Hong Ling & Nick Teo’s Home Features An Adorable Cat Space, And Plenty Of Room For Future Kids

In the latest episode of #JustSwipeLah’s Crib Swipe, host Jernelle Oh tours the new home of Mediacorp stars Hong Ling, 31, and Nick Teo, 36.

The couple, who celebrated their second wedding anniversary last December, live in a three-bedroom condo with their three adorable cats. They’ve not only designed their modern Balinese-themed apartment to be pet-friendly, but also future-proofed it for as many kids as they may have in the future. 

Designed to feel warm, cosy, and inviting, Hong Ling and Nick’s home features a variety of greenery, including a large potted plant in the living room that was gifted by a friend.

Hong Ling, the one with the greener thumb, shared: “Previously I planted a papaya tree and a mango tree.”

Nick, supportive of her hobby, even got to enjoy one sweet mango when the tree bore fruit, though he quipped: “But since then, that was all it gave.”

While their home is largely done up in neutral tones, Hong Ling revealed that she’s actually a big fan of colour. As such, she incorporated pops of Nick’s favourite shade, blue, throughout the space, from the sofa to the dining chairs, and even a feature wall in their common bathroom. 

One standout feature of their home is a space in the service yard specially designed for their cats. Built into the wall, the wooden alcove features panels and fixtures for the cats to lounge on, along with a discreetly placed litter box.

While showing the different spots where her cats sleep, Hong Ling shared: “They enjoy [being here]. Sometimes when we have guests, I would shut the door, and when it gets noisy outside, the cats prefer a quieter atmosphere, so they would come in and sleep.”

The door to their service yard also features a small cat door, allowing their cats to come and go freely when it’s open. Beyond that, the couple incorporated several practical design touches, including a sliding door for their dry pantry counter and opting for blinds instead of curtains to keep cat fur from getting everywhere.

There's a guest room in the apartment too, often used by Hong Ling’s niece when she visits for sleepovers, as well as a game room that currently houses an automatic mahjong table.

When Jernelle asked about each room having its own theme, Hong Ling explained: “I didn’t do it intentionally. We actually put more thought into designing the master bedroom, then for the two empty rooms, since it’s only the two of us for now, I just casually chose two different styles.”

But should they have kids in the future, the couple is already prepared.

“We’ll probably use these two rooms, or maybe just one of them,” said Hong Ling.

“So two rooms means you’re thinking of having two kids?” asked Jernelle.

“We can also have two or three kids sharing a room,” Nick replied. They also revealed that features like rounded corners on their furniture and built-in fixtures were intentionally chosen to ensure safety for kids in the future.

Hong Ling echoed: “Either way is fine. We just let things happen naturally, we’ll raise however many we have!”

The topic of kids was something that Jernelle had checked in with the couple about before filming of the house tour began, and Hong Ling and Nick readily agreed.

For those unaware, Hong Ling bravely opened up on social media early last year about experiencing a miscarriage. She shared that while it was an incredibly difficult time, she and Nick chose to be honest about their loss rather than let fear keep them silent.

For the couple, they agreed that the favourite place in their house is their living room. 

“Maybe because our living room was smaller before, so we didn’t hang out in the living room much, we were often in the master bedroom. This time, the living room is very comfortable, so we do everything in the living room, and it’s close to the kitchen, so it’s easy to grab food and drinks,” said Nick. 

Hong Ling added: “And the cats aren’t allowed in the rooms now, and I’d rather be with my cats, so I’d just stay in the living room.”

Photos: Mediacorp, honglingg_/ Instagram

Catch the full episode of Hong Ling and Nick's home tour below.