Vintage perfection in home of furniture gallery owner Lynette Wong

SINGAPORE – Stepping into Ms Lynette Wong’s colonial-style, two-storey bungalow just off Alexandra Road, there is a sense that you are no longer in the city – there is almost an English country estate-like atmosphere.

She moved into this serene space 12 years ago, and lives here with her family of five.

Ms Wong, who owns furniture gallery 1B2G Important Design, which specialises in original vintage Scandinavian furniture, alludes to the calm character of her residence, saying: “When I get home, I just feel an instant slowing down of my heart rate.”

The light-filled house has high ceilings and airy rooms. Minimal renovation was done beyond the dry kitchen and some bathroom work, leaving its heritage charm fully intact.

Instead, Ms Wong and her husband express their flair with mid-century furniture by Danish designers such as Hans Wegner and Poul Kjaerholm, and contemporary artworks that they both love.

Collecting vintage furniture and lighting is a passion for Ms Wong. She started out sourcing pieces for herself and quickly realised the gap in the local market for authentic and historically significant pieces that would not just beautify the home but also become investment pieces.

“You can use it and it’s an investment that you can really enjoy,” she says. And thus, her furniture business was born in 2017.

Adamant that vintage pieces are meant to be used and enjoyed, she invites visitors to sit and experience her Papa Bear armchairs by Wegner that are still in the original checked fabric upholstery.

She explains that good-quality sofas created by designers from that era are more durable, as they were mostly down-filled rather than padded with foam, and hence would not disintegrate with time. The cushions can even be put in the dryer to be fluffed up.

Complementing these vintage furniture pieces are lighting from the same design era. Hanging above the Papa Bear chairs in the living room are magnificent artichoke lamps by Poul Henningsen. Says Ms Wong: “These pieces are all 60 years old. They are in amazing condition, partly because they are very good quality to start with.”

All the striking artworks dotted throughout the home are special to her and her husband. “If I like a piece, I will find a place for it,” she says.

In the more formal living room on the first floor, her husband’s favourite room, a striking wall-size painting by Feng Zhengjie in his signature green-and-pink palette brings out the colour in her chairs.

On a table sits a smaller piece by artist Ai Weiwei – a jar of sunflower seeds from his famous Tate Modern exhibition that look like the real thing but are actually hand-painted porcelain.

The piece that takes pride of place in the room is the London Screen by Linley. It was the first thing the couple bought and commissioned in 1993, so it has sentimental value.

Another much loved and frequently used space is the formal dining room where many dinner parties have been hosted by Ms Wong, her husband or one of her three adult children. “It feels intimate and elegant without being stuffy,” she says.

One highlight of the room is an Arne Vodder sideboard in superb condition. The stunning teak piece contrasts against a large contemporary painting by Indonesian artist Yunizar. Another statement piece is a Mogens Koch cabinet that houses an extensive collection of glassware and drinks.

Ms Wong prefers to leave her own vintage pieces and those sold by 1B2G unvarnished and let them develop a patina over the years, as it imbues them with a natural charm that cannot be replicated.

As comfort is always key, the dining chairs have been tested to ensure that guests can sit at ease through long dinner parties and extended conversations.

Even the Poul Henningsen pendant lighting in this space, hung low over the table, has been designed to create a cosy atmosphere without raising the ambient temperature.

The dining space also boasts interesting and quirky touches that make great conversation starters. These include an unused safe that once belonged to a previous occupant of the house – believed to be a former director of a government statutory board – and a guitar with an exaggerated, elongated neck by contemporary Indonesian artist Rudi Mantofani.

Ms Wong’s favourite space in the house, however, is on the second storey, where both her study and upstairs living room are located. She works on her King’s Desk that once belonged to the father of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

“The desk was a confirmation gift for the then Crown Prince Frederik from the citizens of a municipality, and he used it in Amalienborg Castle,” she says. Typical of desks from the early 1900s, it has several secret compartments.

As for the living room next to her study, which overlooks the family’s private football field and verdant greenery, Ms Wong says: “The living room upstairs is full of natural light and looking out, I am at tree-line level and surrounded by nature.” 

This sense of restfulness is prevalent in her home, which even the family’s three dogs seem to appreciate. 

When it comes to personal style, she does not extend the same love of vintage to her wardrobe, preferring contemporary pieces from designers as wide-ranging as Gucci, Sacai and Alexander McQueen.

But she has kept her vintage Chanel bags over the years, and also an extensive collection of accessories, which she intends to pass down to her daughters.

In the eclecticism of her favoured looks, she observes parallels between her fashion style and the interior design of her home. “I am drawn to different looks – from colour to monochromatic; heels to flats and trainers; feminine frills to masculine suits.

“But I hope that no matter what I wear, I always look like myself. It’s similar to how my home is styled... it may be unexpected, but it is still unabashedly me.”

* 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 and follow @harpersbazaarsg on Instagram; harpersbazaarsingapore on Facebook. The January 2023 issue is out on newsstands now.