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52
May15
I
first met Mel nearly three years ago
at an
Expat Living
coffee morning;
since then she’s helped me lose
my baby weight through her fitness
classes and got me hooked on playing
Gaelic football; also, our two four-
year-olds enjoy playing (and fighting)
together quite regularly. Needless
to say, this is not my first visit to her
current home, but it is my first chance
to have a proper nose around the
place; after all, what kind of friend just
sneaks off to snoop around a mate’s
bedroom when they’re not looking?
This time I have a legitimate excuse.
Seven-year-old Murphy the dog
greets me at the gate – the same dog
credited with prompting the family’s
first move from their starter Singapore
home in Spring Grove to a black-and-
white apartment on Linden Drive. “I
realised that we couldn’t live in a condo
with a dog,” says Mel. “The Linden
Drive place was massive – about 4,000
square feet – and on the ground floor,
so there was plenty of room for Murphy
to run around in. I love the older style,
and the fact that black-and-whites have
plenty of outside space.”
Top:
The dining table is from John Erdos, and the chairs are from Originals. “I love their stuff.”
Bottom:
The subway sign is a special piece for Mel. It is iconic New York City, one of her favourite
places, and an authentic sign. She found the day bed sitting outside a shop in Dempsey, and had it
whitewashed.