A Fashionable Life: Nikki Hunt's Lush Home Is A Garden Of Envy

Dec 09, 2023

Filled with lush fabrics, bright colours and beautiful details, Nikki Hunt’s home is a true labour of love created with both beauty and intent. When we meet the English-born interior designer who owns and heads Design Intervention, an interior design and architectural consultancy that she founded in 2004, it becomes apparent how her design philosophy and attention to detail has culminated in this inspiring abode.

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Hunt and her husband, who works in finance, bought their home almost 20 years ago and took 18 months to build it from the ground up. Inspired by the classic pre-war British army bungalows that were built in Singapore between 1900 and 1940, Hunt studied historical homes to recreate the details. “What I like most about this style is that it resonates strength. These homes were built for the army, so there are few frivolous or fussy details such as expensive stone cladding. They are simply constructed, and above all, practical; perfectly suited to our weather, with pitched roofs and generous eaves that protect against monsoon rains. The architectural lines are also masculine and strong,” says Hunt. Another factor that appealed to her is that such bungalows have endured for over a century. “They evoke a strong sense of permanence—they are a constant in our ever-changing world, like a beloved grandfather who is always there, waiting to welcome you home,” she adds.

Tucked away in a quiet part of the Bukit Timah area, her house has been renovated and redesigned several times in its lifespan, most recently post-COVID, when Hunt realised how important it was to create a restful oasis at home, including ample working, dining and living spaces for everyone in the family, which includes her husband, 25-year-old daughter, and their dog Simba. Her son, who studies in the UK, is back only during the holidays. Stepping past the gates into the property, the first thing you notice is the long lap pool that runs along one side of the property. Used mainly by her husband, the pool is framed by greenery and well-manicured hedges with pretty pink flowers that are currently in bloom. The decorative touches extend to the garden, where sculptural monstera leaves rendered in metal are tucked into the greenery. Even the house’s delineating fence is not made of the usual metal, but crafted from wooden spikes.

The other main highlight of the house is the idea of bringing the outside in. Located on elevated ground, the back of the home overlooks a lush park. And with the liberal use of glass as well as indoor plants, the effect created in a sitting area dubbed “The Green Room”, is of a luxuriant greenhouse. Hunt says this is her favourite spot in the house. “It has a wonderful, verdant view that never fails to calm me, no matter how tough the day may have been,” she says. Green is a colour that Hunt favours as it is “God’s neutral”—touches of the colour pop up throughout the home, including the leaf-print wallpaper throughout the ground floor, and the chartreuse drapes and matching couch in the formal living room couch.

As an interior designer, Hunt crafts multi- faceted, personalised homes, retail spaces and boutique hotels, advising on every aspect and detail of a project. The company also works with architectural firms to build from the ground-up— something she enjoys the most as it means a truly seamless process—and will also see to every last detail from the procurement and placement of a vase in a room to creating customised carpet exactly to the client’s specifications. Hunt’s flair and vision has won the company multiple awards, and her approach to design that is intriguing.

“I believe that design is a building block of happiness and that its ultimate purpose is to create a space that makes us feel good and helps us live better,” she says.

She is known for her multi-sensorial approach, which does not just focus on the visual, but also on the tactile (texture is a big part of her design process) and olfactory (she has created a range of home scents). Part of the design process is also envisioning and planning the soundscape with elements like music, bird song and even trickling water, which are employed to create the desired environment and effect. “My goal is to craft joyful, sensual, liveable homes that nourish the soul and soothe the body. I consider behaviour and how each owner will use their different rooms and then work to achieve both the ambience and functionality that make best use of the spaces,” she shares.

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She is also known for her love of colour, but her design principles go beyond that. “For me, colour is emotion. It is one of the strongest tools in a designer’s toolbox that we can wield to create the atmosphere we are trying to create. But it is just one element. Design is all about working with all available elements—light, proportion, pattern, space, texture and even sounds and smells—to create one cohesive design statement.”

