To The Manner Born

Astrie Sunindar-Ratner, etiquette author, has built a home where ease and elegance come together effortlessly, like your P’s and Q’s should. By Jeffrey Yan

- Jeffrey Yan

The home of Astrie Sunindar-Ratner is every bit as charming and impeccable as one would expect of someone who champions the refinement of qualities little-seen but deeply felt. Wide double doors open to an entryway lined with the etiquette consultant’s collection of straw hats picked up from her travels around the world. The foyer leads to a spacious, open-concept living area with floor-to-ceiling windows that run the entire length of the room, flooding the space with light and offering up stunning views of Orchard Road from 23 floors above ground. Off to one end of the living area is a cosily tucked-away family corner and a suite of bedrooms; to the other, the kitchen, the dining area, and another two of the house’s six bedrooms.

“I fell in love with this place because of the space and layout,” shares the 41-year-old. “Our previous apartment had two levels, which was nice, but I wanted a one-level. Here, I can always see the kids or hear them. In our old place, I was always wondering or worrying about them. And with windows like these, the views and the light are just amazing.” With so much uninterrupted space in the center of the house, she has carved it up into sections—a hulking table piled with flowers and books divides the room into a sitting area with big cream couches and soft grey armchairs, and a cocktail corner with a wooden bar cabinet, low‑slung armchairs and a brass‑and‑marble cocktail table.