DOTY Award 2026: Nicole Oh on the Art of Personal Touches

Meet Nicole Oh, the creative force behind Art By Three

The diverse voices and bold ideas of designers are what truly propel the industry forward, embracing the latest technologies, sustainable design initiatives and pure imagination. Our exclusive QCtv interviews this year offer fresh perspectives, inspiring approaches and a look at the creative forces redefining design for the better.

What does being recognised by DOTY for three consecutive years mean to you, both personally and professionally?

Of course, it makes me very happy, and I feel incredibly grateful. For me, being recognised three years in a row is more than just receiving an award. It reminds me that all those years of hard work of obsessing over tiny details, changing a design countless times and travelling everywhere just to find the right piece of furniture or the perfect material were worth it. But after receiving an award, the next morning is still the same: back to work, checking drawings, changing designs, catching another flight. So awards are wonderful encouragement, but what really keeps me going is quite simple; I genuinely love what I do.

Project: Padang Temu, Melaka (DOTY 2022 Best Showhouse Design)

How has your understanding of what makes a meaningful interior evolved over the course of your career?

Earlier in my career, I probably focused more on whether a space looked beautiful or felt impressive. Today, I think differently. A beautiful interior should also make you feel good living in it and ideally, you should love it even more after living there for years. Perhaps because I’m a woman, and someone who really enjoys the little rituals of everyday life, I notice very small things like how the lighting feels at night, whether things are easy to reach, or simply how it feels to sit in a certain corner with a cup of coffee. In the end, we’re not designing a beautiful photograph. Rather, the way someone lives.

Project: Le Nouvel Penthouse (DOTY 2023 Merit Residential Design – High-Rise)

What makes an interior leave a lasting impression?

For me, it’s not about how expensive the space is, or how many beautiful things you can put into one room. A memorable interior needs personality. It could be a piece of furniture discovered during a trip, an unusual piece of stone, a work of art, or simply a corner that feels incredibly comfortable. Sometimes, the most memorable spaces are not the ones that shout the loudest, but those that stay in your mind after you leave. I really like the idea of designing not just to impress, but to create something that people will remember.

Looking ahead, what ideas or directions are you interested in exploring through your practice?

I definitely want to keep travelling, discovering and sourcing. I don’t think a designer can find all her inspiration sitting behind a desk. I love visiting different countries to discover furniture, materials and craftsmanship but I’m equally interested in seeing how people live. More often than not, what I bring home from a trip isn’t just a product, but a feeling, a new idea or a different perspective on life.

At the same time, I’ve learned to value balance. I work very hard, but I also believe in enjoying a beautiful meal, having a glass of wine, travelling, spending time with family and creating little rituals in everyday life. Because I believe that if we don’t know how to enjoy life ourselves, it’s very difficult to design a beautiful life for someone else. So moving forward, I’m not necessarily interested in doing more. I want to create work that feels more personal, more thoughtful and more distinctly my own.