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70
May15
N
omatter howmany black-and-
white homes I’m privileged to
visit in the course of writing
stories, I’m never quite able
to conceal my utter delight behind a
veil of polite professionalism. There
is something enchanting about these
bastions of colonial Britishness, which
have stood the test of time against an
unforgiving climate and Singapore’s
relentless development.
On this occasion, as with most, it turns
out I’mmeeting a fellow black-and-white
aficionada, Dorothee ter Kulve. The
friendly Dutchwoman and I settle into
sofas on the outdoor porch to chat, with
the shrill ring of a thousand cicadas in
the background.
For Dorothee, living in a black-and-
white is the “real Singapore experience”,
and she is delighted to have lived here
for the past 18 months with her husband
Peter and 16-year-old daughter Wibien,
while their two older children attend
university in Holland. The family enjoyed
living in a condo on Claymore Road
when they first arrived in Singapore in
2012; yet, despite the excitement of city
life, they found the constant noise of the
city a distraction.
So they were thrilled to discover this
quiet house, far removed from any
building site or busy road. “We came
from a home with a substantial garden in
Holland, so it was hard to adapt to living
inside in the condo. Living here we are
always outside, for dining and living; it’s
very comfortable,” she says.
Prior to Singapore, the family lived
in Holland for eight years; before that
was a six-year stint in China, following
on from six years in Prague, where all
“We don’t use this area so much,
but it is a lovely, quiet room – typical
of black-and-white houses.”
Wibien and
Dorothhee
together in
the kitchen.
“Most people
complain
about the
kitchens in
black-and-
whites, but I
think this one is
great; we only
had to buy the
appliances.”