Stark lines, glass and lots of steel, appeal. But not for Peter Sim and Lilian Chee.

The couple, who are in their 30s, live in a retro yet cosy home that is older than them - a two-storey terrace house in the East Coast, built in the late 1960s, not long after Singapore gained independence.

The interiors still have a retro look, yet the couple have managed to make the home bright, colourful and vibrant.

The success of this tricky balancing act between old and contemporary is thanks to the couple's design expertise: Mr Sim, 34, is a Britain-registered architect and director of local design firm Farmwork.

His works include an upcoming five-storey residential project in Novena, and the interiors of Italian restaurant Stiff Chilli and fashion boutique Hide & Seek.

Ms Chee, 37, is an architecture lecturer at the National University of Singapore.

Their previous home was an HDB flat decked out in a white minimalist style. But for their new place, Mr Sim says they wanted to keep 'the old feel of the house, as it gives the home more emotion and character'.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times' Life!