A 50s couple’s semi-detached house in Serangoon with a private garden
“We wanted to modernise a more grown-up space; something a little more elevated.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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Prints. Patterns. Colour. But make it elegant. This is the total vibe of this stylish landed property; a home that has changed with the family’s seasons over the last 15 years.
It screams Tropicana Singapore, but with many corners that transport you to Kerala and its lush green scapes.
Now that the homeowners’ children are well into their teens, this husband and wife felt the urge to give their home a third-time makeover, but one more suited to their current tastes and lifestyle. To modernise the house into a more “grown-up space.”
“We have been living in this space for 15 years now, and the kids have grown up. Until then, it’s been very kids-centric, and our family home, and then we got the dog,” tell the homeowners. “It was very lived-in; the sofas were tired. So we were just looking to rejuvenate the space, and we knew the home had so much potential.”
When the couple first bought the 2.5-storey property years ago, they did renovate the home before moving in. Fast-forward to 2018, and they embarked on a second makeover, however, at that time, focusing on structural elements rather than interior design. This involved turning the home into more of an open-concept setting, where a lot of wall, ceiling work, etc., was completed.
Now, the time had arrived, where they turned to award-winning interior designer Nidhi Jain of Nidhi Jain Associates for a total design revamp.
WOW Moments
There are plenty of wow factors about the property…The double-height ceilings…The large wall spaces…The artwork…The openness…That chandelier…But honestly, it’s the tropical outdoor garden–with its koi pond running through, retractable awning, jungle of plants, and outdoor living space–that steals the show.
Whilst the homeowners completely redid the ground-level living room (which opens up and looks out onto this space), their outdoor haven is where they find themselves spending most of their time, whether it’s for relaxing or where the wife enjoys getting creative with her floral arrangements.
“The bar counter has become a space to arrange my flowers; it’s very therapeutic,” she says.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their 50s, their three kids (aged 13 to 21), and their six-year-old corgi poodle.
Home: 2.5-storey semi-detached landed property
Size: 4,000 sq ft
Interior designer: Nidhi Jain of Nidhi Jain Associates
The 2.5-storey property comprises six bedrooms and six bathrooms, two living areas (including a study), an open-plan dining room leading into the kitchen, and a music room.
For this recent renovation, the homeowners focused on levels one (ground floor) and two, renovating a total of 1,500 square feet.
After spotting Nidhi Jain’s work in a Straits Times article featuring her home, the homeowners instantly loved her design aesthetic as they shared similar tastes. Whilst they did consider other options, they ultimately went with their hearts.
“Without her, we couldn’t imagine the spaces, the idea of the outdoor patio, and working with the double-height ceilings and artworks. She did such a fabulous job at reimagining the space for us.”
For the garden landscaping, it was husband and wife couple, Michael and Queenie from Green Fingers Private Limited, who turned the outdoor space into a tropical haven.
“They are very passionate about plants and offered very practical solutions,” the homeowners recall.
The Open & Elegant First-Floor Living Room
If it’s “grown-up” worthy and sophisticated that these homeowners were seeking, that’s precisely what was achieved in a space that feels elevated and refined. Yet, it still showcases the family’s personalities and appreciation for patterns and splashes of colour.
A complete 360 from their previous colour scheme, the couple wanted a more neutral palette for the downstairs living space. With all of the garden’s natural greenery invited in as a natural backdrop through the French doors, this adds a perfect colour pop to the living room.
The Italian camel-coloured modular sofa is from The Beuro, and its velvet-like texture adds softness to the space. It pairs well with the light wood ceiling above this. The large carpet from Jehan Gallery displays a soothing Japanese zen-garden motif, which the husband simply fell in love with the first time the homeowners saw it.
Contrasting this a Roso Levanto Marble in matte set coffee table set from CANCAN. Behind the main living room area is a piano. Hanging on the wall between these two areas is a gorgeous piece of 1.2m x 1.8m artwork: Natural Dyes on Handwoven Cotton by Bappaditya Biswas, which the couple purchased at the Affordable Art Fair Singapore.
Tropical Landscaped Garden
“I really like the outside area, which we never used before this renovation,” says the homeowner.
Previously, the outdoor scene was simply an exposed tiled area with a parasol, a wooden table and three chairs. The koi pond and fountain were always there. However, it had much potential, and the homeowners always wondered how they could make this part of the property more functional.
“When Nidhi came to our home, she immediately launched into this space and how to make it more usable.”
It’s now their very own private botanical garden, filled with delicious tropical plants and ferns. Some of the homeowners’ favourite plants include the monstera, the centre stage elephant ear and the colourful-leaf species.
“Our staghorn fern is also taking shape next to the fountain, and a lot of our ferns are self-pollinating to fill up the space,” details the husband and wife.
Landscaping works included extending the patio area, decking, and adding artificial turf.
