CLASSIC, WITH A TWIST

Maddy Barber shares the importance of stories in both interior and jewellery design, finding delightful surprises when you least expect them.

- Asih Jenie

At Maddy Barber’s home in Serangoon Gardens, you can enjoy ample daylight and see soothing greenery from any room in the house. That’s quite a feat, considering the 2,750 sq ft inter-terrace landed property is sandwiched between solid party walls. Bought by her parents in 2006 and refurbished by her brother—award-winning multidisciplinary designer Gabriel Tan—in 2021, the house is a charming mix of old and new that makes the most of our tropical climate.

“Our tastes are quite different,” says the jewellery brand owner and beloved former Kiss92 DJ. “His is more minimalist, influenced by Japanese and Scandinavian designs, and mine is more maximalist. I like the decorative and rustic elements you see in the sunny Mediterranean countries.” But the siblings could agree on one thing—updating the interior to suit their evolving lifestyles while honouring the original architectural shell that had witnessed some of the family’s happiest years.

Tan had done some intervention to the existing home when his parents had bought the house. Realising that the living room’s false ceiling had hidden a pitched roof, he had asked his parents to expose the original structure. This resulted in an airy space with a timber structure and exposed brick wall, two features that Barber decided to keep during the most recent refurbishment.

As its side elevations are closed off, the house relies on its inner courtyard to allow natural light and airflow in. Previously a forgotten dumping ground for random furniture and appliances, the courtyard is now a cheerful spot dressed with greenery and decorative tile—a worthy place to which all openings in the bedroom—bar her younger daughter Alicia’s—and bathrooms are oriented to.