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My Houzz: A Little Girl’s Favourite Hues Define Her Family's Home
Discover a stylish Singapore condo renovated as a family home and to match a little girl's favourite colours
Lecturer, DJ, musician, tapestry weaver and mother, Ginette Chittick is one of Singapore’s most stylish individuals, so while you might expect her new home to reflect her many talents, it might surprise you to discover that its colour scheme was dictated by her daughter’s favourite colours! If that’s not true love, we don’t know what is.
That connection to nature also shines through in the colours Ginette chose for her condo home; a soft but vibrant mint green anchors the overall scheme, while touches of warm pink, white and pale timber create blasts of contrast.
“This condo is a three bedder with three bathrooms and a balcony. The layout is pretty squarish so it was easy to plan [the design],” says Ginette.
“I would have loved a deep green velvet couch but in tropical Singapore, velvet would have turned our bums into sweaty patches!”
“This condo is a three bedder with three bathrooms and a balcony. The layout is pretty squarish so it was easy to plan [the design],” says Ginette.
“I would have loved a deep green velvet couch but in tropical Singapore, velvet would have turned our bums into sweaty patches!”
After buying the condo apartment, the family set out a budget for the renovation that they wanted to have done before moving in.
“We didn’t want to spend more than $40K for the renovation and we managed to keep it below that including flooring so we’re pretty chuffed,” explains Ginette.
“We planned to do it all at once and move in within the week and we did. There’s nothing really else to do besides the [balcony] decking which we are still considering.”
Apart from the aforementioned decking, Ginette planned out the interior design to try to combine her taste with that of her husband, but particularly with 3-year-old Luella’s input.
“We didn’t want to spend more than $40K for the renovation and we managed to keep it below that including flooring so we’re pretty chuffed,” explains Ginette.
“We planned to do it all at once and move in within the week and we did. There’s nothing really else to do besides the [balcony] decking which we are still considering.”
Apart from the aforementioned decking, Ginette planned out the interior design to try to combine her taste with that of her husband, but particularly with 3-year-old Luella’s input.
“My style is a bit of everything – modern with bohemian mixed with Scandinavian and some mid-century modern,” she says.
“Shawn loves colour on the walls and I love it in soft furnishings, so this was a huge coming-together to try to blend what we both like.
“[But] Luella’s favourite colours are green and pink so there you have it,” Ginette adds.
“Shawn loves colour on the walls and I love it in soft furnishings, so this was a huge coming-together to try to blend what we both like.
“[But] Luella’s favourite colours are green and pink so there you have it,” Ginette adds.
Ginette might laugh about how the colours for her home were chosen, but her keen artistic eye managed to create a space that, while colourful, is beautifully blended with a soothing vibe.
“We also wanted some brass accents and hence all the lights were brass. Even the standing lamp in the living room. We bought the lights online and that turned out to be the best decision we made.”
“We also wanted some brass accents and hence all the lights were brass. Even the standing lamp in the living room. We bought the lights online and that turned out to be the best decision we made.”
“I was looking at a lot of design ideas for bathrooms online, and I found myself gravitating towards bathrooms that featured round mirrors, long vertical bright coloured tiles and pendant lamps,” she explains.
“And because I wanted round mirrors; the lamps and lights for the rest of the house had to be round as well. As were the bathroom sinks.”
Although not round, “We also have Hansgrohe fittings in the kitchen and the Hansgrohe Axor Citterio shower system for our bathrooms so that’s extra special.”
Bathroom fittings: Hansgrohe Singapore
“And because I wanted round mirrors; the lamps and lights for the rest of the house had to be round as well. As were the bathroom sinks.”
Although not round, “We also have Hansgrohe fittings in the kitchen and the Hansgrohe Axor Citterio shower system for our bathrooms so that’s extra special.”
Bathroom fittings: Hansgrohe Singapore
While is seems that Ginette had everything under control from the start, she did experience a few ups and downs in getting things done the way she wanted them.
“We had a design firm come in to help facilitate the renovation, but the renovation was very stressful,” says Ginette.
“As a designer and design educator, I found that a lot of the workmanship wasn’t up to scratch and I had to keep quality-surveying all the time. I fell ill twice during the renovation from all the stress of managing the renovation with the interior designer and contractors.”
Kitchen fittings: Hansgrohe Singapore
“We had a design firm come in to help facilitate the renovation, but the renovation was very stressful,” says Ginette.
“As a designer and design educator, I found that a lot of the workmanship wasn’t up to scratch and I had to keep quality-surveying all the time. I fell ill twice during the renovation from all the stress of managing the renovation with the interior designer and contractors.”
Kitchen fittings: Hansgrohe Singapore
Although Ginette and her husband Shawn don’t consider themselves to be particularly handy, they did do a bit of the work themselves.
“Towards the end, I did take up the paint brush myself to rectify simple paint errors that should have been fixed by the painter,” says Ginette.
“Towards the end, I did take up the paint brush myself to rectify simple paint errors that should have been fixed by the painter,” says Ginette.
After the shell of the condo renovation was finished, Ginette started adding in the furniture and accessories.
“We had most of the furniture brought over from our old place. We had a couch custom-made,” says Ginette.
“We had most of the furniture brought over from our old place. We had a couch custom-made,” says Ginette.
Luella’s bedroom is a soft retreat in her favourite colours of green and pink.
As for her favourite part of the condo? Ginette says it is the balcony.
“Growing up, I lived in a bungalow with a terrace and long balconies but my grandparents didn’t know what to do with it, so we never really used it well.
“Now that I have one, I’m slowly populating it with plants – a balcony really makes me feel like I have green fingers. I can’t believe my plants are still alive! And our wicker loveseat and throw cushions just make spending an evening with our little family outside so lovely.
“We’ve not put decking in yet but we’ve thrown on a traditional raffia prayer mat and that seems to work fine!”
“Growing up, I lived in a bungalow with a terrace and long balconies but my grandparents didn’t know what to do with it, so we never really used it well.
“Now that I have one, I’m slowly populating it with plants – a balcony really makes me feel like I have green fingers. I can’t believe my plants are still alive! And our wicker loveseat and throw cushions just make spending an evening with our little family outside so lovely.
“We’ve not put decking in yet but we’ve thrown on a traditional raffia prayer mat and that seems to work fine!”
Despite the colour scheme being chosen by a 3-year-old – or maybe because of this – the fresh, fun home of Ginette and her family is refreshing, relaxing and personal and a brilliant portrait of this creative Singapore family.
TELL US
What do you think of this colour scheme? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
TELL US
What do you think of this colour scheme? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: 3-year-old Luella Lee Miller and her parents, journalist Shawn Lee Miller and lecturer, DJ, musician, tapestry weaver Ginette Chittick
Where is it: Bukit Panjang
Size: 1,055 square feet
When choosing her new home for her young family, Singapore creative Ginette Chittick was looking for a space that not only had enough space, but also had an important connection to nature.
“We fell in love with the estate’s lush landscaping and chose it especially for that, so that Luella could be near nature,” explains Ginette. “The estate is also right by the park connector and still close to my mother-in-law’s home.”