Apartment with view of Polo Club horses marks fresh start for mum of two

SINGAPORE – As a first-time single home owner, Mel sees a home as a sanctuary.

“My home gives me security and strength. It also gives me a sense of calmness,” says the 45-year-old, who works in shipping and did not give her full name, of her home in Jalan Raja Udang.

She shares the apartment – a two-bedroom condominium unit measuring 1,055 sq ft – with her two daughters aged 17 and 11, as well as a helper. The unit was chosen for its view of greenery and of the Singapore Polo Club, so Mel can see the horses every day.

Her brief to Mr Kelvin Teo, founder of interior design firm Space Sense Studio, was for clean lines and a peaceful ambience. As a collector of gin, Mel also wanted a Cuban theme with a bar as the centrepiece.

The beige and green palette reflects her preferences, as do the wainscoting details on the walls. The living area’s wallpaper, featuring tropical palm trees, was something she fell in love with after seeing the print in a store at Ion Orchard.

The kitchen has been reoriented for better spatial flow from the main entrance and living room. Anchoring the space is a free-standing island that doubles as a bar counter and a worktop for food preparation. At one end of the island is a cantilevered pull-out table so Mel can host larger groups without a separate dining area.

Mel, who loves to entertain, says the gin bar is her favourite element of the home. “Its sleek design allows me to display my bottles and reach them easily when guests visit, and we sit and have a drink by the large island counter,” she says.

Within the master bedroom is a low partition which serves as a divider and provides extra storage space. It is also the headboard, with Mel’s bed facing the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The en-suite bathroom is decked out in maroon to mirror the bedroom, with warm metallic accents for a touch of luxury.

As her two daughters share the other bedroom, the layout of the space had to be as efficient as possible.

Mr Teo configured the bedroom with a central walkway separating two zones: one with a loft bed above a wardrobe, and the other with a bed below and storage above.

Like the master suite’s bedroom and bathroom, the common bathroom’s palette echoes the cool, calming blue of the girls’ bedroom.

Next to the girls’ bedroom is the balcony, which functions almost as an extension of their bedroom. The balcony area, which is also adjacent to the living room, has been split into three zones: the balcony proper, with a wall of low-maintenance artificial greenery; a study area for the girls; and additional storage in one small corner.

The family moved into their new home in August 2025 after a three-month renovation. The cost came up to about $150,000, with an additional $15,000 for furniture and another $15,000 for white goods.