Interior designer Nikki Hunt: ‘Colour is emotion’

SINGAPORE – Filled with lush fabrics, bright colours and beautiful details, Ms Nikki Hunt’s home is a true labour of love created with both beauty and intent.

When one meets the Britain-born interior designer who owns and heads Design Intervention, an interior design and architectural consultancy she founded in 2004, it becomes apparent how her design philosophy and attention to detail have culminated in this inspiring abode.

Ms Hunt and her husband, who works in finance, bought their home almost 20 years ago.

Tucked away in a quiet part of Bukit Timah, the house took 18 months to build from the ground up. They were inspired by the classic pre-war British army bungalows that were built in Singapore between 1900 and 1940.

Ms Hunt studied historical homes to recreate the details.

“What I like most about this style is that it resonates strength. These homes were built for the army, so there are few frivolous or fussy details such as expensive stone cladding. They are simply constructed and, above all, practical; perfectly suited to our weather, with pitched roofs and generous eaves that protect against monsoon rains. The architectural lines are also masculine and strong,” she says.

Another factor that appealed to her is that such bungalows have endured for over a century. “They evoke a strong sense of permanence – they are a constant in our ever-changing world, like a beloved grandfather who is always there, waiting to welcome you home,” she adds.

Her house has been renovated and redesigned several times in its lifespan.

The most recent one was done post-Covid-19, when she realised how important it was to create a restful oasis at home, including ample working, dining and living spaces for everyone in the family, which includes her husband, 25-year-old daughter and their dog Simba. Her son, 27, who studies in Britain, is back only during the holidays.

Stepping past the gates into the property, the first thing one notices is the long lap pool. Used mainly by her husband, it is framed by greenery and well-manicured hedges with pretty pink flowers that are currently in bloom.

The decorative touches extend to the garden, where sculptural monstera leaves rendered in metal are tucked into the greenery. Even the house’s delineating fence is not made of the usual metal, but crafted from wooden spikes.

The other main highlight of the house is the idea of bringing the outside in. Located on elevated ground, the back of the home overlooks a lush park. And with the liberal use of glass as well as indoor plants, the effect created in a sitting area dubbed “The Green Room” is of a luxuriant greenhouse.

Ms Hunt says this is her favourite spot in the house. “It has a wonderful, verdant view that never fails to calm me, no matter how tough the day may have been,” she says.

Green is a colour that she favours as it is “God’s neutral” – touches of the colour pop up throughout the home, including on the leaf-print wallpaper throughout the ground floor, and the chartreuse drapes and matching couch in the formal living room.

As an interior designer, she crafts multifaceted and personalised homes, retail spaces and boutique hotels. The company also works with architectural firms to build from the ground up.

Her flair and vision have won the company multiple awards, and her approach to design is intriguing. “I believe that design is a building block of happiness and that its ultimate purpose is to create a space that makes us feel good and helps us live better,” she says.

She is known for her multisensorial approach, which does not just focus on the visual, but also on the tactile (texture is a big part of her design process) and olfactory (she has created a range of home scents).

While she also has a love of colour, her design principles go beyond that.

“For me, colour is emotion. It is one of the strongest tools in a designer’s toolbox that we can wield to create atmosphere. But it is just one element. Design is about working with all available elements – light, proportion, pattern, space, texture and even sounds and smells – to create one cohesive design statement.”

Although her home embodies this aesthetic vision, it is not meant to be a showroom. “I don’t mind the odd scratch, dent or nick – I think it gives a home some character, like laugh lines on a smiling face. The crinkles and wrinkles are welcoming and friendly. Perfection isn’t comforting. At least this is what I tell myself, so I don’t stress out over every little mark,” she says with a laugh.

The sofas in the family room, for example, where the family spends many hours watching Netflix, have to be comfortable. So while her exquisite, off-white leather Busnelli Bohemien sofa is beautifully designed, it is also cosy.

When it comes to design projects, regardless of who the client is, she always adopts the same process.

“I always start by asking what it is that they want to feel when they are in this room. My approach goes beyond aesthetics, even beyond the function of the room. If it’s a room for entertaining, then we want to encourage interaction between guests. We want them to relax but not be too relaxed, and we want to spark conversation. In a bedroom, we want to encourage sleep and also a little romance.

“Design has the power to affect how we feel in a space, and we use all the elements to craft the atmosphere,” she says.

And true to her word, a walk through her three-storey home reveals many purpose-driven corners that are not just beautiful, but practical and well-thought-out.

Her sunlight-filled bedroom is an oasis of calm and tranquillity. Overlooking a lush view of trees, the complementary green and cream wallpaper, patterned carpet and plant-patterned couch in the room’s sitting area are livened up with a blush pink, feather-trimmed chair.

Her workspace, which she recently redesigned, has a sleek, clear glass table that lends a breezy modernity to the space. The desk has also been positioned diagonally to give her a view of the large portrait window.

When it comes to furniture, she is not precious about designer brands, preferring a mix of old, new and custom pieces.

A fan of incorporating antique furniture in her design, she points out several pieces that she has acquired over the years, including a Chinese rosewood table with mother-of-pearl inlay that blends seamlessly into the print-heavy and colour-filled aesthetic.

“You might be surprised to hear this, but Ikea is a favourite. For the price, its pieces are absolutely amazing,” she says.

As for the art pieces in her home, such as an eye-catching painting of Balinese dancers in the formal dining room, most of them are acquired by her husband on his trips overseas.

She has challenged herself to sometimes design the room – including details like the wallpaper – around the art piece. “I like to integrate the art into the design of the home and many of these pieces have become the starting point of the colour schemes.”

Ultimately, she believes that taste is subjective and should never come before purpose. “I don’t believe in good taste and bad taste. It’s all personal taste.”

This article first appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, the leading fashion glossy on the best of style, beauty, design, travel and the arts. Go to

harpersbazaar.com.sg