Amber Pan has long been interested in shaping environments, and she even earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture with buildings in mind. Yet what she thought was a set path became a detour. “I realized my true passion lies in interior design, which I see as a kind of stage for mise-en-scène,” Pan says. “A space can tell a story with a quiet, almost silent power—you can sense who the main character is just from the details around them.”
Pan had always loved to bring flair to different rooms, but she knew this pursuit was more than a hobby when she purchased her own place and designed it entirely in her own style. She loved doing that for herself, and was confident that it could also resonate with others.
Photo: Courtesy Amber Pan
She eventually teamed up with Michelle Song, and the pair founded London-based interior architecture firm Studio ŪMA. In celebration of imperfect beauty, the patina of time is welcomed, not erased. Oxidized metals, weathered wood, and softened edges are embraced rather than discarded, each a record of transformation. Whether it is a residence or a commercial project, Pan balances intention with restraint in places where cultures, histories, and materials meet.
There are many layers to her work, but Pan’s favorite part is the messy, chaotic stage when she can throw ideas around with abandon. Even though there are times of uncertainty, trial and error is essential, and makes the moment of clarity all the more rewarding.
Pan hopes to one day explore how stories are told visually, seeing her aesthetic come to life on the silver screen. “In many ways, interior design and filmmaking share that same language,” she notes. Both are about creating a world through space, light, and composition.”
Today, Amber Pan joins us for Friday Five!
Photo: Yushi Li
1. Bleached Tree Vine
A sculptural remnant of nature, its bleached curves feel both fragile and powerful, grounding the space with an organic sense of time and imperfection.
2. Sculpture by Sasa Works
I love the unlikely balance between the delicate metal leaf and the weight of the mining chain on either side; elements you wouldn’t expect to coexist, yet through the varied lengths of the sculpture’s arms, the artist Craig makes them rest in perfect equilibrium.
Photo: Amber Pan
3. Chair by Bořek Šípek
The first designer chair I ever owned, it represents a moment of awakening—where function, emotion, and playful craftsmanship unexpectedly converge.
Photo: Amber Pan
4. Amsterdam School lamp
With its weighty form and warm glow, it brings a sense of architectural gravity and old-world romance into the room.
5. In Praise of Shadows
A book that continues to shape how I see space, light, and absence, teaching me that what is left unseen often holds the greatest beauty.
Works by Pan
Photo: Yushi Li
Brook Green Flat
An abstract, painterly apartment within a Victorian building in West London, thoughtfully reimagined to preserve the original bones of the space while introducing a palette drawn from the city itself.
Photo: Felix Speller
South Kensington Residence
Set within an 1860s Victorian townhouse in South Kensington, the space unfolds as a time capsule where the elegance of the old world converges with contemporary art and detail.
Photo: Kenneth Lam
Fulham House
Tucked within a classic terraced house beside the Thames in London, the space serves as both the new home and studio of Michelle Song, co-founder of Studio ŪMA; a sanctuary shaped by the spirit of the East where life and work intertwine.
Photo: Amber Pan
Her Room Breathes showcase with Larry’s List in Shanghai
A special curatorial project set within the historic Guang’er Warehouse, an industrial relic on Suzhou Creek, Shanghai. The showcase asks: what makes this room hers? Taking shape as a living environment where every object participates, the interplay of furniture, lighting, and artworks create a shared skin between human and environment.
