HOUSE TO HOME #09
Alee & Matt
As expected of a graphic design duo’s pad, The Woody Home is a tasteful abode dotted with considered pops of bold colour. A thematic mix of curated teak and vivid RGB runs through the restful home, a space telling of their design sense, aesthetic tastes and nostalgic yesteryear influences.
Matt: “We are both graphic designers by trade — Alee does exhibition design while I do branding and identity. Outside of work, she illustrates and practices yoga while I do generative art and the occasional gardening.”
“Our home is a good representation of the two of us — simple and warm on the outside but if you dig a little deeper and know us better, you'd see the little traces of our personalities."
M: “We both have the same taste with regards to colours, materials and textures, so naturally everything just manages to fall in quite nicely when we are making a decision for our home. For example, it was an unanimous decision to have our shoes displayed openly. Not only does it allow us to quickly decide which colour we want before we head out, but lining them up together creates a palette of accents for the otherwise neutral area.”
M: “I think it's hard to label our house in a certain theme, but there are definitely a lot of Japanese influences along with fragments of our personal experiences growing up.”
M: "Apart from the cohesiveness of colour and form, we try to select objects/pieces that have a story to tell. From the reclaimed teak to vintage ephemera collected during our travels, each item has its own chapter in our story."
“For example, we are always on the hunt for vintage packaging and Alee picked this gem up from a thrift shop during our second trip to Tokyo. This was too good to pass up!”
M: “Growing up, my family collected and used many teak pieces at home. And over the years, I came to realise how beautifully teak wood ages. The dining table, TV console and our favourite Blandine cabinet are all made by Naturalis Historia (@nhteak).”
“They salvage teak wood from old properties and embrace the different grain qualities. We liked that charm about teak and bought these three main feature pieces for our home.”
Alee: “We really love and enjoy the moody dimmed ambience in the evenings. Our home is usually lit by just a few specific lights at night – the entrance wall lights, the standing lamp beside the Blandine cabinet and our dining area.”
“We love soft and cool sheets that have just enough to keep the warmth in at night. Tencel sheets were our first purchase for the house, but it still doesn't compare to SOJAO's blend of colour and comfort.”
Alee and Matt’s bed is dressed in a Classic Mix & Match Bundle Set comprising a Classic Natural Fitted Sheet, Classic Forest Duvet Cover, Classic Autumn Pillowcase Pair with an extra Jersey White Pillowcase Pair and Duvet Cover.
M: “My morning ritual usually starts with a check on the plant babies, a cup of coffee and then a cycle out to get breakfast or lunch, while Alee starts the day by opening all the windows and letting fresh air into our home.”
M: “The plants are watered about 2-3 times a week and there is a daily inspection for pests and any other issues. After dinner, it's usually a bit of TV along with the occasional plant checks again.”
Throw pillows are dressed with Classic Euro Sham Case Pair in Navy.
M: “Alee still goes to the office but I've been working at home for a year now and honestly if it weren't for the plants, I think I would be pretty restless.”
M: “Now with WFH, I spend almost 3/4 of my days at my desk in the study. The window format was very much inspired by shopfronts in Tokyo & Taipei — they too use a similar combination of stained wood frames and glass. It was actually cut to size in Johor Bahru and manually stained by our contractor here.”
M: “My favourite plant is the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma from Terrascapes (@terrascapesllp). It was my very first plant that I propagated and it has since grown from a 2-leaf cutting to a whopping specimen. Every new leaf reminds me how far I have come since I started this hobby, and it is currently my favourite plant.”
M: “I never thought we would keep so many plants, but here we are - 10 months in - and the garden is only getting bigger haha!”
A: “I also never thought that I would enjoy doing house chores hehe! I guess being quite an OCD person myself, I tend to find cleaning the house and constantly tidying pretty therapeutic."
Featured above is our small Organic Bath Towel in Natural.
A: “Because it's our own home, I find myself just automatically getting into the routine."
In the guest bathroom is an Organic Hand Towel and Organic Face Towel Pair in Navy.
A: “We’re definitely looking forward to adding more knick-knacks and more of our personalities into the home, learning to cook and bake more - making use of our kitchen island the way it should be!“
“Home is a collection of memories, things we love and a reflection of ourselves.”