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February15
And did you stick to your budget?
Yes, and for me, that was the most interesting
challenge. Previous renovations that I’ve done were
to places that I owned. Each time, I’d say something
like, “Oh, I just love that kitchen!” and then the
budget would go out of the window. That couldn’t
happen this time, because it’s not our own property.
After a lifetime of shopping, I had to learn all over
again how to shop in Singapore – on a budget.
Now, I know where to buy anything and how to get
anything done.
The place is huge. What did you do to the
upper level?
Much of it was just one massive room, so I had
to find a way to compartmentalise it – the exact
opposite of what we did downstairs. Installing a
long row of identical mirrored wardrobes from IKEA
created the effect of a corridor to one side of the
space, plus they give us tons of storage.
Behind the dividing line is my den, separated
by a small wall from Mark’s study. He’s a telecoms
lawyer who works long hours, so we spend a lot
of time up here.
This must be the biggest bedroom in
Singapore.
It’s a work in progress, but everyone loves the walls.
I’d planned to replaster them, but stripping away up
to a hundred years of paint and old plaster revealed
this gorgeous patina of blue, gold and cream. It would have been a sin
to cover over it, so I varnished the walls instead.
Where is your furniture from?
Like the Rajasthani bedroom doors, we bought just about all our furniture
through Expat Auctions. The furniture from our condo was simply lost
in this vast space, so we needed to get everything. But although the
space is so ginormous, it still feels warm and cosy – and it’s perfect for
entertaining. A hundred guests came to our Halloween housewarming
party. (I had two slushy machines on the go, filled with margaritas.)
I like the storage space
these wardrobes provide,
but running the gauntlet
of a wall of mirrors is
pretty horrible first thing
in the morning.