The executive director of Colony talks about how she transitioned from full-time motherhood to co-lead her husband’s co-working space business
Although she had a thriving career in advertising, Audrey Ooi left it behind to become a full-time mother after the birth of her son, Jude Tiah in 2013. For 4 years, she concentrated on parenting Jude and her second child, Penelope. On the side, she blogged under the moniker, Fourfeetnine.
When her husband Timothy Tiah asked her to come onboard his co-working space endeavour, Colony, she was hesitant at first. “Tim is the go-getter entrepreneur, while I've always been more laidback. But I knew he needed my support so I agreed in the end,” she says.
To her surprise, Timothy assigned Colony’s design portfolio to her. “I have no background whatsoever in interior design, so I said to him: ‘Are you sure?' It’s a huge responsibility! What if I mess it up?’”.
But Timothy was certain that Audrey was the right candidate for the job. “My wife is a stylish woman, she has a flair for turning outfits that look bad or plain into something special with proper styling. Above all, she isn’t afraid to take risks with her style, which is why I think she has what it takes to be a designer,” he shares.
Also read: How Malaysia Inspired The Work Of This Hong Kong Designer-Architect Duo
Embracing Her New Role
After her initial reservations, Audrey got right to work. “Tim’s vision for Colony is a workplace where people feel inspired to come to work. I used my own instincts to guide me. I asked questions like what a modern-day worker need in their workspace, how they interact with the space, the ideal scenario and so on and so forth. I put different ideas together with my team and tested them out."
When the first Colony opened in 2017, it hit the right chord with the new generation of freelancers. “We furnished the space as if it was a modern’s gentlemen club. We used a lot of white plaster and black-and-white tiles with masculine furnishings,” she says.
