For radio presenter Maddy Barber, the mere mention of Serangoon Gardens used to bring back fond childhood memories. Now, she's calling it home once again. Home now is also the very same house she grew up in.
To add another twist to the story, Barber teamed up with her acclaimed industrial and interior designer brother, Gabriel Tan, for the restoration project of their childhood home.
Serangoon Gardens estate was built in the 1950s by British developer, Steven Charles Macey, to house the British soldiers and airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) stationed in Singapore. Fondly nicknamed ang sar lee for the red zinc roods that were widely used on the houses, Serangoon Gardens is one of the oldest privare residential estates on the island with few high-rise buildings. Yet it still retains its old-world charm amidst the rapid urbanisation surrounding the district.
For the project, Tan draws inspiration from the low-rise desert modern architecture and interiors he experienced in Palm Springs, California, which reminded him of the 1960s architecture that the family home was originally built in. The use of mint and terracotta red tones around the house is borne of the style.
High-performance, high heat, scratch and stain resistant, easy to maintain, and above all, it should look and feel luxurious. These were the requirements in choosing surface materials for the restoration project, and Dekton® meets them all.
The highly visually-inclined pair chose three colours from The Collection by Cosentino - Dekton® Liquid Shell, Dekton® Liquid Sky and Dekton® Laurent.
“Dekton® offers a wide variety of visual aspects; be it minimalistic, simple, marble or granite effect, Dekton® has it all,” says Tan, creative director of Gabriel Tan Studio and Studio Antimatter.
Overlooking the courtyard, the master bath is an ethereal and holistic sanctuary conceived to calm the mind, dressed in Dekton® Liquid Sky. Liquid Sky’s swirling, marbled, cloud-like pattern takes one away into another world.
In the master bedroom, the fluidity of Dekton® Liquid Sky pairs beautifully with the terracotta blush coloured wall. The vanity top also features Liquid Sky for perfect harmony.
Dekton® Liquid Shell is chosen for its subtlety and softness which complement the mint, terracotta red tones and the terrazzo flooring in the spacious kitchen, which Barber calls the heart of her home.
“For the entire kitchen, I eventually went with the cream coloured, textured Liquid Shell... which I cannot stop looking at and touching because it is so incredibly beautiful,” quips Barber on her choice of colour for the kitchen island, countertop and backsplash.
Tan kept the living area open and spacious with a contemporary look. The living area features a customised long console cabinet decked with the textured Dekton® Laurent.
Inspired by Port Laurent marble, Dekton® Laurent features a rich, yet delicate gold veinings set on a dark background. Its intense and dramatic hues add a lavish touch to the living room and the bathroom as a countertop.
“Dekton® can be used for everything, and because I loved it so much and there were so many different designs that I wanted, I could incorporate all of it into my home... and I think it couldn’t look any better,” says Barber.
For radio presenter Maddy Barber, the mere mention of Serangoon Gardens used to bring back fond childhood memories. Now, she's calling it home once again. Home now is also the very same house she grew up in.
To add another twist to the story, Barber teamed up with her acclaimed industrial and interior designer brother, Gabriel Tan, for the restoration project of their childhood home.
Serangoon Gardens estate was built in the 1950s by British developer, Steven Charles Macey, to house the British soldiers and airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) stationed in Singapore. Fondly nicknamed ang sar lee for the red zinc roods that were widely used on the houses, Serangoon Gardens is one of the oldest privare residential estates on the island with few high-rise buildings. Yet it still retains its old-world charm amidst the rapid urbanisation surrounding the district.
For the project, Tan draws inspiration from the low-rise desert modern architecture and interiors he experienced in Palm Springs, California, which reminded him of the 1960s architecture that the family home was originally built in. The use of mint and terracotta red tones around the house is borne of the style.
High-performance, high heat, scratch and stain resistant, easy to maintain, and above all, it should look and feel luxurious. These were the requirements in choosing surface materials for the restoration project, and Dekton® meets them all.
The highly visually-inclined pair chose three colours from The Collection by Cosentino - Dekton® Liquid Shell, Dekton® Liquid Sky and Dekton® Laurent.
“Dekton® offers a wide variety of visual aspects; be it minimalistic, simple, marble or granite effect, Dekton® has it all,” says Tan, creative director of Gabriel Tan Studio and Studio Antimatter.
Overlooking the courtyard, the master bath is an ethereal and holistic sanctuary conceived to calm the mind, dressed in Dekton® Liquid Sky. Liquid Sky’s swirling, marbled, cloud-like pattern takes one away into another world.
In the master bedroom, the fluidity of Dekton® Liquid Sky pairs beautifully with the terracotta blush coloured wall. The vanity top also features Liquid Sky for perfect harmony.
Dekton® Liquid Shell is chosen for its subtlety and softness which complement the mint, terracotta red tones and the terrazzo flooring in the spacious kitchen, which Barber calls the heart of her home.
“For the entire kitchen, I eventually went with the cream coloured, textured Liquid Shell... which I cannot stop looking at and touching because it is so incredibly beautiful,” quips Barber on her choice of colour for the kitchen island, countertop and backsplash.
Tan kept the living area open and spacious with a contemporary look. The living area features a customised long console cabinet decked with the textured Dekton® Laurent.
Inspired by Port Laurent marble, Dekton® Laurent features a rich, yet delicate gold veinings set on a dark background. Its intense and dramatic hues add a lavish touch to the living room and the bathroom as a countertop.
“Dekton® can be used for everything, and because I loved it so much and there were so many different designs that I wanted, I could incorporate all of it into my home... and I think it couldn’t look any better,” says Barber.
