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The Chic Home: Rare pre-HDB terraced house is ceramist's creative sanctuary

The Chic Home: Rare pre-HDB terraced house is ceramist's creative sanctuary

Straits Times27-06-2025
This ceramist's house is a 1970s-era terraced house built by the Singapore Improvement Trust, the predecessor to the Housing Board. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
SINGAPORE – Ceramist Maureen Cheng, who used to work in graphic design and publishing, initially moved house for a shorter commute.
She chose a terraced house built in the 1970s by the Singapore Improvement Trust, the predecessor to the Housing Board. Such units are not only extremely rare – fewer than 300 were built – but also more affordable than private terraced houses.
Cheng, who is in her 50s and runs studio Maison MCeramics, is the proud owner of this 1,600 sq ft corner unit in Jalan Bahagia.
After living in it for about a decade, she decided to overhaul it. With her background in the creative industry, she chose to redesign the place herself and engaged S.T. Design & Contract to execute the renovation works.
Her vision was to create a home with a studio. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, how the spaces would work for her and which areas got the most sun, breeze and noise.
The home owner adopted an open-concept design to maximise natural ventilation and views of the garden.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
She adopted an open-concept design to maximise natural ventilation and views of the garden. The living area and two bedrooms are located away from the boundary wall, which is adjacent to the main road.
She went with a modern, timeless look with a black, white and grey palette, and low-maintenance materials.
'I love grey because it is neither black nor white and it can be feminine or masculine, depending on what you pair it with,' she says.
The living room has a pair of lounge chairs instead of a sofa.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
She kept the original, nostalgic terrazzo flooring – a nod to the home's history – in the living area.
Instead of a sofa, which Cheng felt would take up too much space, she opted for a pair of lounge chairs for herself and her mother.
The living area has a view of the dining zone.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
A vintage teak extendable table by a Danish designer takes pride of place in the dining room. In its most compact configuration, it is a cosy table for two set against the wall. When fully extended into an elliptical form, it can seat up to eight people.
This large kitchen island offers plenty of space for baking and cooking.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Cheng wanted an island, as the idea of facing a wall when cooking or baking did not appeal to her.
With the oversized island, she and her mother can bake and cook together while enjoying the view of the side garden. The island also doubles as a workspace when needed.
The pottery studio occupies the rear of the plot and has access to the garden.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Cheng's studio is another important space within the home. She had the spot picked out from the start. It occupies the rear corner of the plot and opens up to the back garden with plenty of natural light. It also has access to a water point and space for a kiln.
Every part of the pottery studio has been meticulously planned.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Despite its compact footprint, every part of the studio has been meticulously planned, from a potter's wheel for throwing to a worktop for kneading clay. She also has a large table for hand coiling or slab work; and racks for storing clay and drying artworks.
The home owner's bedroom has no windows, but is naturally lit by a skylight.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Cheng and her mother's bedrooms are located beside the party wall shared with the neighbour, farthest away from the road.
Her mother's room opens out to the rear terrace. Although Cheng's room has no windows, she added a skylight by replacing a section of the roof tiles with translucent ones that let in natural light.
The en-suite bathroom attached to the home owner's bedroom doubles as a common bathroom.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
The renovation cost between $150,000 and $200,000, and took about a year to complete due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Cheng finally moved back into her home in 2022.
The kitchen island is juxtaposed with softer, natural elements like the rattan and ceramics atop this cabinet.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
This article first appeared in Home & Decor Singapore. Go to homeanddecor.com.sg for more beautiful homes, space-saving ideas and interior inspiration.
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Danish delights

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Want a good meal? Head to factoryland
Want a good meal? Head to factoryland

Straits Times

time12-07-2025

  • Straits Times

Want a good meal? Head to factoryland

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Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as a ‘library of human stories' and life experiences
Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as a ‘library of human stories' and life experiences

Straits Times

time11-07-2025

  • Straits Times

Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as a ‘library of human stories' and life experiences

SINGAPORE - She had, in her own words, the 'perfect Singaporean life' - a stable job, Housing Board flat and a long-term relationship. But deep inside, Ms June Tan still felt unfulfilled, and like she was living a life that was not her own. 'It looked good,' said the 33-year-old, 'only on paper, not in reality.' So she decided to make a change. In 2022, she upped and left Singapore after leaving her job as a tutor, ending things with her partner of seven years and returning the flat. She took the plunge despite not having a concrete plan in mind, and, three years on, has since travelled to 70 countries – which included spending eight months backpacking solo in South America – and landed a job as an expedition guide working in Antarctica. In August 2024 , Ms Tan also became an accidental speaker. 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The community has enjoyed steady growth since its first iteration which took place online, with over 250 activities being held in the past year alone. Updates on the latest and upcoming events are done so through their Instagram and Telegram platforms. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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The community is currently embarking on its most ambitious project yet – a 'Summer School for Grown-Ups' program from July 8 to Sept 27 that will see 250 speakers and activities, which will see 32 events being conducted across 29 event days. The community sees attendees from a gamut of professions and in a wide age range - those in their early 20s to 70s, said Mr Ang. An event called "Burnt out, not broken" having a sharing session, which later evolved into a four-part fortnightly peer support group. PHOTO: ANGELA KONG He added that Stranger Conversations does not have a target audience, as evidenced by the eclecticism of topics that have been discussed over the years – from learning how to DJ, to the art of co-existing between birds, humans and urban well-being and learning how to navigate male loneliness and isolation. 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It costs him and his team of about 25 volunteers and space minders around $50,000 a year to stay open, a sum that is largely funded through crowdfunding, donations and tickets to events, which are priced from $10. Some events are free of charge because the host may have provided monetary support for the space and contributed to the rent. Volunteers and various speakers who host sessions – they number about 50 – do not receive a salary, nor do they seek one, said Ms Genevieve Ong, a volunteer who likes to endearingly call her role 'community builder' instead. ' Most have other forms of income, and these are people who are at different seasons of their lives,' shared Ms Ong. 'We also make it a point to ask them if they are financially well for the month when speakers decide to hold events, but they usually decline a salary .' Speakers are discovered organically, added Mr Ang, often times through them contacting Stranger Conversations directly by 'pitching' their idea, or after they attend different events and recount snippets of their experiences with fellow attendees. Some of these speakers also end up converting into residents of Stranger Conversations, where they hold their signature sessions, like Ms Tan. 'It's rare to find a space that holds this kind of openness,' said Ms Tan. 'It reminded me that there is a growing community of people here who want more than the traditional script – that we're not alone in seeking depth, authenticity, and purpose.' Added Mr Ang: 'There will always be something open for someone here (at Stranger Conversations) that will pique their interest; it's like a library of human stories.'

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