Architect Stephen Chung Imagines Laura Linney's Bedroom at the Showtime Show House

By Marni Elyse Katz
October 19, 2010

After garnering a profile as a "rising star" in Metropolitan Home magazine last year, Boston-based architect Stephen Chung was tapped to participate in the Showtime House in New York City, a show house featuring modern home interior design based on the sets of seven Showtime original series. (The house is open to the public until Saturday, October 23rd; proceeds benefit Harlem Children's Zone.) Chung was assigned to create a room inspired by “The Big C," Showtime's highly acclaimed, new-this-season show starting Laura Linney as Cathy, a repressed suburban woman who uses a diagnoses of terminal cancer as a reason to live life to the fullest.

We chatted with Stephen Chung about his design process and philosophies.

Stephen Chung's Showtime Show House Room Inspired by "The Big C"

Previous Next

Chung's room is a master suite with bedroom and master bath. It's a minimalist space focused on providing a serene, ethereal environment meant to induce peace and inspire dreaming.
Based on the concept of chromotherapy, Chung designed a lighting system that allows Cathy to change the color of the space via remote control. Here, a blue view.
To create a rich feel in such a white environment, Chung incorporated furnishings with juxtaposing styles, like the ornate Venetian mirror and minimalist vanity.
The interactive art wall is a sort of high tech Lite Brite.
An interactive robe in the bathroom.

The Inside Source: Had you ever watched "The Big C" to which you were assigned?

Stephen Chung: No, because it just debuted this fall, and we began the design process over the summer. But Showtime invited me to have a private screening, and I spoke to one of the execs to get a better sense of the character. The show wasn't at all what I had expected. It isn't at all a downer; it's actually a witty and empowering look at a woman who takes control of her life.

The Inside Source: Describe the design inspiration for your room, and the innovations.

Stephen Chung: When I designed the Southcoast Cancer Center in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, I learned that someone afflicted with the disease feels an acute loss of control over his or her body. We attempted to empower Cathy by giving her the ability to control her environment. The most important way was through the L.E.D. lighting system that would allow her to change the color of the room with the touch of a button. You hear a lot about chromotherapy in treatment centers, but not so often in a residential setting.

The Inside Source: What was your interior design process?

Stephen Chung: I invited three M.I.T. students to make custom installations for the space that reinforced the empowerment theme.

The first is interactive clothing with built-in sensors that contain pre-recorded messages. Each time Cathy touches a sensor, she can hear the voice of her son, a favorite song, or birds chirping.

The second project is an interactive bookcase. When Cathy opens a book, she would be automatically connected via the Internet to others reading that same book.

The third design project is an interactive art wall; a sort of high tech Lite Brite. Cathy can arrange the colored cubes however she likes on the board. And touching changes the colors too.

The Inside Source: If you were given the opportunity to design a room for anyone else, who would it be?

Stephen Chung: I fantasize about designing a house in Miami for basketball player, Le Bron James. Like one of those MTV beach houses. Ten car garage, indoor basketball court, etc. It would be comical.

The Inside Source: Whose design ideas are inspiring you right now?

Stephen Chung: I'm still very interested in Philippe Starck, with whom I collaborated on a residential project in Boston. There are many copycats, but he is the master. His sense of theater is amazing, and I love that his humor comes through. It is the most important lesson I learned from him.

The Inside Source: Other design architects do you admire?

Stephen Chung: I really like Steven Holl. His work starts with a concept that threads everything together. His Simmons Hall dormitory at M.I.T. is impressive. I also think Thom Mayne from the Los Angeles firm Morphosis does amazing work. They are both so inventive, and actually know how to make what they draw! They're architects' architects.

The Inside Source: What architecture and design projects are you working on these days?

Stephen Chung: I am designing two nightclubs; fun new territory. I'm also involved in a television project for PBS, hosting a show about architecture called "Cool Spaces." We are still in the development stages, but hopefully it will move forward.

The Inside Source: Are you a gadget guy? What do you carry with you everywhere?

Stephen Chung: As far as architects go, I'm not a gadget guy. But I am obsessed with my Smartphone. I have a Droid, which has become the most important thing I own. I can't imagine life without it.

The Inside Source: Are you a regular eBay user?

Stephen Chung: I actually purchased some items for the Showhouse on eBay. See the two white pigeons perched on the shelf? I couldn't find them anywhere else!

Stephen Chung's eBay picks, including some more white pigeons:

Roll over items for details