A Fine Balance

A cohesive colour palette helps tie the look of various styles throughout the home together. Domenica Tan finds out how these homeowners designed and styled the interiors of their new abode.

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With a budget of just $28,000 for renovation and $25,000 for furniture, appliances and decor accessories, homeowners Justin Koh and Monica Anne Lie designed their five-room apartment to exude a warm, cosy look, complete with lots of white and wood tones. Justin works in the sales industry, while Monica, who works mostly out of her home office, is the owner of demi-fine jewellery brand The Ordinary Co., and often shares behind-the-scenes images through her Instagram page (@luxmondi).

Instead of relying on extensive built-ins for storage, the couple chose to mostly furnish the place with loose furniture, so they’d have the flexibility of styling and refreshing it as and when they liked.

We speak to Monica about the renovation and styling journey of the hom she shares with her husband.

HOW DID YOU CONCEPTUALISE YOUR HOME’S DESIGN?

My husband had no preference but helped a lot with the renovation costing and specifications. I was very inspired by the Instagram images of cream-toned homes that are popular in Korea. I also like European design elements often found in magazines like Kinfolk and Cereal. The hardest part was locking in a specific look as I love all kinds of interior design styles — including the Japanese zeninspired and Balinese resort look.