Inside House of Melissa Evelin: A Former Chalet Turned Changi’s Most Charmed Seafront Bungalow

Few corners of Singapore escape the urban hustle quite like the quiet edge of Changi Village, where the city skyline vanishes beyond the sea as yachts drift past on the salt breeze.

Once a bare government chalet, the 12,000 sq ft property was transformed by beekeeper Clarence Chua and Candice Li into House of Melissa. The charming boutique farm stay hotel is designed as a throwback, yet seamlessly equipped with modern comforts like air-conditioning and high-speed Wi-Fi.

• Address: 344 Netheravon Road, Changi Village, Singapore 508512
• Whatsapp: 92495400
• ​Bee Rescue: 96177164

Who is Melissa Evelin?

The stay’s name draws directly from natural tranquility: Melissa is Greek for “honeybee,” while Evelin translates from Hebrew as “source of life.” Spelled together as the acronym ‘HOME’, the name sets the tone for a space rooted in warmth and vitality. Beyond the name, Melissa Evelin serves almost like an alter ego for Clarence, a fictional British naturalist and traveler created to mirror his shared passion for nature, bees, and exploration.

Melissa Evelin’s story subtly anchors the colonial decor, raw timber accents, and curated oddities throughout the seafront bungalow. That narrative weaves into thoughtful details: handwritten notes welcome guests alongside practical touches like boots of various sizes lining the shoe rack and a “mozzie bite and bee sting sucker device” mounted by the side door.

Living History & Heritage

Faced with initial renovation quotes exceeding $300,000, the couple led their team to complete the overhaul on an $80,000 budget, opening in November 2024 after just two and a half months of work.

Having self-designed their first home (featured in Home & Decor for its similar colonial aesthetic), they handled everything from carpentry to painting. Sourcing pre-loved furniture from Carousell and friends, they hand-sanded and stained every piece in a warm dark finish for visual unity.

“It was all put together in this style called tropical colonial, how perhaps the expats lived pre-independence,” Clarence explains. “Everything is modular and packable, imagine you can pack it into a ship and move to your new country.”

Outside, Clarence drew on ten years of landscaping experience to turn an empty field into an edible fruit garden with papaya, jackfruit, tapioca, coconut, coffee, and an apiary with over 10 beehives. The property dates to the 1920s, when it served as British RAF quarters, and later became government chalets in the 1970s.

Clarence wanted to revive that century-old nostalgia, a connection that came full circle when a former resident shared old family photos from his time living there, snapshots now framed on the house’s gallery wall.

The Heart of the Home

Serving as the heart of the home, the living room is anchored by a wooden sofa set with black-and-white cushions, a piano, and a shelf lined with books and DVDs. Here, everything guests need is within easy reach.

The dining area doubles as a breakfast nook with a trolley setup stocked with essential appliances, allowing guests to prepare fresh chicken eggs their way. Overhead, a crystal chandelier elevates the rustic space with soft elegance. The loose furnishings make it easy to shift pieces around or introduce new additions without disrupting the room’s welcoming harmony.

The entire 2,000 sq ft indoor layout is rented as a private whole-house staycation, with rates ranging from approximately $300 to $600 per night depending on peak periods and stay duration.

The baseline rate includes full private access to the bungalow and two sea-view bedrooms for up to 4 guests. For groups above 4, a third bedroom is opened with a top-up of $50 per additional guest per night, which includes bed and breakfast.

Back to top

Through the Corridor of Nostalgia

Walking into the rest of the space, you are greeted by a long corridor lined with framed photos and naturalist treasures from Clarence’s personal collection. Preserved specimens of insects he once kept, like a giant forest ant queen and a praying mantis, sit alongside archival prints celebrating Changi’s rich heritage.

It is here that the couple’s imaginary muse comes to life: the display feels like stepping directly into the private gallery of Melissa Evelin herself, as if the fictional traveler had just returned from an expedition to catalog the flora, fauna, and local history of old Singapore.

“Here, I think you could spend the whole day indoors, just discovering different spaces and nooks and crannies,” Clarence reflects.

While the bungalow’s original layout remains largely intact, the former 4-bedroom configuration was thoughtfully adapted. The original kitchen space became an employee storage area, leaving three dedicated sleeping quarters: two sea-facing bedrooms on the left of the hall and a kids’ room with loft beds near the far end.

Opposite the sea-view bedrooms sit two bathrooms, while the walkway culminates at “The Green Room”, a former bedroom turned formal dining room and event space.

Back to top

Inside the Bedrooms

A selected chandelier graces every room in the house, even the bathroom with its wood-like tiles. The fixture in one sea-facing bedroom carries personal nostalgia for the couple: originally hanging in their living room, it was relocated here to lend guests a warm, familiar touch.

In the first bedroom, guests can wake up to views of drifting yachts right from the queen bed. The second sea-view bedroom features two single beds, a writing desk, and a woven loveseat positioned to optimise the coastal panorama. Throughout both spacious rooms, vintage treasures enrich the atmosphere, from old-school metal fans to rare fiberglass replicas of hawksbill turtle shells.

The Green Room

Drenched in dark forest green to echo the home’s tropical colonial aesthetic, The Green Room invites guests to step away from modern screens and rediscover the forgotten art of hosting.

“It is a throwback to when people used to entertain, and it is not going to sit down in front of the TV,” Clarence explains. “There are ample sitting spaces to throw dinner parties, books over there, and even a fermentation corner, which is how the colonials used to preserve food. The forgotten art of hosting is throwing a dinner party and having quality time with loved ones, that’s what House of Melissa is.”

Anchored by an intimate round table for four and a central oval table seating six or more, the sunlit space is built for private gatherings, farm-to-table meals, and hands-on workshops.

Positioned right before one of the light-filled windows facing the outdoor garden sits one of the room’s most fascinating features: a fully functional portable sink, retrofitted by Clarence with running water. A note accompanying the piece shares its storied past:

“This portable sink was salvaged from the HMS Keppel, built for the British Royal Navy at the end of WWI. She was completed too late to serve in that conflict, but saw extensive service in the interwar years and in World War II. She was a convoy escort and U-boat killer, being credited with the destruction of five U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.”

Because warships originally lacked running water systems, crew members relied on jerry cans to manually fill the tap’s reservoir. Tucked into the surrounding nooks and shelving units, bottles of freshly harvested raw honey and house-fermented kombucha, alongside jars of pickled cauliflower and purple sauerkraut, are neatly displayed, artisanal provisions crafted right on the property and featured in House of Melissa’s hosted experiences.

Back to top

Passing the Torch

After two years of thoughtfully restoring and curating every historical detail, Clarence and Candice are ready to turn the page. The couple is seeking a new owner to take over the House of Melissa business by late November 2026, allowing them to focus entirely on their main venture at The Sundowner Experience Centre following its recent expansion into the Bukit Timah Fire Station.

Passing on House of Melissa brings Clarence fulfillment rather than melancholy. While the seafront bungalow served as a favourite family retreat for the couple and their two young sons during off-peak seasons, its true legacy lives in the unique experiences created here.

“At House of Melissa, we keep honey bees in our apiary,” says Clarence. “I would say it’s the only hotel or farmstay in Singapore that has honey bees. In fact, around the world there are very few.”

As a natural extension of The Sundowner philosophy, experiential living remained at the center of it all. Over the years, the venue hosted far more than staycations: from weddings, parties, and outdoor movie screenings to treasure hunts, permaculture tours with bees, pizza-throwing workshops, and guided kayaking down Changi Creek.

Back to top