SING YOUR WAY HOME

LYNN TAN gets up close and personal with Singapore Idol runner-up Jonathan Leong, and digital marketer, Jeneen Goh, in their cosy, modern luxe home.

- LYNN TAN

Since emerging as the first runner-up in the second season of Singapore Idol in 2006, Jonathan Leong has been leading quite the exciting life. He graduated from university, played the lead role in the original theatre production, Voyage De La Vie, released a solo album, embarked on a career in finance and tied the knot with digital marketer, Jeneen Goh.

After living in their matrimonial home for five years, the couple, both 41 years old, moved into their new home in August 2021 after renovations that took about five to six months and cost between $200,000 and $250,000 including furniture and furnishings.

Jeneen self-designed the interior and engaged a good friend, who is a contractor, to manage the renovation works. "I have always been very into design. I have a collection of images that I save whenever I come across good and nice designs," she says. She laments that if it was not because she had not known about architecture as a profession until it was too late, she might have ended up pursuing a career in architecture instead of digital marketing. That is how big on design she is, so designing their own home was almost a given.

The existing layout was retained, along with the bedroom parquet flooring, which they stained to a dark wood. The rest of the flooring, built-in carpentry, sanitary fittings and doors were all replaced. From an all-black interior in their first home, the couple has transitioned to a grey colour palette as they find the muted tones soothing. In terms of both aesthetics and functional aspects, Jeneen drew inspiration from hotels, even down to the lighting, to create calming spaces that they can come home to after a day at work.