The cover shoot takes place at the home of Robert Cheng’s parents. It was built by his father Edmund, a trained architect, and former Yale School of Architecture chair Paul Rudolph.
Cheng was one of several interior designers who worked on the house. His father has always preferred having different designers work on different areas of a property rather than having one designer oversee everything, he explains. For this shoot, Cheng is wearing Louis Vuitton. The pieces, like his design work, emphasise craftsmanship and materiality.
He doesn’t think the house will ever be finished in the absolute sense of the word. “It evolves as my parents age because they grow to like different things. It used to be more minimalistic, but now it has a range of vintage pieces,” he says. “I have really enjoyed watching it age. There are some beautiful lessons to learn from the house just because the architecture is so unique.”
Cheng answers a couple of questions posed by his wife, Nicole.
If you could take a one-month sabbatical, what would you do?
I’d spend it in New York under the tutelage of my mentor Calvin Tsao and his office again—immersing myself in the process, observing, relearning, and reconnecting with the fundamentals. Like a second apprenticeship, but at a different stage of life. There is something valuable about stepping away from the responsibility of leading and returning to a place of curiosity and learning.
How would you spend a year learning something purely for curiosity’s sake, without any expectations of success?
I would relearn the piano. I used to play when I was younger, but I’ve forgotten most of it. It would be nice to get back to it on my own terms, enjoy creating, and maybe rediscover a different kind of rhythm and focus outside of work.
Who are your top three film directors and why?
Denis Villeneuve, Michael Mann, and Stanley Kubrick. While they’re all quite different, each creates worlds that feel complete and immersive in their own unique way. There’s a strong sense of atmosphere and control in their work, and a clear vision that carries through everything. I’m always drawn to that level of intentionality.
How would you meaningfully simplify your life this year?
Probably to stop obsessing over things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, to meditate more, and to be more deliberate about how I use my time and attention, rather than constantly filling it!
