105 322
PROPERTY
105
July14
“It’s all about the garden,” says Karin,
“and the garden is where we spend
most of our time.” Soothing music from
her iPod drifts from outdoor speakers
placed at intervals along the walls of the
wrap-around alfresco area. Standing on
7,000 square feet of land, the 50-year-
old, four-bedroom bungalow in Jalan
Berjaya is home to Karin and her 11-year-
old daughter, Sophie.
It’s hard to imagine that before they
moved in three years ago, there was not
one plant on the property. Fortunately,
Karin’s background in landscaping,
gardening and floral design enabled her
to transform the house into the exquisite
haven it is today.
Its liveable layout features four distinct
alfresco seating areas, a cosy indoor
lounge that’s adjacent to a more formal
dining area “for grownup dinners”, a
dry kitchen that serves mainly as a bar
and for storage, and an unexpectedly
spacious area behind the kitchen that
provides generous seating for casual
dinners and even workshops.
Did you install this garden yourself ?
Yes. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I
transplanted many of my trees from my
previous place. I also had the pool and
the decking put in. Luckily, my Filipina
helper, Eloisa, is not only blessed with
a green thumb but does much of the
maintenance of the house and garden.
What did you do to the house?
Be s i de s repa i n t i ng , i n s t a l l i ng
chandeliers and other light fittings
throughout made a big difference; most