Mark Owen Interior Associates

Founded in 2023, Mark Owen Interior Associates is an interior design practice shaped by two complementary approaches to design. Led by Owen Kok and Mark Quek, the studio brings together Kok’s instinct for atmosphere, craftsmanship and emotional resonance with Quek’s methodical approach to spatial planning, technical coordination and project delivery.

Its guiding philosophy, “Distinctive by Design, Enduring by Nature, Human at the Core”, reflects a belief that interiors should do more than make an impression. Each project is an opportunity to reveal identity through space, responding to its context, purpose and the people who inhabit it. Rather than subscribing to a fixed aesthetic, the studio develops spaces through narrative, treating volume, light and movement as elements in a larger choreography. The aim is design that can evolve with its occupants and remain relevant beyond passing trends.

A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 2001, Quek later spent two years in Shanghai working on cultural establishments and places of worship before building two decades of experience across luxury residences, hospitality, corporate workplaces and show flats. His subsequent Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from University College Dublin further strengthened his understanding of strategy, finance and practice management. That breadth of experience has shaped a pragmatic approach to design, where the idea is only as strong as its execution. “A good design means little if it is not well executed. The real measure is how an idea is carried through—from the first decision to the finished space,” he says.

Kok, also a NAFA graduate, was introduced to design through his father’s furniture business, developing an early appreciation for materials, craftsmanship and the integrity of making. An award-winning interior and furniture designer, he has exhibited internationally at platforms including SaloneSatellite in Milan, ICFF New York, Maison & Objet Paris and Bangkok Design Week. His OREO and Densetsu collections established his reputation beyond interiors, while his philosophy of “Expression through Impression” continues to inform his belief that design should leave an emotional imprint.

Kok and Quek remain directly involved in every project. At the heart of the practice is a simple conviction: enduring design comes from understanding not only how a space looks, but also how it is built, inhabited and experienced. For Mark Owen Interior Associates, originality is therefore inseparable from purpose, craftsmanship and the human experience.