The Prettiest Villa In Sri Lanka

Just back from the beach on Sri Lanka's south coast, and newly opened to guests from Christmas 2022, is Braganza House. This picturesque villa was designed and built by CHLOE ELKERTON of design firm E&A Interiors in Singapore. Here, she explains how the project developed, from conception to construction, to the relaxing retreat for families and friends it is today.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in the idyllic countryside of East Sussex in England, and went on to work in London as an interiors stylist and magazine editor. On a trip to Asia during the 2008 recession, I stopped in Singapore to see a good school friend and basically never returned to the UK!

I've lived here for almost 15 years, and I founded E&A Interiors (eandainteriors.com) ten years ago. Besides completing projects in Bali, Sri Lanka and Singapore last year, we also launched our little shop, Elkie's Edit, in Tiong Bahru, as a homewares extension of E&A. This year, we're working on a lovely black-and-white, a shophouse and some exciting overseas projects.

What was your vision for Braganza House – and why Sri Lanka?

After I moved to Singapore, I would meet my mother somewhere in Asia every Christmas – such as Bali or India. From 2011, we settled on Sri Lanka as the perfect place for these annual gettogethers.

On a three-week trip around the island, we fell in love with the stunning southern beaches of Talpe and historic Galle Fort. I would take any opportunity to go back for long weekends – given how near it is to Singapore – and it started to become a special place to me.

I sold my London flat in 2013 and decided to build my own home. As expats in Singapore, we all long to live in our own places rather than renting – and as an interior designer, my dream was always to design and build my own home, like I do for our clients. This was my opportunity to create something truly personal and reflective of my design ethos.