We had the good fortune of connecting with Momoko Wong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Momoko, what do you want people to remember about you?
For the longest time I wanted my career to be center stage; for my work accomplishments to be my most inspiring attribute. But as I’ve grown, learned, lived, loved, been disappointed, and even heart sick, I’ve come to realize that I want my legacy to be that I was kind and always worked to be of service to others.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is called Naka Interiors; Naka means inside, or space within, in Japanese, is the first half of my mom’s maiden name (Nakamura) and my mom’s dad had a prestigious architectural/development/construction firm in Tokyo post-WWII called Nakamura Designs.

There are a number of things that set me apart from other designers. I started my career as an investment banker so I have a tremendous understanding of the economics of a project. Likewise, I’ve fine-tuned my process to understand my client’s wishes and to help them create worth in their projects. I don’t subscribe to fads and trends and always push to create timeless designs, but only after getting to know my client and their design goals. I do not bring my ego into my work, rather, I listen to my clients’ needs, wants, likes and loves and weave those aspects into the personalized aesthetic of their home or space. Through sheer experience I’ve had the pleasure to find solutions to countless issues and therefore have working relationships with many artists, artisans, and craftspeople in town; it’s one thing to design a lovely home, but it’s another to actually execute all of the design and details in reality! Lastly, I take every project, large or small, personally and more often than not, become friends with my clients because it is my mission to not only create a long-lasting place of joy for them but to also help them enjoy the process and to guide them throughout design and construction.

The major lessons I’ve learned are, 1. My worth: I cannot work with clients that do not value my time or effort. I did that a lot early in my career because I was hungry, and wanted to prove myself, but I’m at a point now that I will not sacrifice my dignity or happiness to work with toxic people that don’t respect my boundaries. 2. Design is a process and is not something that happens over night. I love the process of revelation as we peel away the onion skin to see what’s at the core, and then add things back in layers to create a harmonious pallette. 3. Expectations and open communcation are absolutely key in a successful project.

I want the world to know that I love what I do. If you want me to design your space based off of a pinterest board, including art, accessories, and coffee table books, I’m not your girl. I think everything that goes into your home or space needs to be special; your home should not look like you did all of your shopping in one store! I want your home to be a reflection of YOU and what you love.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Between having a toddler and a one year old and Covid, my idea of a good time often includes a hot shower and eating with utensils, but with my college roommate and her family coming to town I’ve been day dreaming about all of our activities. We’ll definately be doing a hike at Lair O’ The Bear in Morrison exploring different swimming holes along the river, ice cream at Constellation Ice Cream in Central Park, cooling off at the lazy river in Beeler Park or the splash pad at City Park/Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Zoo, picnic and play at Paco Sanchez Park, and some food and shopping at Stanley Marketplace.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My former partner and biggest supporter, Fitz.

Website: www.naka-interiors.com

Instagram: @naka_interiors

Image Credits
Dag Larsen Jason Jung TJ Romero

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