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From air traffic controller to interior designer: She reignited her teenage passion during the pandemic

When the aviation industry was badly hit during the pandemic, former air traffic controller Phan Min Er turned to her teenage obsession with beautiful homes to pivot to becoming an interior designer. 

From air traffic controller to interior designer: She reignited her teenage passion during the pandemic

“A house is a safe haven to get away from all the troubles in the world,” says former air traffic controller turned interior designer Phan Min Er. (Photo: CNA/Dillon Tan)

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Interior design has always fascinated Phan Min Er. In secondary school, she would spend her after-school hours scouring the internet for pictures of beautiful interior spaces. If a design caught her eye, she would file it away for her future house.

“I am a homebody. So I have always dreamt of creating a space that I love,” the 34-year-old Singaporean mused. “Perhaps somewhere with a view of water or greenery, filled with light wood, light colours, warm lighting and a big sofa you can sink into. A place that evokes calm – where you can lie for hours and not have to think about anything in the world.”

Phan may enjoy fantasising about her dream home, but she never thought she would spend her career building dream home after dream home for others.

In fact, her career initially took a completely different career path. After studying statistics at the National University of Singapore, she chanced upon a job for an air traffic controller and ended up spending her early career working in the control tower directing pilots departing and arriving at Changi Airport.

Phan (right) started her career as an air traffic controller directing pilots from the control tower of Changi Airport. (Photo: Phan Min Er)

Four years later, she moved to a safety operational quality assurance role with SilkAir, where she reviewed flight data, pilots’ concerns and hazard reports to ensure smooth and safe flights.

It was an interesting and niche industry that Phan enjoyed, and she did not expect to leave it – until COVID-19 shook the aviation industry and tanked her career aspirations in 2020.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH AT 30

Most of us would remember that one of the first sectors hit by the pandemic was aviation. As the COVID-19 virus raged through the world, air travel quickly came to a halt in early 2020.

Unfortunately for Phan, a few months prior to the pandemic, she had already quit her job, hoping to take a break while looking for a new job within the aviation industry. It soon became clear to her that this would be a futile search.

“COVID-19 didn’t seem like something that was going to go away fast, and there was too much instability in the market,” she told CNA Women.

She was at a loss for ideas until a friend from a boutique interior design company said he was looking for someone to mentor and urged her to try. And so in April 2020, at the age of 30, Phan bravely took the leap, and in what would be considered an extreme career switch, started at his company as a junior interior designer.

“I've always been interested in timeless designs, one that does not follow any particular trend,” says Phan. (Photo: Phan Min Er)

Phan may have already curated a stash of gorgeous homes, but she had zero experience in design and project management.

“I didn’t even know what an interior designer needed to do. I had to learn which contractor comes in first, the materials I needed, and other specific information such as how to lay tiles.

“I also had to learn how to manage client expectations and instil trust in them,” she said, adding that, initially, some contractors even bypassed her and spoke only to her mentor because she was a rookie.

But Phan was a quick study and learnt on the job by trailing her mentor on projects. Two to three months into the job, she was given the chance to run a project with her mentor, designing a four-room flat in Clementi for a couple who would be welcoming their baby soon.

Despite some teething issues, she created a space they loved.

“It is a soft relaxing space with a lot of oak-coloured wood, enlivened by a pop of colour. The feature of the entire space is a statement round dining table with a white marble top, accentuated by hanging lights and an abstract art piece. The couple wanted a round table because it reminded them of their parents’ house,” she said.

REIGNITING A CHILDHOOD PASSION

It’s been four years, and Phan has since designed 30 to 40 projects. She moved to local interior design company SG Interior last year, where she works on both residential and commercial projects.

“Every house is different because it has to cater to whoever is living in it. As an interior designer, it is important to get to know the owner, their lifestyle and needs before designing a house. Do they host often, stay at home a lot, cook a lot?” she said.

“Most people don’t know the amount of time interior designers put into the job, rushing to multiple job sites to meet contractors, doing proposals and meeting clients,” said Phan. (Photo: CNA/Dillon Tan)

In compact condominiums, her interior design skills are challenged when she has to create space, storage and personality in the apartment. “For one of my projects, I linked up the dining room, living room and one of the bedrooms, as well as used a palette of black, white and neutral colours to create a sense of space and personality,” she said.

Phan also helped a family transition from a large landed property to a smaller executive apartment by re-segmenting the flat for the owners, their three daughters, and two helpers.

She was even tasked by a neighbour to transform his home to look like an Australian vacation home within four weeks – her most challenging project yet because of the short timeline. Most renovations take two to three months.

Phan re-designed the man’s home with a clean and warm vibe, incorporating lights and wood elements in the carpentry.

One common feature in all her work is the focus on timeless design. “I prefer designs with clean lines and neutral colours; designs that don’t follow any trend such as special colours or patterns,” she said.

Her pet peeves are the over-usage of a single design element, such as arches and fluted panels, which are currently trending.

“I get my design inspiration everywhere, even when I walk on the street. A window design on a building can be used in carpentry design, for instance,” said Phan. (Photo: Phan Min Er)

“You don’t have to have arches all throughout the house in order to make it a statement. That is overkill. Just focus on what you like instead of whatever is out there in the market,” she said.

Her advice to homeowners: “Don’t over-complicate things by adding all the elements that you see outside. Take something simple, make it the main focal point of your house and it will be beautiful in its own way.”

That is how she envisions her future home as well, said the young interior designer who is currently living with her parents and two younger siblings.

“We are a happy family. But the space that we currently live in is functional,” she said. 

“When I get my own home, I hope to have a space that creates the feeling one gets when one travels overseas and stays in a beautiful Airbnb, for example – a house that is like a vacation home.

“I want it to evoke the relaxing feeling you have when you are on holiday, and don’t have to think about anything except being in that moment.

“A house is a safe haven to get away from all the troubles in the world. What makes a house beautiful is that it is a place the owner can be comfortable in and feels happy in,” she said.

CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.

Source: CNA/pc

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