Timeless Style
MOW Interior combines elegant interiors with a knack for future-proofing homes
Shermaine Ong, co-founder of MOW Interior, understands the perennial draw of wanderlust— she frequently draws inspiration from her travels by bringing together multicultural inf luences in her work. “I travel quite a lot, and I appreciate the unique interior design, the culture and the surroundings that I encounter,”she says.
When she’s not out and about exploring the world, she can be found working in the firm’s openplan studio with the company co-founder Wong Teck Soon and their six staff members. Recognising their complementary skills, the dynamic duo founded the firm 20 years ago, having previously run their own practices.
What do you think sets your studio apart from other design firms in Singapore?
We don’t just design and build— we provide solutions to the homeowner’s problems. We start by sending them a few questions to figure out what issues they may have with their house.
Then we will present a design that addresses the problem.
For example, we asked a client about her husband’s wardrobe habits and found out that he wears his jeans multiple times before throwing them into the washing machine. So, we created a side cabinet with hooks and louvre door, so he can store and air his denim in between washes.
“I love planning the space and creating a digital mock-up of our client’s home... I feel like I get to create my dream house over and over again”
Tell us about your firm’s design process. We study the clients’ immediate needs and lifestyle, and we also engage them in a discussion about their plans for the next five to ten years, so that we can design an interior that will cater to different stages of their lives. Once we have this locked down, we’ll start the space planning. And then we’ll decide on the aesthetics together.
What’s your favourite part of being a designer?
I love planning the space and creating a digital mock-up of our client’s home—feels a little like playing (the lifesimulation video game series)! I feel like I get to create my dream house over and over again.
Tell us more about MOW Interior’s key projects.
The Coral at Keppel Bay Condo required rigorous attention to detail. It is simple but luxurious. We’re fortunate to have met a like-minded client. The bespoke solutions designed for this project include gold latticed door panels that hide the smart home system.
What’s your personal definition of luxury?
For me, luxury is a quality inherent in the materials. For example, a TV console made with marble laminate may be a decent design, but I don’t consider it luxurious. A TV console clad in rare, bookmatched marble slabs, on the other hand, embodies true luxury and it needs no other embellishments.
MOW Interior 11 Irving Place #08-02 Tai Seng Point
Tel: 6246 6614 mowinterior.com