Local studio Mosh Interior shares the key to creating beautiful and liveable spaces

Ong illustrates, “We’ve had clients request for open kitchens with huge islands. The common issue with that is that it doesn’t leave space for a separate wet kitchen where the serious cooking can be done.” If the homeowner loves cooking or cooks often, the island would inevitably be cluttered with appliances.

“The open kitchen may bring down the entire living space in this case,” she explains, saying that she would usually advise the homeowner against this style of kitchen. The exceptions are kitchens for clients who do not cook often, such as the one she designed for a home on Jalan Kathi.

As a veteran interior designer, Ong has more than 20 years of experience under her belt. She made her foray into running her own firm more than a decade ago in 2011. Over the years, she has honed her skills and displayed her versatility in a wide variety of projects ranging from residential to commercial. Her current focus with Mosh Interior, however, is on high-end private residences, such as good class bungalows and luxury condominiums.

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One of Ong’s most memorable projects is a recent one she completed for chef-author Indra Rani Lavan Iswaran. It comprised two adjacent condominium units at Corals at Keppel Bay, which Iswaran purchased together with her husband after selling their iconic heritage home, a good class bungalow at Binjai Park, last year.  

The Iswarans’ previous residence was inspired by Mrs Iswaran's grandmother home in Sri Lanka. It was known for its Jaffna influences–Jaffna being a district in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka–as well as its covetable collection of art including a five-tonne statue of Ganesha, stone carvings by a famed Balinese sculptor, and Chinese antique furniture. “Visiting the Binjai Park home was eye-opening,” Ong recalls. “Every corner, every piece, had a story to tell.”  

The team at Mosh Interior was given the mammoth task of transposing the history of the expansive Binjai Park home to two modern apartment units, incorporating as many items of Mrs Iswaran’s beloved collection as possible.

According to Ong, one of the biggest challenges in her work is ensuring compliance with rules and regulations. It is especially tricky in condominium projects, which often face heavy restrictions from the management corporation strata title (MCST), or the managing body of the development. Rules limiting renovation duration, and against alterations to windows and front doors often dash the elaborate dreams homeowners may have for their unit.

Another challenge lies in helping clients choose the right furniture for their space. This is an area where mistakes are commonly made. “There’s a tendency to forget about the proportions of the furniture relative to the space,” Ong says. “You’d end up with furniture that’s either too big or too small.”

“To avoid this problem, get your interior designer to plot the furniture on the design, and render it in the 3D drawing to make sure its proportions fit. You may also mark out the space that the furniture will take up in your home with masking tape on the floor and walk around the taped area to ensure that it fits well.”

Although sometimes frustrating, challenges are what keep Ong going, even after more than two decades in the business. “I get to create my dream home over and over again,” she enthuses. “it never gets boring to see our designs become reality.”

Mosh Interior | 224A River Valley Road, Singapore 238282 | +65 6908 0500

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