Jeremy Tay and Michael Ong of Prestige Global Designs talk about finding beauty in the everyday

The duo behind the prolific local interior design studio share where they get their inspiration

When a profession’s very raison d’être revolves around aesthetics, its denizens must necessarily have a keen eye for beauty. As the duo behind prolific local interior design studio Prestige Global Designs, Jeremy Tay and Michael Ong have been finding beauty and bringing it into countless homes since the firm’s establishment in 2008.

For Tay, the search for beauty often leads him to nature; it’s what he feels drawn to when he wants to get inspired. “I go on long walks that could last a few hours,” he shares. Most commonly, he heads to a park, but sometimes, he goes a little further. “The longest hike I’ve ever done was from west to central Singapore. It took me eight hours. I enjoy hiking as it allows me to work up a sweat while I free my mind. Seeing nature unfold is the most amazing thing. All we need to do is to observe and appreciate it to realise that life is beautiful.”

Above Michael Ong (left) and Jeremy Tay of Prestige Global Designs

In contrast, Ong sees beauty in the manmade creations of renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, the name behind iconic structures such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. “I admire his commitment to unique designs that incorporate new shapes and materials,” explains Ong. “My favourite is the Cross Check Chair he designed for furnishings brand, Knolls. The strips of curved maple wood on the chair look like ribbons. Gehry always pushes boundaries in both form and function.”

In case you missed it: How Prestige Global Designs Creates Beautiful and Glamorous Homes

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Above Prestige Global Designs is always keen to include items that its clients find beautiful, such as the personal objects and books on this bookshelf in an apartment in Sentosa Cove

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Above The dining room in the same apartment gets a personal touch too, in the form of the owner's photographs

Tay and Ong themselves are no stranger to boundary-pushing designs. “Our design motto is to be bold. We not only want to create something luxurious and beautiful, but also something unique that speaks to our clients,” says Ong.

The duo’s penchant for bold interiors comes through strongly at Prestige Global Designs’ showroom, which occupies a shophouse at Robertson Quay. Its lobby confronts visitors with an eclectic mix of décor styles and colours that come together into a borderline maximalist space. But while most may consider the lobby to be exemplary of experimental interior design, Tay reveals that it’s a singular detail, not a whole room, that was the duo’s biggest risk taken in the showroom.

Hanging above the shophouse’s indoor courtyard are three giant fans from local company Spin. “We customised the fans by adding black and white spheres to the rods that mount them to the ceiling,” describes Tay. “The fans now look like pearl necklaces hanging from the roof.”

Above The giant fans hanging above the studio's showroom's indoor courtyard have been customised with black and white spheres

Above Marc Sijan’s hyper-realistic Security Guard sculpture stands resolutely in a corner of the showroom

Having dedicated the past 14 years to sourcing beautiful items for their clients, the duo has amassed quite a collection of treasured possessions for themselves, too. For Ong, Marc Sijan’s hyper-realistic Security Guard sculpture, which stands resolutely in a corner of the showroom, is a particular favourite. “I love the details and the realism Sijan has managed to capture,” he says. “It inspires me to believe that anything is possible as long as we keep working on our passions.”

Don't miss: 4 Inspiring Decor Ideas From The Shophouse Office of Prestige Global Designs

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Above Here, the fengshui requirement for a wallpaper that provides movement was made modern and beautiful with a mustard throw on the sofa for contrast

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Above Pendant lights from Moooi over the dining table create the effect of dining under the stars

For Tay and Ong, their passion is definitely interior design, and the duo is looking forward to many more creative years. “Having a beautiful space is important,” Tay enthuses. “It doesn’t just make one feel at ease and happy; it also helps create memories. People gravitate towards beautiful spaces. They are a gathering spot for quality time together. A beautiful space is more than just a space, because aesthetics is a function, too.”

Prestige Global Designs | 83 Kim Yam Road, #01-01, Singapore 239378 | +65 6836 6678

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Jeremy Tay and Michael Ong of Prestige Global Designs talk about finding beauty in the everyday