Home Tour: Malaysian wife and British husband’s $350,000 renovation for Colonial-Indian inspired Pandan Valley condo
“Be more daring, add more personality…We wanted to push the boundaries a little in some spaces.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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French colonial-style tiles in different rooms, woven baskets reminiscent of Indian handicrafts, favouring darker laminates and heavier woods, rattan overlays, and architectural features that you typically see in the South Asian country, like their open-concept veranda patio...
Once you learn that husband Russell and wife Sy specifically sought a colonial-esque theme reminiscent of hotels you find in India (especially in key features and elements), it all clicks.
It’s such a refreshing break from the usual Singaporean modern, minimalist, and sometimes bare-feeling houses.
No room in this home is muted. Spaces are spruced up in various ways, whether through their choice of tiles, patterned furniture pieces, intentionally different door handles, or colourful lighting fixtures. Each detail was chosen with thought and care.
Giving credit where credit is due, Russell proudly gushes that most of the brains behind the design operation were all his wife’s ideas. Trusting a friend’s recommendation, they sought the help of the interior design studio Insight.Out Studio, to bring this vision to life.
“Both Russell and I always like colonial houses, and we like Indian hotels. So these are the inspirations that we drew from,” says Sy.
Who Lives Here: A British husband and Malaysian wife in their late 30s, both executives at a beauty company, and their two-year-old Blue and Tan Frenchie, Stitch
Home: 3-bedroom condo
Size: 1,800 sq ft
Interior designer: Insight.Out Studio
3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom condo
The condominium features three bedrooms, three bathrooms (including one en suite and a powder room), an open-concept kitchen and living area extending to the outdoor patio, a gym, a helper’s room, a storage room, and a foyer entrance.
What ultimately sold the couple on the condo was size and location, as well as the ability to segment different areas - a design technique that Sy loved the idea of.
“In the end, the priority was the size, but to get this size at this cost was a bit hard. I also wanted a space I can work with and to make it ours,” the wife tells.
“I always like houses with stairs because you can segmentize the living space a bit better. When we first came in, the layout was not what we wanted, but we knew we could do something with it to create the segment of the living space that we liked.”
This was a full gut renovation, including ceiling works, wall and floor reconfigurations, as well as constructing new staircases. All of the furniture was bought specifically for their home, most of which was purchased from Taobao - everything was customised, though (a feature that Taobao offers).
All of the lighting and fixtures in this home were bought from Taobao, too, and all of the tiles are from Hafary.
“I used to work in China for eight years,” explains Sy. “So I know how to use Taobao very well, and I customised everything to the size that I want. If your readers want to have a Taobao-ordering masterclass, I’m your go-to,” she jokes.
Colonial-Inspired Master Bedroom
The couple’s love for colonial Indian-style design really shines through in the master bedroom, with its perfect balance of dark and lighter shades and a very warm ambience. The overall colour palette is neutral, with dark furniture accents balanced with a lighter tone for the floor tiles.
A king-sized four-poster canopy bed is a staple of Indian design, and the 1.8-meter bed, as well as the solid wood frame, is all from Taobao. A soft fabric drapes across the top, transporting you to an Indian palace. It’s rather dreamy. Striped fabric blinds from a local company, Coesa, add more softness to the space.
In front of the bed, as well as parallel to it, are bespoke, custom carpentry cupboards in a dark laminate. The hanging pendant light and the solid wood bedside tables (from Taobao) match the primary en suite, creating a continuous flow.
Primary En Suite
“The bathroom used to be half the size, but we took out the study in the main bedroom to make it bigger,” the couple says.
“We made the master bathroom double the size. I like my bathrooms. With its bath and vanity table, it’s quite airy, so I love being here.”
As Sy’s favourite space in the home, it’s the type of bathroom which is hard to leave, where one can easily picture wallowing away a good hour with a book in hand in the freestanding bathtub.
The luxurious egg-shaped bath was added by the homeowners. It’s not a common feature of a Singaporean home, and the sheer size of the primary en suite is one that would make others instantly jealous.
Other features include a double vanity (finished in a special marble-effect laminate and dark wood cabinetry with brass gold handles), as well as a shower and toilet. A navy blue Kit Kat tile archway wall feature was added for aesthetics. The zig-zag patterned floor tiles match the master bedside tables.
The sculptured halo effect false ceiling was added in by the design team - an Insight.Out Studio signature.
“I give Inside.Out all the credit, they came up with all of the design for this bathroom,” tells the homeowner.
