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June14
nursery there, she was very interested
in resuming her passion.
“I absolutely love teaching and wanted
to continue once I got here,” Mayte says.
“Once I was settled, I began to spread
the word and, now, I’m lucky enough to
teach multiple students per week from
my home, while still having time to do
some of the other things I love.”
When she’s not tutoring, Mayte’s
taking Zumba classes (her favourite),
catching Nico’s soccer games and, of
course, putting the final touches to her
home – something she’s clearly got a
flair for. As for Joe, he enjoys spending
time on the patio both after work and on
weekends, which is why a proper patio
was an absolute must for the Nearys’
Singapore dwelling.
Right from the start, Mayte and Joe
were set on finding a landed house with
a nice outdoor space, and looked at a
variety of homes before finding one to
suit their needs. They loved the Bukit
Timah neighbourhood because of its
quiet, residential feel, and the quick ride
from the city centre; it’s also a stone’s
throw away from the shops and eateries
at Greenwood Avenue. “The majority
of homes we saw were too massive,”
recalls Mayte. “Coming from a large
house in Ireland, we wanted something
more cosy here. This house felt really
comfortable and we knew immediately
that it was just right for us.”
Once their decision was settled, Mayte
called on Gallery 278 by ESCO Leasing.
They arrived with very few belongings,
and almost all of their furnishings are
rented, with the exception of several
accessories that she’s purchased in
Singapore and throughout her travels.
“This house was so perfect because it
was brand new, and a completely blank
canvas to work with,” she says. “ESCO
really understood what I wanted and
worked with me to achieve the exact
look I was going for.”
What she was going for was
contemporary, with a slightly minimalist
aesthetic – a look that she was able to
execute quite perfectly. Using limited
but consistent colours, and decorative,
often Asian-influenced, accents that
meld into the colour scheme, Mayte
was able to give each room a simple,
clean and modern appearance while
still keeping things comfy, and infused
with her own personal touches – from an
antique chess board and Indian beaded
table runner to sculptures and lacquer
art pieces.
The living room is a perfect example
of this contemporar y, laid-back
manifestation. Its vast, airy space –which
appears even larger, thanks to the high
Antique
sideboard
from Lee’s
Antiques.
Urns from
Taylor B.
In keeping with the
home’s modern
style, the kitchen
incorporates wood
panelling for a
super-sleek look.
Chess set from Lee’s Antiques.