Styling Sentosa

This family tell us how they styled up their gorgeous island abode and managed to make it feel like home in just a few short months.

- Amy Brook-Partridge

FACT FILE

Who lives here: Erika Franco, husband Luis Nava, five-year-old son Mateo and dog Luka

Size of home: Five bedroom landed home

Where it is: Sentosa Cove

Originally hailing from Mexico, Erika, husband Luis and son Mateo moved from Boston to Singapore in October 2020. One could assume that such an upheaval from a settled four years in the US would be stressful given the pandemic swirling around the globe. However, for Erika, the move has been truly positive. “Living here has been an amazing experience for us so far; this is really one of the best places we could be at this time.”

Having lived in and loved Boston’s city life for those four years (not to mention 10 years in the metropolis of New York City before that), Erika and her family were keen for a more relaxed pace of living in Singapore. “We were looking for a spot with a laid-back vibe; somewhere for our son to enjoy riding his bike, and where we could easily head to the beach.”

Sentosa Cove fitted their requirements of beach and waterside living, as well as offering the kind of space they wanted. “We wanted something that resembled a house as much as possible. This has just the right layout for us. It’s split-level, which makes it interesting; you come through the basement and you have the kitchen and office one level below, the dining and living area one level above, and then the bedrooms and the attic above that.”

Making a home