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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.