An Oasis Of Calm

Vivienne Shen's conservation shophouse exudes breezy, elegant holiday vibes and comes with its own Mediterranean-inspired palm-tree-studded oasis.

- Tracy Lee

When energy trader and interiors influencer Vivienne Shen and her Dutch husband went househunting in Singapore, they fell in love with a Joo Chiat conservation shophouse the moment they set foot in it.

We have always loved shophouses in Singapore. Each of them is unique, and carries a piece of the country's history and cultural heritage. This one has really high ceilings, an open space on the first floor, and a courtyard right in the middle of the house, which allows us to bring the outdoors inside, says the 34-year-old of the 3,500sqft, two-and-a-half storey house, which comes with an attic space and a rooftop patio.

Having grown up in China, married a European, travelled widely and lived in Singapore for 16 years, Shen shares that her taste in interiors has evolved over the years. “My eyes were constantly educated by the places I travelled to, the cultures I was immersed in, the materials I touched, and the people I found inspiring,” she expounds.

Shen further shares that she is always intrigued by a space that displays a variety of aesthetic eras and textures, and that wherever she travels to, she's always thrilled to search for local antique markets and shops; nothing beats the feeling of finding a unique piece that touches the heart. As such, she decided that her home would be designed as a melting pot of influences, housing an assembly of my fondest memories in life, and featuring a mixture and balance of texture, materials, periods and patina”.