Although her home embodies this aesthetic vision, it is not meant to be a showroom. “I don’t mind the odd scratch, dent or nick—I think it gives a home some character, like laugh lines on a smiling face. The crinkles and wrinkles are welcoming and friendly. It is the same with scuff marks or flaws in a house. It makes a home feel lived-in, warm and comfortable. Perfection isn’t comforting. At least this is what I tell myself so I don’t stress out over every little mark!” she laughs. The sofas in the family room for example, where the family spends many hours watching Netflix, have to be comfortable. So while her exquisite, off-white leather Busnelli Bohémien sofa is beautifully designed, it is also cosy.

When it comes to design projects, no matter the client, Hunt always adopts the same process. “I always start by asking what it is that they want to feel when they are in this room. My approach goes beyond aesthetics, even beyond the function of the room. If it’s a room for entertaining, then we want to encourage interaction between guests, we want them to relax but not be too relaxed, and we want to spark conversation. In a bedroom, we want to encourage sleep and also a little romance. Design has the power to affect how we feel in a space, and we use all the elements to craft the atmosphere we are striving to create,” she says.

“I LIKE TO INTEGRATE THE ART INTO THE DESIGN OF THE HOME AND MANY OF THESE PIECES HAVE BECOME THE STARTING POINT OF THE COLOUR SCHEMES.”

And true to her word, a walk through her three-storey home reveals many purpose-driven corners that are not just beautiful, but practical and well thought-out. Her sunlight-filled bedroom is a true oasis of calm and tranquillity. Overlooking a lush view of trees, the complementary green and cream wallpaper, patterned carpet and plant-patterned couch in the room’s sitting area are livened up with a blush pink, feather-trimmed chair, creating an overall impression of calm and relaxation. Hunt’s workspace, which she recently redesigned, has a sleek, clear glass table that lends a breezy modernity to the space. The desk has also been positioned diagonally to give her a view of the large portrait window.

Inside her master bathroom, a tub that faces another large window is another feature that gives the space a spa-like atmosphere. Hunt followed her own principles in her the design of her home. “Bedrooms that encourage sleep will boost our immunity. Dining spaces that foster interaction, will bring us closer to loved ones. Spa bathrooms that promote relaxation will help alleviate stress. Targeted design choices can improve concentration, make us more creative or more friendly,” she says. And while she realises that a well-designed space will not cure disease or raise one’s IQ, it can improve well-being and mood. “The right design choices can make the most of who we are and reveal the best version of ourselves,” she quips.

“I BELIEVE THAT DESIGN IS A BUILDING BLOCK OF HAPPINESS AND THAT ITS ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS TO CREATE A SPACE THAT MAKES US FEEL GOOD AND HELPS US LIVE BETTER .”

When it comes to furniture, Hunt is not precious about designer brands, preferring a mix of old, new and custom pieces. A fan of incorporating antique furniture in her design, she points out several pieces that she has acquired over the years, including a Chinese rosewood table with mother-of-pearl inlay that blends seamlessly into the print-heavy and colour-filled aesthetic that she has cultivated, highlighting her knack for mixing and matching. “You might be surprised to hear this, but Ikea is a favourite. For the price, their pieces are absolutely amazing,” she says.

She also designs furniture for her clientele to lend character to their homes including a charming piece called the Ha Ha chair that sits in her family room. “It is a modern silhouette, but rounded and well-padded for maximum comfort. I designed the base in a shape reminiscent of a smile—hence the name. I have positioned it so it’s the first thing I see when I come home. They say smiling is contagious and the chair definitely makes me smile.” Covered in a fabric that Hunt and her team designed, it features the crimson sunbird—Singapore’s national bird—showing her attention to detail.

As for the art pieces in her home, such as an eye-catching painting of Balinese dancers in the formal dining room, most of them are acquired by her husband on his trips overseas. Hunt has challenged herself to sometimes design the room—including details like the wallpaper— around the art piece. “I like to integrate the art into the design of the home and many of these pieces have become the starting point of the colour schemes.” At the end of the day, Hunt believes that taste is subjective and should never come before purpose. “I don’t believe in good taste and bad taste. It’s all personal taste.”

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Photographed by Lawrence TeoCreative direction by Daphne TsoStyled by Gracia PhangMakeup: Rina Sim using Shiseido Hair: Grego using Keune HairCosmetics Stylist’s Assistant: Brandon ChiaDigital Content Manager: Navin PillayVideographer: Athirah Annissa

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