For Natalie Chong, style starts with the same instincts that guide her interiors: texture, warmth, and the mood a well-chosen detail can create.
As the principal designer and founder of Toronto-based Nest Design Studio, Natalie has spent more than 15 years creating residential spaces that feel layered, liveable, and deeply personal. She also brings her design expertise to screen as the host of HOME Network’s renovation series, Rentovation, where her creative process, approachable energy, and instinct for transformation come to life.
For our June capsule, Urban Instincts, we spoke with Natalie about the connection between her life in the city and her personal style. Spotted in Toronto, Natalie’s Urban Instinct is grounded, polished, and quietly expressive.
You work across interiors, television, and storytelling. How does your design eye shape your personal style?
I have always been drawn to design. I see the beauty in everything, from interiors to fashion, and travel to food. It’s all connected. I tend to notice how the details work together: texture, colour, metals, and the overall mood these create.
When I get dressed, I think about how each detail changes the whole look. I’m a neutral girl at heart, so I often start with classic pieces and then layer on a moment of interest, whether that’s a bold nail colour or lipstick, a pattern, or a shoe with warmth, texture, or hardware.
What city environments inspire you most?
I really enjoy visiting newly designed restaurants, bars, and hotels. There’s something exciting about walking into a space for the first time and uncovering that designer’s point of view. The lighting, the furniture, the materials, the people moving through the room. Toronto has so many places where you can see how different designers interpret the city. I love that.
How has living in Toronto shaped your taste?
Toronto is a fast moving city. It is multicultural, diverse, and constantly evolving. That pace has definitely shaped me. The big city mindset is all I’ve ever known, so I think my style has become practical in a very intentional way. I want to feel put together, but I also need to be able to move. From site visits to dinner plans to days with my kids, I like pieces that can keep pace with my life.
Your favourite style from the Urban Instincts capsule is the BLVD Mary Jane in Hazelnut Suede. What drew you to it?
I love the simplicity and elegance of the BLVD Mary Jane. The shape feels classic, but still contemporary, and the Hazelnut Suede is such a warm, versatile neutral. It reminds me of the warm, earthy tones I’m often drawn to in interiors.
How would you style them?
My first instinct is to pair these with a good white shirt, houndstooth blazer and jeans. For cooler days, I can already picture them with a cozy grey sweater, white pants, and brown belt. Like I mentioned, I’m a neutral girl at heart!
That’s usually how I build a look, or design a space: start with a strong neutral base, then add the detail that gives it personality.