“The decking turned out to be a big part of the appeal of the space. It feels outdoors but at the same time indoors…Another big part was having the canopy overhead, and we also wanted to have the retractable awning to protect from rain and also shield the view of the neighbour’s back housing,” say the homeowners, who are extremely pleased with the outcome.
Custom Outside Bar counter
Nidhi worked with the couple to create a custom-built bar counter, made from composite manmade stone that is easy to maintain, looks good, and can withstand the weather and humidity.
The bar stools are from Kave, finished off with a Balinese chandelier. Behind the bar is an artwork: an amalgamation of the Mona Lisa and Marilyn Monroe. It’s another piece that the couple collected from the Arts Fair.
A Grand Entryway
As you enter the home, greeting you in the entryway is a customised wallpaper, stretching up the entirety of the seven-meter-tall wall. As you don’t find wallpaper in this size, the wallpaper designer had to modify it into three individual pieces.
Its tropical print echoes the overall feeling of this home.
But if you thought the wallpaper was a statement, the drop-down, two-piece pendant light from SolLuminaire takes your breath away. Constructed from fabric mesh over an aluminium framework, each pendant is 1.4m in length and 60cm wide. They have Nidhi to thank for this, who sourced the feature for them.
The velvet-like bench matches the living room set, and this was purchased from CANCAN. A customised natural marble and gold entryway table (from etch&bolts) sits in the centre.
Dining Space
Leading up from the entry foyer is a single step up to the open-plan dining area.
The space feels inviting but ultra sophisticated, which the eight-seater natural marble dining room (also from etch&bolts) table helped to achieve. The butterscotch-coloured dining chairs are from Prestige Affairs Furniture.
The Navy Blue Kitchen
Directly in front of the dining table is the striking all-navy kitchen with gold accents seen in the handles and other small details.
During the homeowners’ 2018 renovation, they converted their previously separate wet and dry kitchens into one main kitchen during a complete gutting, adhering to the open-concept living (and more of that airy feel that they were after).
Looking at the ground, it features Peranakan tiles.
In between the dining space and the kitchen is the manmade composite island countertop–a functional space that is very practical with kids around. At the breakfast bar, appliances like the Nespresso machine, rice cooker, and other day-to-day items take their permanent place. Surrounding the island on the dining table side are two orange barstools from Kartell. Their colour matches well with the navy.
The 3-Flight Staircase
Between the dining and kitchen is a wooden parquet staircase, with three sets leading to the home’s other floors. As you begin your ascent, framed photographs of the family line the walls.
“Our designer helped us to create the framed photos and the layout of the photos on either side of the stairs. That was something we always wanted to do,” says the wife. “She helped us get the right frames, different sizes, and then with the layout and helped us put them up.”
Further up, the landing has its own little moment, with light-filtering curtains, a little sculpture and a Turkish lantern hanging from the ceiling, which the couple hand-carried back from Istanbul years ago.
Walking up from the landing, a deep terra cotta wall greets you, with a black and white frame of The Beatles on the wall. This hints at the family’s love and appreciation for music–an affinity they all share in some way. For example, the husband plays the guitar and the keyboard, the kids play drums and the piano, and the wife does contemporary dancing. Clearly, music runs in their veins. Further up from here, the second staircase leads to the music room.
Second Floor Living Room
Overlooking the entryway below, the second-level living room is a complete colour explosion compared to the ground-floor one.
It all started with a red velvet-like textured sofa from Ikea, sparking the inspiration for this room.
“We wanted more colour that contrasted the other living room, which has a lot more muted tones,” explains the homeowners. “This one up here is supposed to be more lively and a cosy hangout space.”
Across the entirety of the wall is a bookshelf, which was custom-built to measure the same dimensions as the oriental headboard below it.
More pops of colour were added in sentimental keepsakes, like the homeowner’s father’s original metal turquoise travel trunk, which the family had refurbished. They added their chain-stitched cashmere tree of life motif on the same wall where the wallpaper extends.
The wooden coffee table is from Indonesia, and the gold overhang standing lamp is from Kave. In the corner of this room is the husband’s study desk space.
Master Bedroom Design
“We really wanted to give our master a glow-up. Nidhi came up with so many things that we wanted to do but wouldn’t be able to do ourselves,” recalls the wife. “She helped us choose the bedding, the cushions, and the etch&bolts wall sconces.”
With its palette of neutrals and green tones, the master bedroom is a place to retreat and rejuvenate.
The wallpaper is slightly different from the one downstairs, but still retains the tropical vibe the family loves so much.
“The tropical wallpaper reminded us of our years growing up in Malaysia, and reminds me of Kerala. It’s got a burst of sunburnt orange, and it was just a very elegant wallpaper that Nidhi suggested.”
This family home is a true testament to showcasing just how much you can do to a property that already has such a great integral structure, even if the years have passed by.
Whilst this was once a playground for young family life, as the kids have grown up, so has the space.
Plus, having an award-winning designer on your team, who truly just gets your vision, doesn’t hurt either.