SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - When interior designer Anne-Louise Minter and her husband bought their first home in Singapore at end-2012, she knew she wanted to tailor each room to the personality and taste of each of her family members.
The renovation of the family home, a 2½-storey detached house with 6,500 sq ft of built-up space, sits on 7,126 sq ft of freehold land at Branksome Road in District 15.
The living area enjoys natural ventilation (Photos: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
The entire renovation took almost three years as Minter fine-tuned her design and sourced materials from Europe.
“Before we brought this house, we had been renting various properties in Singapore for 15 years. We felt it was time to buy as renting means making changes is not simple as you must first seek the approval of the landlord. If we purchased our own house, we would have the freedom to design something that would suit our lifestyle and I could create something that felt a lot more like being at home,” she tells EdgeProp Singapore.
The detached house has four en suite bedrooms, three kitchens, a 10m pool, and ample space for entertainment.
One of Minter’s favourite spaces in the house is a corner that she converted into a quiet nook for reading. Overlooking greenery, the space can also be used as an additional bedroom if the need arises, she says.
A corner of the house has been converted into a quiet nook for reading
On the top floor of the house, there is a covered lounge area with views of the landed housing estate.
As the family enjoys entertaining and has hosted up to 100 guests at some of their parties, Minter incorporated both outdoor and indoor dining spaces on the ground floor. The dining area inside the house features an open-concept kitchen complete with a quartz countertop kitchen island that was specially imported from Europe.
When the family hosts large groups of guests, Minter says the food is usually spread across the kitchen island so guests can help themselves and decide whether they want to have their meals indoors or outdoors.
The actual cooking takes place in another kitchen that she customised to feature generous storage spaces, a pantry, an induction cooker and a 90cm built-in oven. This kitchen links to a third kitchen that Minter’s husband uses to brew craft beer.
Running along this side of the house is an outdoor deck that is paved with porcelain tiles. Here, her family hosts barbecues for friends and family. This deck is connected to another al fresco dining area that faces the pool.
The dining area inside the house features an open-concept kitchen complete with a quartz countertop kitchen island that was specially imported from Europe
“We are from Australia so we like having a connection to outdoor spaces. I took inspiration from our lifestyle there when renovating this house and included many al fresco spaces for entertaining or relaxing. The house has large windows and doors which create a seamless flow from the interior of the house to the outdoors. We have also created a lush tropical garden surrounding the house which not only cools the house but encourages you to enjoy the outdoor areas,” she says.
There is also an outdoor shower in the backyard for those who want to rinse off after a swim. Particular about tidiness, Minter also had a shed installed for extra storage.
With Minter’s children grown up and setting up their own homes, she and her husband converted the ground-floor bedroom into a study room that opens to an outdoor lounge area. The en suite was also turned into a common bathroom with an entrance that can easily be reconfigured to be part of the bedroom again.
The bedroom on the ground floor was converted into a study
Upstairs, the family put in a mini theatre complete with acoustic panels. Minter also got the same recliner chairs found in premium movie theatres. According to her, this space was a popular hangout for her children and their friends when they were still living at home.
When it comes to the master bedroom, Minter dedicated space to a walk-in wardrobe. The door and window grilles of the room were also specially laser-cut according to her design. Another personal touch is the feature wall in the en suite.
The mini theatre complete with recliner chairs and acoustic panels
“I wanted a striking and unusual wall design so I selected a variety of different stone tiles with varying thicknesses and sizes. Each tile was cut to size and laid out on the bedroom floor so we could create the pattern. The tilers then put them up on the wall according to the design,” she says.
One of the highlights of the property is that two of the rooms are lofts. These rooms were previously occupied by Minter’s daughters. Her elder daughter had wanted a room that was inspired by a beach resort.
This led Minter to choose a neutral palette for this room. She also imported wallpaper with a sandy texture that glistens in the night to match the theme. The loft was used as a creative studio where her daughter, who studied fashion design, created her pieces.
The loft bedroom inspired by a beach resort
The other loft bedroom in the house was designed with hints of orange in the en suite as it was her younger daughter’s favourite colour at that time. The loft in this room was used as her daughter’s study.
Based on data from URA Realis, the house was purchased in November 2012 for $9 million or $1,262 psf on land area. Including development costs, the entire renovation cost close to $1 million.
While the renovation was completed around five years ago, the detached house is still in brand-new condition with little wear and tear. Minter attributes this to her own “fussiness”.
“I believe it is important to select good-quality products and regular maintenance is important to keeping a house looking as good as new. I am also very particular about ensuring the house is keep clean and tidy which is also much easier now that the children are older,” she says.
One of the highlights of the property is that two of the rooms are lofts
Despite her efforts in personalising the space, Minter and her husband have decided to put the house on the market as there is too much space for just the two of them. George Lee, CEO of Myriad Realty is the exclusive marketing agent for the property.
According to him, the house is suited for young families and investors. He estimates monthly rental to be $15,000. Given its location and the move-in condition of the house, he believes the asking price of $12.5 million is reasonable.
One of the outdoor lounge areas
“The house is a dream for those who love to entertain. It is also within walking distance to Katong and Joo Chiat where there are many lifestyle and dining options,” he says.
The property is also within a five-minute walk to Tanjong Katong MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. The station is expected to be operational in 2023.
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