Open-Plan Kitchen
A fully-dark laminate cabinet stretching across the entirety of the open-style kitchen is balanced by a light-coloured peninsula, which doubles as the dining table.
The kitchen peninsula island is finished in a light laminate top and a fluted-looking dark laminate bottom. The countertops incorporate the same laminate as the island.
The round-back dining chairs with their rattan feature (typical of Indian design) are from Taobao, along with the interesting double-barrel hanging pendant light, almost the same size as the dining peninsula.
In between the kitchen and living spaces is the staircase, which leads to the home gym, two bedrooms and the helper’s room.
Living Area
Similar dark and neutral tones used in the kitchen are mimicked in the living area. It works really well for their open-concept design.
Between their choice of furniture, plants and wall scones, these elements all tie in those colonial design feels. An off-white plush L-shaped sofa takes up the majority of the living area, with a solid wood coffee table in the centre.
To the side is a headboard utilised for storage. The TV console extends across the entire wall. A large standing lamp with its warm lights adds the finishing touch to this space.
Al Fresco Patio
Indoor-outdoor living is defined by the home’s patio, where the home bar is located. This outdoor space was part of the home’s original design, given a refreshed look by the couple.
For example, the existing brick tiles were repainted white to match the home’s overall theme and colour palette.
The outdoor patio furniture was customised to a certain height, which is higher than most standardised outdoor furniture.
Bookshelf Moment
After house-hunting nearly 30 properties, Russell and Sy finally decided that this was the one. Although initially, Russell wasn’t as set on the home as Sy was, she “bribed” him into it eventually by promising him a two-storey bookshelf spanning the entire length of the home.
The bookshelf overflows with books. To accommodate it all, the structure was custom-built by local carpenters (sourced by the interior designers). It’s another furniture statement piece with a rattan finish.
Naturally, this is Russell’s favourite space in the home.
“My favourite book is The Expedition to the Baobab Tree by Wilma Stockenström. I tend to love the classics.”
This area is, in fact, the entrance. A floor-to-ceiling shoe and storage cabinet is to the right-hand side, as well as the powder room.
The custom-built staircase leads guests to the second level.
The French colonial tiles are very similar to those you see in the powder room.
Powder Room
The powder room is accessed on the same bottom level as the bookcase, and as such, the tiles in here are very similar to the front entrance area, with its black and white diamond pattern.
An orange dessert-hued wall tile creates an interesting moment, contrasting the powder room’s silver, chrome and black elements. For example, the designer black egg-shaped toilet bowl.
“There is a bit of a sliver tone in the tiles,” explain the homeowners. “That’s why the vanity and the mirror have silver accents.”
Customising the bottom half of the freestanding sink, the actual basin and faucets are from Taobao, along with the mirror and wall sconces.
Guest Bathroom
“I always told the designers I wanted them to focus on the bathrooms,” recalls Sy.
“Typically, bathrooms are not the main design. So with our bathrooms, we went a bit crazy. I wanted the designer to keep pushing the boundary in the bathrooms. When you open the door to any of the three bathrooms, each one looks entirely different.”
The guest bathroom is an amalgamation of prints and textures that all seamlessly work with one another. Two different wall tiles were added.
A black and white zebra swoosh tile adorns the walls above the toilet, stretching across the vanity and bathroom sink. The rest of the walls are decorated with vertical cream subway tiles that have a slight indent for textural appeal.
Cabinets are constructed with a dark laminate. The glass pendant light above the toilet is reminiscent of the old-school pull-string flushes, popular from the late 19th century through to the 20th century.
The inspiration for this bathroom?
“I like green, and I love retro, so I wanted to try something different,” the beauty executive says.
Guest bedroom in a 3-bedroom condo (1,800 sq ft) in Pandan Valley, designed by Insight.Out Studio.
$300,000 Renovation Cost
This is Sy and Russell’s first home renovation, clocking in at $350,000, including all furnishings, furniture, and electrical works.
When asked what advice they had to lend to any newbie home renovators, their remark is a common one we hear from many homeowners alike:
“Where you place your power points is extremely important.”
Home gym in a 3-bedroom condo (1,800 sq ft) in Pandan Valley, designed by Insight.Out Studio.
Secondly, they advised starting with a blank canvas, and from there, decide how to dress up different areas, whether it’s with wallpaper or paint colours.
“Everybody these days, especially in Singapore, is trying to make their homes so plain and similar. Be more daring, add personality, express yourself!”
“And don’t forget, your wife is always right,” jokes Russell.
Can’t get enough of this home? We spoke with the homeowner to understand more about their design thinking and favourite home pieces here: