EXPERT EYES

Home stylist JEANETTE LING chats to us about her inspirations, business and home décor tips. What inspired you to set up your business? What makes you stand out in a crowded industry?

Tell us a little about yourself and what you were doing before moving into home styling.

I was born and raised in Singapore, but spent almost 18 years living abroad, working mainly for multinationals in the media and art auction industries. I met my British husband in Hong Kong and our son was born there. We relocated to Singapore a few years back for my hubby’s work.

I’ve had a very fulfilling legal career but there has always been, in parallel, a creative itch waiting to be scratched. Last year, I decided to take the plunge and went back to (design) school. I had already been assisting family and friends for several years with home styling, as well as practising this craft for many years when relocating across various countries in no less than 15 moves both as a tenant and homeowner.

Returning to Singapore, I came across homeowners who had trouble finding interior designers with either the bandwidth or willingness to take on smaller projects. I also had friends and colleagues who were renting and wanted an interiors makeover yet couldn’t undertake renovation. So StyledbyJeanette was born to fill this niche and offer such services.

While it isn’t the easiest being a small business owner having to juggle all aspects of work by yourself, I’m fuelled by a passion to see the happiness on my clients’ faces. I love hearing their stories and incorporating what they love into their homes.

There is so much amazing creative talent all around – all of the other interior stylists out there bring their own personality, experiences and strengths to the table. I truly don’t believe it’s a question of who is better, but rather about chemistry with a client. They need to think about who is empathic to their needs, understands their wants, and is able to provide them with a vision that is comfortable yet reveals something new and, as yet, undiscovered.

I’ve spent two decades being a professional problem solver and business enabler in my corporate life, and I bring that solutionfocus, pragmatic mindset and attention to detail to my new career as an interior stylist. I’ve also always had an innate good eye and creative instincts, and I’m a pretty energetic, can-do person. Nothing brings me more joy than a job very well executed to the satisfaction of the client.

I also try to road test the quality of products and reliability of after-sales services before I recommend specific suppliers/ retailers to clients. Sometimes a client might source a home décor item themselves from online and ask my opinion about it – my view is not to skimp on items where comfort is important like a sofa, bed and dining chairs, so I’m more inclined to purchase from a source that has a showroom where you can touch, feel and test an item.

But for smaller or less costly items, it’s fun to experiment – as long as you’re prepared for the fact it may have a limited life span. I’ve certainly been pleasantly surprised with some inexpensive online items and when I mix and match them with other brand items, the look is a top-notch, quality one. That’s what an interior stylist does – helps the client pull all the bits and bobs together into an overall harmonised look within an agreed budget.

If one had to put a label on my style, I guess it would be called “eclectic” as I enjoy many different styles from boho-ethnic chic to tropical vibes, to urban glamour to zen serenity. As a related side comment, it is absolutely possible to incorporate different looks into different zones of a home; it just needs some careful planning and curation.

While, at a personal level, I love splashes of colour, I’m not a maximalist – I like to work with a base of neutrals and naturals such as stone finishes, calming white or textured grey.

If I had to paint a mental visual for a potential new client about what my personal style is I’d describe it as Armani Casa understated sophistication and quality, meets

Max Mara cashmere cosy, meets pops of ethnic and cultural richness and colour. I’m influenced and inspired