SINGAPORE – Private investor and style influencer Wendy Long is a self-professed city girl, and by city, she means the heart of Singapore’s shopping belt, Orchard Road.

So when the time came to find a new home that would be larger than the four-bedroom apartment in Marina Bay where she and her husband lived, the 43-year-old hunted for properties that were a stone’s throw from the places she frequents.

A bigger space, she says, is something she has come to appreciate during the pandemic. Instead of going for “cookie-cutter inter-terrace landed properties”, she fell in love with a pre-war conservation house in Cairnhill Road.

“Whether it is your own style or the house that you live in, personality is very important. I’m very particular when it comes to what I like and what I don’t. A house should always be a reflection of your overall style,” she says.

Long adds that her new home’s proximity to Orchard Road also helps as she is often slightly late for appointments.

Designed by renowned Singapore-based Argentinian architect Ernesto Bedmar in the 1980s, the three-storey conservation property has a built-up area of about 4,000 sq ft. According to Long’s research, it was previously owned by a member of one of Singapore’s most prominent families, which she says clinched the deal for her.

She recalls that she had first seen the sale listing slightly more than a year ago. While she loved the space she saw in the photos and the video tour online, she did not make a viewing appointment. Shortly after, the listing was taken off the market.

“At the time, I was not ready to make an offer and did not want to see it just for fun. I always believe that you should see (the property) in person only when you are in the position to make a serious offer. Otherwise, you are wasting people’s time and effort.”

Good things, as the saying goes, come to those who wait. When Long and her 49-year-old husband, who works in the finance industry, were finally ready to take the plunge, they viewed six other shophouses – none piqued her interest, though – before the Cairnhill one reappeared on the market.

“I did not waste any time making an offer because we knew what we wanted and were serious about buying,” she says.

One of the property’s interesting design elements is the way it has been constructed to allow natural light to fill the home.

Of course, some updates were needed. For the six-month project, Long engaged her long-time design collaborator Terence Chan, principal architect of creative design studio Terre.

The brief was simple: A more contemporary take on the mid-century modern design aesthetic, while retaining as much of the original design elements as possible.

“I wanted to pay homage to the heritage and provenance of the space as well as the architect, while putting our own spin on it,” says Long. “So rather than gutting everything and starting from scratch, Terence and I worked on a design that juxtaposes the old and new in a more harmonious way.”

The property’s facade is deceptively simple and unassuming. The old, dark grey tiles and grey-toned wall colour were replaced with large, light olive-toned beige tiles and white paint to brighten the exterior.

Flanking the courtyard are two heavy stone benches that were Bedmar’s original design. An olive tree stands at the corner of the main gate. It was one of the two things that Long’s husband requested.

Mr Chan took that as a starting point for his design, adding splashes of olive tones all over the house. Long subsequently decided to call the property The Olive House.

The interior, though, is anything but minimalist. Step through the double wooden doors and the first thing one notices is the stark contrast from the outside.

In the original design, two areas in the upper decks had been punched through, the openings replaced with glass panels. This lets in natural light, creating an arresting display of shadow play around various spots in the house, and a cosier atmosphere despite the high ceilings.

The forward-thinking design also meant that the first level now has clearly designated areas for entertaining – something Long loves to do.

Cream-coloured sofas fill the reception space, anchored by a gargantuan lacquered wood coffee table by French furniture designer Christian Liaigre. It is piled with fashion and art books, artfully stacked in between Baccarat crystals and Louis Vuitton table ornaments.

“The funny thing is, while this area was designed as the reception or living room, we hardly spend any time here,” says Long. “Usually, when guests come, they will be ushered to the bar area first, which is on the upper deck at the back of the house.”

A timber walkway, built over an indoor pond, leads to the bar, where there is a sitting area and a billiard table. The recreation space, as Long calls it, is created for pre- or post-prandial drinks.

From this vantage point, one can see the entire length of the house. A spiral staircase beside the bar leads to the third floor, where her husband’s study and a guest room are located.

The reception and dining areas are separated by a glass staircase, which is a part of Bedmar’s original design that was retained.

Taking centre stage in the dining room is a handsome 4.3m-long, 16-seater dining table custom-made from four slabs of marble.

Because of Long’s love for throwing sit-down lunch and dinner parties, the space is designed and organised in such a way that allows for such activities to take place smoothly.

With more space in the new house, she can also display her extensive collection of beautiful tableware from fashion houses such as Hermes, Ralph Lauren and Richard Ginori for Gucci.

When it is just the two of them, Long says they have their meals in the kitchen, which is one of her favourite spots in the house.

Done up like a chef’s kitchen, it is equipped with stainless steel appliances, including two refrigerators and an ice-making machine, ample storage spaces and a double-door pantry cabinet.

“I like it there because it feels very homely. We sit around the island to eat, and when my parents visit, the kitchen becomes a communal spot.”

The master bedroom is on the upper deck at the front of the house. Sitting on the mezzanine floor above the en-suite bathroom is Long’s walk-in wardrobe, filled with pieces from her favourite label, French luxury house Saint Laurent.

In the house, there is a place for everything and everything is in its place – the same type of curation process that Long applies to her personal style.

“I know exactly what I want and how I feel in certain pieces. Sometimes, it is just based on instinct because you know when you look at something – be it furniture or fashion – whether it works for you or not. And this comes from practice,” she says.

This article first appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, the leading fashion glossy on the best of style, beauty, design, travel and the arts. Go to harpersbazaar.com.sg and follow @harpersbazaarsg on Instagram; harpersbazaarsingapore on Facebook. The December 2022 issue is out on newsstands now.