Space Makers: Mark Owen Interior Associates on shaping a space with intent

At Ngee Ann City, the Kim Robinson flagship salon reconsiders what a beauty space can be. Commissioned by the eponymous hairstylist, the project moves away from the transactional nature of most salons in the region, instead positioning itself closer to an immersive interior.

The main styling area is organised around an unexpected centrepiece—an indoor “forest” that anchors the room without overwhelming it. Around it, dry-cut stations are arranged with precision, creating both intimacy and openness. Reflective surfaces—mirror screens, floating shelves, polished brass—catch and diffuse light, shifting the atmosphere as one moves through the space.

A one-piece solid brass reception counter, handcrafted in Thailand, sets the tone on arrival. Beyond, a terrazzo-floored corridor leads to VIP rooms, its proportions and materiality recalling a gallery rather than a service space. Even the lighting is considered at a granular level, positioned to flatter skin tones without flattening the architecture.

In Braddell Heights Estate, the studio takes on a different set of constraints within a semi-detached house. Set close to its neighbours, the structure was originally inward-looking and dim. Privacy came at the expense of light.

The redesign addresses both conditions without overcompensating. The ground floor is reworked into a continuous zone, allowing living, dining, and kitchen areas to flow into one another. A linear skylight draws daylight through the centre of the plan, reducing reliance on perimeter openings.

Privacy is handled through adjustment rather than obstruction. A vertical timber screen reshapes the façade, filtering views while establishing a clearer identity for the house. Inside, curved archways soften transitions between spaces, introducing form without excess.

The balance is carefully held. Communal areas are brighter and more open; upper levels become more contained. The house does not declare itself loudly—it settles into its context, but with sharper intent.

At Millenia Walk, the spectacle store Eyes@Work takes a more playful route. Here, the design starts with the act of seeing itself. Optical illusions at the shopfront set the tone immediately, drawing on inversion and distortion to disrupt expectations before a single product is encountered.

Inside, colour and pattern are used with purpose. Walls become active surfaces, amplifying the forms and hues of the spectacle frames rather than competing with them. Installations are placed with care, creating moments that feel surprising without becoming distracting. The layout is equally considered. Movement through the store feels intuitive, but never accidental. Customers are guided, but not constrained—a subtle choreography that mirrors the studio’s broader approach.

Across these projects, a consistent position emerges. “We see it as giving physical form to the client’s or the brand's identity. It is not about applying a style for effect, but about translating the character of the brand or individual into space,” says the duo.

That translation requires a certain level of discipline. Mark Owen Interior Associates acknowledges how it is sometimes perceived. “With an uncompromising focus on detail, proportion, and how a space is ultimately experienced, we were often described by others as obsessive, but we see it as discipline—it is what sets the standard of our work.”

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