the kitchen’s aesthetic was mostly Julius’ choice, since he is the one who cooks their meals and “takes charge” of the space.
“I can’t cook. Or rather, he’s more domesticated than I am,” quips Samantha.
Her husband’s favourite part of the kitchen? “I think it’s the sauce cabinet. He’s a very simple man, he likes to cook, so I think that will be it,” says Samantha, who admits to being a “very fortunate woman”.
She also shares her approach to organisation, saying: “If you can’t see the mess, there’s no mess. I believe in an organised mess. If you open the drawers that belong to me, they are messy, but it’s out of sight.”
The rest of the home includes a cozy, private space for Julius to play the drums, work, and unwind, as well as the couple’s bedroom, which houses a massive bed and plenty of wardrobe space.
But this home tour extends beyond the apartment. It continues at the void deck, where there's a community library set up by volunteer residents, including Samantha herself.
It all ties back to her passion for educating the little ones. Speaking about the creation of Kurious Oasis, Samantha says: “I really saw the power in constructivism and free play. So when I got to work with children in that space, I saw how they wandered, how they were curious, and how they enjoyed learning because it didn’t feel like learning to them.”
She has yet to consider the ways she could scale up her business, revealing that “it’s still not so much for profit”.
However, she does add: “I need a bit [of earnings] to feed myself, because if media doesn’t feed me, I also need early childhood education to do so. But I’m happy in a space where I have both, it’s a really nice blend right now.”
Photos: Aik Chen, Mediacorp
You can watch the full episode of Kaypoh Room Tours on mewatch, or catch it below.
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