Cat owners, here’s some home inspo for you.
Local celebrity couple Hong Ling and Nick Teo gave a tour of their new modern Balinese-inspired home in an episode of YouTube talk show #JustSwipeLah published on April 6.
The home is not only a humble abode for the duo, but also their three fluffy cats – Zhaocai, Jinbao and Eve – who even have a room for themselves.
With a three-tier cat shelf built into the wall, their little room is attached to the kitchen and comes with a door that has a custom-built tiny “cat door”.
When host Jernelle Oh asked if the cats utilise the space, Hong Ling, 31, shared: “Yes, and they rather enjoy it. Because sometimes when we have guests and it gets noisy, we’ll shut the door. And when the cats prefer a quieter atmosphere, they’ll run here to rest.”
Aptly demonstrating the efficacy of the door, Eve walked in while the trio was exploring the room’s features. “They really know this cat door is for their usage!” remarked Jernelle, 31, in amusement.
Hong Ling added that the door helps her and Nick compartmentalise the space, allowing them to conceal the mess they make as they also do laundry in the cats’ room.
A walk through their home also reveals an abundance of blinds, as they remarked curtains in their previous home would collect cat fur.
A ‘shameless’ space just for trophies
Upon entering Hong Ling and Nick’s home, you would be greeted with the sight of a tall leafy plant which was a gift from a friend.
Pointing out her love for greenery, Hong Ling shared that she previously planted a papaya tree and mango tree. When asked if he was “okay” with it, Nick, 36, said: “I think it’s okay. Because the mango tree she planted? I got to eat one mango and it was very sweet – but that was the only mango it ever grew.”
Above their TV is a shelf specially designed to house their award trophies, which Hong Ling “shamelessly requested” for as she didn’t know where to place them. It currently seats six trophies, all of which belong to her from previous Star Awards ceremonies.
“If you take a closer look, you’ll see that the shelf has an upper and lower level. The space is allocated just enough for 10 trophies on each level – but why is it that only the upper level is occupied and the lower one is empty?” Nick remarked. “Because the lower one is mine. So everyone, please vote for me [at the Star Awards].”
Balinese homes are recognisable for their use of organic materials, including teak, wood, brick and stone, in a bid to harmonise with nature.
However, as a fan of bright colours, Hong Ling chose to complement the home’s neutral wood accents with a pop of colour, namely through adding Nick’s favourite colour blue to several parts of the house, including their sofa, dining chairs and the common bathroom tiles.
Moving on to their dining area, the couple have a round marble table and a dry pantry against a stone wall. Opening up foldable wooden panels, they unveiled a hidden space which Nick uses to mix beverages, fitted with an espresso and slushie machine.
“I use this space every morning and now she will request me to make drinks,” remarked Nick, sharing that he makes matcha and coffee.
Hong Ling pointed out that like other spaces in the house, their dry pantry has rounded edges as she specifically told their interior designer that she didn’t want any sharp corners in the home, out of fear of bumping into them.
‘We’ll raise however many there are’
Venturing deeper, they showed Jernelle their guest room, currently for Hong Ling’s niece when she comes for sleepovers.
A highlight of the room is the bay window with a sintered stone area to allow occupants to cool down. It also comes equipped with automatic blinds that oscillate between night and day functions, blocking out and allowing light in respectively.
The guest toilet comes with a smart toilet and a lid that automatically lifts up. “Nick really likes it after he saw it in Japan,” shared Hong Ling. “This is really very good, because it has the heated seat function. It’s very cold when we wake up in the morning, and the moment you sit down, it’s like ‘wow’!”
Their other guest room, which currently functions as a game room, has a mahjong table and four chairs.
In place of a study room or work table, the couple knocked down a wall during renovations to create a space dedicated to their wardrobe and makeup.
As the couple had put more effort into designing their master bedroom (not shown in the house tour), they casually chose different styles for their two guest rooms. When asked about room-planning for their future children, Hong Ling said that those rooms would likely go to them. “We can also have two or three sharing a room,” said Nick.
When Jernelle joked that they would have triplets, Hong Ling casually quipped: “Yes, we just let things happen naturally. We’ll raise however many there are.”
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kristy.chua@asiaone.com
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