In her 14 years with R&R, senior designer Angelyn Wong has built lasting relationships with clients — so much so that one lent her his holiday home for her big day.
Not many interior designers can say this, but Angelyn Wong, a senior designer who has been with Rezt & Relax since 2011, not only got to stay in an apartment she designed from scratch but also held her wedding party there.
“The night before my wedding day, my family and I actually stayed here. The next morning, I had my makeup done here and my husband picked me up from this house,” Angelyn recalls.
“When you’re designing the home versus staying inside, the feeling is different.”
That her client from Dubai had offered his holiday home to her for such a personal occasion spoke volumes about the trust and rapport they had built. It was also a testament to how far Angelyn and her team had gone to deliver beyond expectations.
When she first took on the project, she was told it would be a luxurious holiday home for her client’s visits to Singapore. As someone who sold high-end homes in Dubai, the client’s standards were exacting, and Angelyn knew she had to meet them.
“I need to think about each occupant’s lifestyle. From the firmness of the cushions for elderly occupants, to whether the curtain fabrics are washable, we have to be very detailed.”
Her role went well beyond design. Angelyn also ensured the home felt ready to live in from the moment her client arrived, right down to the smallest touches. She set the dining table, fluffed the pillows, and even bought an ironing board and cooking pots to complete the experience.
“I feel like what I’m doing now is already beyond an ID’s scope,” she quipped, adding that she had come full circle from her early training in hotel management as a teenager.
From hotel management to home design
After graduating in Malaysia with a diploma in hotel management, Angelyn worked as a tuition teacher for several years before a friend recommended her for an interior design role. With no prior design experience, she took a leap of faith and moved to Singapore, spending four hours a day commuting and hustling to hit her sales targets since her income was commission-based.
“Sometimes, I meet customers until 10 or 11pm and I would just sleep in the office.”
Without social media back then to market themselves, interior designers like Angelyn had to stand for up to twelve hours at EXPO events to get leads. It was tough, but she stuck it out.
“I told myself to give myself one year. If I achieve something, that’s great. If I don’t, it’s fine because I was only 19 years old after all.”
Her success didn’t come from grit alone. In her early years, Angelyn was rigorously trained by not one, not two, but five mentors who taught her the tricks of the trade.
“My manager was very strict and set very high targets. He didn’t like to repeat what he already said, so I had to record everything in a notebook and memorise them.”
She also shadowed her mentors during client meetings. Thankfully, speaking with customers came naturally to her, having worked in part-time jobs since she was 12, selling clothes, shoes, and even waitressing.
Within her first three months, Angelyn signed five customers. Within a year, she was promoted to senior designer, a feat that required achieving $600,000 in sales. By the time she was 23, she had bought her first home — a lifelong dream for someone who had once moved from one relative’s house to another during her younger years.
Winning trust across borders
Even as she was hustling to meet her sales targets, Angelyn found herself falling in love with the job and the satisfaction of helping customers create homes that truly worked for them. For her, being an interior designer is more about one’s attitude than technical expertise.
“Skills are important, but you also need to listen to what the owner needs. Every time I design a house, I treat it seriously and imagine that it’s my own.”
With the rise of social media, clients now have endless sources of inspiration online. That is where Angelyn often steps in to offer a “reality check”, especially when clients bring her ideas from Chinese platforms like Xiaohongshu. Some materials featured there, such as leather-wrapped carpentry, may not be feasible locally because they are not specialisations of Singapore-based carpenters.
“We really need to balance customer needs with what is possible. I don’t like to overpromise if I cannot deliver. But it’s still good for me to learn about these trends so I can improve in my work.”
These days, most of Angelyn’s leads come through property agents and word-of-mouth referrals, a result she credits to her fast response time.
“The agents selling houses to these customers want to get someone who is really responsible to serve them.”
Her clients are not only based in Singapore but also in China, Jakarta, Norway and California. Because many of them are overseas during the design and renovation stages, Angelyn goes the extra mile to keep them informed.
“I need to really keep them updated on the current progress, always take video and visit different shops to help them source for curtains, lighting, furniture, etc.”
Serving foreign clients also brings unique challenges. For instance, customers from Europe may request spray-painted carpentry without realising how Singapore’s humidity affects such finishes. Others may prefer eco-friendly materials.
“They paid for a premium service, so I must reach his expectation.”
Nailing the modern luxe theme
For Angelyn, the Gramercy Park project was her first experience designing for a high-end client based overseas, and it taught her a great deal about creating modern luxe homes.
“Every single detail matters. Without them, the overall look and feel would be very flat.”
One of her biggest challenges was using gold accents tastefully. Rather than choosing shiny, reflective finishes, she recommends opting for matte gold surfaces to reduce glare and maintenance.
Colour coordination was another key consideration. The forest-green upholstery of the sofa and the blue fabric of the bar stools served as accent colours, their cool tones balancing the warmth of the gold details.
“It makes the whole place look more grand.”
Mirrors also played an important role. Beyond where they are placed, the type of mirror matters too — whether clear, bronze-tinted, or black-tinted. However, Angelyn cautions against overusing them, as excessive mirrors can make cleaning a chore.
Decoration is another vital aspect. From the materials used, such as wallpaper and inlays, to soft furnishings like carpets, every element must be tailored to the client’s lifestyle.
“Wallpaper may not be suitable if the household has pets or kids, but wall panelling is a good alternative to achieve the same effect.”
“We cannot change the owners’ lifestyle, but we can change the materials we use.”
From the looks of it, one would never guess that this was Angelyn’s first high-end project for overseas clients. Yet it set the tone for many of her modern luxe projects in recent years — a theme that is quickly gaining popularity among Singaporean homeowners.
“Maybe it’s because Singaporean homeowners are purchasing high-end condominium projects, and they want the interiors to match the exteriors,” she said.
“Whatever the reason, modern luxe will always be an everlasting and timeless theme to me.”
