Monochrome palette for content creator Nicole Wong's dream home

SINGAPORE - In a charming complex of walk-up apartments in the east - a five-minute bicycle ride from the lively bustle of Joo Chiat - content creator Nicole Wong has built a home that blends minimalist cool with an inviting sense of cosiness.

Prior to moving here in November 2021, Wong, 33, and her husband Clinton Leicester, 34, spent five years in a five-room Housing Board flat in Punggol, which never really felt like home.

They are two of the three co-founders of creative agency NPLUSC.

"We both grew up in the east - all of our families, our friends, are here," she says. "The amount I spent on cab fare when we were living in Punggol was ridiculous. And if we were to think ahead, if we have kids... my husband is a St Patrick's boy and he wants his son to go there, which is just down the road. If it's a girl, Katong Convent is at the other end."

Wong was specific about what she wanted, so the hunt for their dream home was quick.

"We knew quite exactly what we were looking for - the location, the size, the budget," she says. "I didn't want a new condo because the feel and layouts tend to be very bland and similar. I like things with a bit more character.

"We rented a condo before and I never used the facilities, so I know I don't need them. And I've always wanted to live in a walk-up. My husband didn't mind one, but he didn't want to be on the higher floors, so it had to be a second-floor unit."

The search took them two to three weeks, then it was love at first sight.

She says: "The moment we stepped into this unit, I turned to my husband and friend and said, 'This is the one.'

"Sunlight was just pouring in. Our last place was really dark, which was a bit depressing, so I wanted very good light in our new apartment."

They removed the walls to let in even more light, creating a single open space for the living, dining and kitchen areas.

The area is dominated by a large plush grey sofa; a sleek steel island; and a glossy black dining table accompanied by clear acrylic chairs.
 

During the 2½-month renovation, the couple also merged two of the three original bedrooms, creating a bigger master bedroom and a new attached bathroom.

"I gave my interior designer a full deck of what I like," Wong says. "I was quite specific about the inspiration, which drew from Bauhaus. My brief was a monochrome palette - no bright colours."

Bauhaus is a movement that started in the early 20th century in Weimar, Germany.

The couple like how the interior designer "doesn't just strip things out", Wong adds.

"If he sees something with an interesting texture or character, he'll keep it. That's why our walls, our floor, the central pillar that's a building structure, have these imperfections to them."

She feels "they really add character to a space". "And if anybody spills or dents something, I don't think I'll notice," she adds with a laugh.

When it came to decorating the home, Wong wanted to work "with very minimal but very useful furniture, in the sense that each piece has an intent and a purpose".

She adds: "I don't like clutter because, one, it clutters my mind; and two, I don't want to clean up so much. I was also very specific about what appliances we will have, so everything was built around them.

"I like things to be hidden away because I have a bit of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)."

The living area is probably where she spends the most time.

"In our old place, we had a Chesterfield sofa that was so uncomfortable. When we moved here, I knew I wanted a huge, cosy sofa.

"During the weekends, I'm basically on this sofa the whole day.

"And when it's just the two of us, we usually eat here too, so these side tables are perfect," says Wong, referring to the two compact height-adjustable metal-and-glass tables from Swiss furniture retailer USM.

A common thread in most of the furniture pieces is a sense of modularity - a lot of the pieces are adaptable and adjustable.

"If we want to move on or change things up, I like that we are able to," Wong says.

"Let's say we have a kid and need more space, we can move things around. Or if we need to get a helper, we can downsize the dining area to make more room.

"I like having that option to adapt as we grow. I want to stay here for a long time."

When it comes to fashion, her approach is also defined by that same mix of classicism and versatility.

"The way I dress and decorate don't really differ," she says.

"My wardrobe is very monochrome, with a few random pops of colour. Like my furniture, I gravitate towards classic pieces - things I'll still wear in five or 10 years. They're mostly easy pieces I can just mix and match," she adds.

"Since the pandemic started, (ethical clothing label) Pangaia has taken up a lot of space in our wardrobe. But my favourites are Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens and Ann Demeulemeester. And because Comme is quite unisex, I steal quite a bit of my husband's pieces as well.

"I'm very masculine in terms of my style. I think that's because I grew up with two brothers, playing rugby.

"And now that I'm working in production and running around all the time, it's just more comfortable to be in trousers."

Her style may be classic, but Wong allows herself to go a little wilder when it comes to the details. "Because my clothes are quite plain and basic, I jazz them up with accessories which tend to be a bit bolder so my outfits are not so flat and boring," she says.

In her home, the "jazz-it-up" pieces come in the form of lamps, which Wong is obsessed with.

"My favourites are the Flos Snoopy lamp in the living room and an orange one I bought to match my husband's hair."

The couple may have moved in less than a year ago, but the place instantly felt like home - not just because Wong has created her dream space there, but also because of the strong sense of community she feels in their estate.

"People here are very nice," she says, "maybe because there aren't a lot of us. There are only 18 units, so we all kind of know, talk to and help one another. You don't really get that at a bigger place.

"A lot of the neighbours are new as well - there are about five of us who moved in roughly at the same time and they're around our age as well, so it's quite fun. We don't have to worry too much about our neighbours sleeping early and us being too loud.

"There's a group chat with everybody and, sometimes, it's just like, 'Hey, my RedMart delivery is here - can someone help me get it?' Sometimes, it even feels a bit like we're living in a kampung. I love it."